Arms and machinery factory ltd
The Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Rt.
The Testory Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd. was founded in 1883 at 8 Dorottya Street in Budapest with a share capital of HUF 150 000. Dr. Károly Herich became the company's president, Vilmos Müller, Leo Pauer from Budahegy and Gusztáv Emich its directors. They closed their first full business year with a modest profit of HUF 886 and a turnover of HUF 23 474.
The company produced a wide range of products. For example, they were involved in the manufacture of lighting equipment, i.e. railway lamps and lanterns, all kinds of commercial metalware in iron, brass, galvanised, tin, bronze, gilding, etc., chandeliers, wall and table lamps, mining lamps, light bulbs, etc., but also bath tubs, wash basins, boxes, etc. They had a model warehouse at 18 Erzsébet-tér in Budapest.
According to the 1885 Annual Report, Count Jenő Zichy, as a shareholder, expressed the opinion that the company should have raised much more capital at the start-up to be able to operate at a higher production level, as the company was already forced to take out loans to cover the increase in production.
In 1886, the share capital was increased by 300 000 HUF, which was mainly provided by the Hungarian General Credit Bank and its subsidiary, the Fiume Oil Refinery Ltd., so the company was transformed, its new name became Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd., and the board of directors was composed of the bank's officials, so the composition of the board was as follows: major Ede Pallavicini, Dr. Sándor Lederer, Zsigmond Mauthner, Imre Németh, Adolf Ullmann.
After that the company was in a position to receive exclusive government orders, for example in 1887 the Ministry of Finance ordered the new stills for the new Spirits Tax Act, which were then purchased from them by the spirit producers. As a result, profits rose from 4 267 forints in 1887 to 40 819 forints in 1888. However, this situation did not last and the company barely managed to make a minimum profit of a few hundred thousand forints in the following years and decades, but from 1899 onwards, but more with the introduction of the koruna, it was able to achieve a six-figure profit - with a nominal increase - which reached K 300 000 per annum from 1907.
This came back to the company in the post-war hyperinflation, so in 1925-1926 the company made a profit of 328,000 and 385,000 pence respectively, which was eroded by the Great Depression. The Győrffy-Wolf metal goods factory in Pesterzsébet was absorbed into the company during the crisis, but by 1932 the company had still accumulated a loss of nearly one million pence. As a solution, the Hungarian General Credit Bank, as the owner, merged the Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd. into the Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. on 15 November 1935.
The Weapons and Machinery Factory Ltd
The Hungarian Industrial and Commercial Bank founded the Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. on 12 February 1891 with the aim of establishing a company capable of manufacturing modern weapons and supplying the army in Hungary. The company was established on the Outer Soroksári Road, in Budapest, with a share capital of HUF 2.4 million by acquiring the bankrupt premises of the First Hungarian Arms and Ammunition Factory Ltd. Specialists from the Austrian arms manufacturer Steyer were invited, while the company's board of directors included Baron Ervin Roszner (later Governor of Fiume), Baron Géza Podmaniczky, Baron Gyula Born, Károly Kühn, Izidor Loewe, Pál Mauzer, Hugó Noot, Gyula Posch and Manfréd Weisz, while the company was already owned by the Hungarian General Credit Bank from 1893 and remained there until nationalisation after the Second World War.
The company initially produced the Austrian Mannlicher rifles, and later the M1895 pattern rifles with the "R "COMPANY" prefix, referring to the place of manufacture. In addition, they produced repeating rifles, carbines and bayonets. They were successful at the 1896 Millennium Exhibition with their rifles, tools and special machines, and from 1899 they also began to produce field tack and gun accessories.
Fortepan / Ferencváros Local History Collection
From 1896 onwards, the company became loss-making - in contrast to the early profitable years - as the mainly black powder guns it had been producing became increasingly obsolete. As a result, they began to switch to more modern weapons of much higher quality. In 1898, profits exceeded 300,000 crowns, and in 1899 700,000 crowns.
In addition to weapons, they also produced machine tools. In 1895, for example, a revolver blade was made for Bertold Weisz and Partners. The company also created the first Hungarian diesel engine, which was produced in 1899, first with 4 and then with 20 horsepower, and which Rudolf Diesel called the "Hungarian type". Later, the company started to produce 50 engines a year, which soon reached a power output of 70-100 hp. According to experts on the subject, production here was of such a high standard that Augsburg Diesel Rt. itself recommended engines from Fegyr- und gépgyár Rt. to British factories for orders exceeding their own capacity.
The company's management changed in 1903, when Rudolf Frommer was appointed director on behalf of the Hitelbank, with the unconcealed aim of increasing the arms production potential of the company, which was expanding into engine production. Frommer himself had made a name for himself with his patents on weapons, although he had originally worked as a stock exchange clerk and later as an employee of the Hitelbank. In 1914, he was awarded Hungarian nobility with the title of 'Fewer' in recognition of his work.
From 1904 onwards, the increasingly tense foreign policy situation also justified the armament of the company, which created a favourable business climate. Thus, the company expanded its profile along the lines of Rudolf Frommer's patents into the field of repeating pistols, which became sought-after products not only in Austria-Hungary but also from the USA to Japan.
After the outbreak of the World War, the factory was placed under military control in 1915, and by then it had more than 2,000 employees, which had grown to 4,500 by 1917.
After the war, the number of troops in the Little Hungary of Trianon was limited, which meant that the weapons production capacities built up during the war became unused, so the company turned again to the production of metal and mechanical engineering tools, which included household appliances, but the production of weapons did not completely disappear, and in time the production of hunting rifles was also started in the factory.
The Metal, Weapon and Machine Factory Rt.
The Great Depression, however, had a severe impact on the company, which then had less than 100 employees. Finally, in 1935, on the initiative of the Hitelbank, the company merged with the Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd, which became the Metal, Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. As a result, the number of workers began to increase dramatically, as did the factory's turnover, which again expanded rapidly. During the war, the factory was hit by bombs on 3 April 1944 and again on 2 July 1944. After the war, in 1946, the company changed its name to Lampart Works and concentrated on tool production. Finally, the factory was nationalised on 1 January 1948, creating the National Company for Metal Products and Machine Tools, and from 1965 it continued to operate under the name of the Weapons and Gas Equipment Factory (FÉG).
Sources:
Historical shooting sports 1: Frommer 37 M pistol shooting and competitions - YouTube
Founded in 1883
Date of cessation: 1948
Founders are not set
Securities issued:
| Arms and machinery factory ltd |
Decisive leaders:
1891-1928 | Baron Ervin Roszner |
1929-1939 | János Baron Harkányi |
1941- | Dr. János Bud |
Main activity not set
Main products are not set
Seats are not configured
Locations are not set
Main milestones are not set
Author: by Dr. Márton Pelles
Founded in 1883
Founders are not set
Decisive leaders:
1891-1928 | Baron Ervin Roszner |
1929-1939 | János Baron Harkányi |
1941- | Dr. János Bud |
Main activity not set
Main products are not set
Seats are not configured
Locations are not set
Main milestones are not set
Author: by Dr. Márton Pelles
Arms and machinery factory ltd
The Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Rt.
The Testory Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd. was founded in 1883 at 8 Dorottya Street in Budapest with a share capital of HUF 150 000. Dr. Károly Herich became the company's president, Vilmos Müller, Leo Pauer from Budahegy and Gusztáv Emich its directors. They closed their first full business year with a modest profit of HUF 886 and a turnover of HUF 23 474.
The company produced a wide range of products. For example, they were involved in the manufacture of lighting equipment, i.e. railway lamps and lanterns, all kinds of commercial metalware in iron, brass, galvanised, tin, bronze, gilding, etc., chandeliers, wall and table lamps, mining lamps, light bulbs, etc., but also bath tubs, wash basins, boxes, etc. They had a model warehouse at 18 Erzsébet-tér in Budapest.
According to the 1885 Annual Report, Count Jenő Zichy, as a shareholder, expressed the opinion that the company should have raised much more capital at the start-up to be able to operate at a higher production level, as the company was already forced to take out loans to cover the increase in production.
In 1886, the share capital was increased by 300 000 HUF, which was mainly provided by the Hungarian General Credit Bank and its subsidiary, the Fiume Oil Refinery Ltd., so the company was transformed, its new name became Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd., and the board of directors was composed of the bank's officials, so the composition of the board was as follows: major Ede Pallavicini, Dr. Sándor Lederer, Zsigmond Mauthner, Imre Németh, Adolf Ullmann.
After that the company was in a position to receive exclusive government orders, for example in 1887 the Ministry of Finance ordered the new stills for the new Spirits Tax Act, which were then purchased from them by the spirit producers. As a result, profits rose from 4 267 forints in 1887 to 40 819 forints in 1888. However, this situation did not last and the company barely managed to make a minimum profit of a few hundred thousand forints in the following years and decades, but from 1899 onwards, but more with the introduction of the koruna, it was able to achieve a six-figure profit - with a nominal increase - which reached K 300 000 per annum from 1907.
This came back to the company in the post-war hyperinflation, so in 1925-1926 the company made a profit of 328,000 and 385,000 pence respectively, which was eroded by the Great Depression. The Győrffy-Wolf metal goods factory in Pesterzsébet was absorbed into the company during the crisis, but by 1932 the company had still accumulated a loss of nearly one million pence. As a solution, the Hungarian General Credit Bank, as the owner, merged the Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd. into the Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. on 15 November 1935.
The Weapons and Machinery Factory Ltd
The Hungarian Industrial and Commercial Bank founded the Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. on 12 February 1891 with the aim of establishing a company capable of manufacturing modern weapons and supplying the army in Hungary. The company was established on the Outer Soroksári Road, in Budapest, with a share capital of HUF 2.4 million by acquiring the bankrupt premises of the First Hungarian Arms and Ammunition Factory Ltd. Specialists from the Austrian arms manufacturer Steyer were invited, while the company's board of directors included Baron Ervin Roszner (later Governor of Fiume), Baron Géza Podmaniczky, Baron Gyula Born, Károly Kühn, Izidor Loewe, Pál Mauzer, Hugó Noot, Gyula Posch and Manfréd Weisz, while the company was already owned by the Hungarian General Credit Bank from 1893 and remained there until nationalisation after the Second World War.
The company initially produced the Austrian Mannlicher rifles, and later the M1895 pattern rifles with the "R "COMPANY" prefix, referring to the place of manufacture. In addition, they produced repeating rifles, carbines and bayonets. They were successful at the 1896 Millennium Exhibition with their rifles, tools and special machines, and from 1899 they also began to produce field tack and gun accessories.
Fortepan / Ferencváros Local History Collection
From 1896 onwards, the company became loss-making - in contrast to the early profitable years - as the mainly black powder guns it had been producing became increasingly obsolete. As a result, they began to switch to more modern weapons of much higher quality. In 1898, profits exceeded 300,000 crowns, and in 1899 700,000 crowns.
In addition to weapons, they also produced machine tools. In 1895, for example, a revolver blade was made for Bertold Weisz and Partners. The company also created the first Hungarian diesel engine, which was produced in 1899, first with 4 and then with 20 horsepower, and which Rudolf Diesel called the "Hungarian type". Later, the company started to produce 50 engines a year, which soon reached a power output of 70-100 hp. According to experts on the subject, production here was of such a high standard that Augsburg Diesel Rt. itself recommended engines from Fegyr- und gépgyár Rt. to British factories for orders exceeding their own capacity.
The company's management changed in 1903, when Rudolf Frommer was appointed director on behalf of the Hitelbank, with the unconcealed aim of increasing the arms production potential of the company, which was expanding into engine production. Frommer himself had made a name for himself with his patents on weapons, although he had originally worked as a stock exchange clerk and later as an employee of the Hitelbank. In 1914, he was awarded Hungarian nobility with the title of 'Fewer' in recognition of his work.
From 1904 onwards, the increasingly tense foreign policy situation also justified the armament of the company, which created a favourable business climate. Thus, the company expanded its profile along the lines of Rudolf Frommer's patents into the field of repeating pistols, which became sought-after products not only in Austria-Hungary but also from the USA to Japan.
After the outbreak of the World War, the factory was placed under military control in 1915, and by then it had more than 2,000 employees, which had grown to 4,500 by 1917.
After the war, the number of troops in the Little Hungary of Trianon was limited, which meant that the weapons production capacities built up during the war became unused, so the company turned again to the production of metal and mechanical engineering tools, which included household appliances, but the production of weapons did not completely disappear, and in time the production of hunting rifles was also started in the factory.
The Metal, Weapon and Machine Factory Rt.
The Great Depression, however, had a severe impact on the company, which then had less than 100 employees. Finally, in 1935, on the initiative of the Hitelbank, the company merged with the Hungarian Metal and Lamp Factory Ltd, which became the Metal, Weapon and Machine Factory Ltd. As a result, the number of workers began to increase dramatically, as did the factory's turnover, which again expanded rapidly. During the war, the factory was hit by bombs on 3 April 1944 and again on 2 July 1944. After the war, in 1946, the company changed its name to Lampart Works and concentrated on tool production. Finally, the factory was nationalised on 1 January 1948, creating the National Company for Metal Products and Machine Tools, and from 1965 it continued to operate under the name of the Weapons and Gas Equipment Factory (FÉG).
Sources:
Historical shooting sports 1: Frommer 37 M pistol shooting and competitions - YouTube