On December 19, POL-TEC, the German distributor of firearms produced by Česká zbrojovka (part of the Colt CZ Group), together with the Czech manufacturer itself, simultaneously confirmed the selection of the CZ P-10C OR FDE semi-automatic pistol as the P13 for the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
CZ P-10C OR FDE designated as P13 for the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany / Photos: POL-TEC
“We are honored that the Bundeswehr has chosen CZ as its partner. Our success in the tender for a new service pistol is one of the most important achievements in CZ’s recent history. It confirms the excellent reputation our firearms enjoy thanks to their use in real combat conditions. We look forward to a long-term partnership with the Bundeswehr,” said Jan Zajic, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Česká zbrojovka.
The Czech design prevailed in the procurement process for a “service pistol” (Pistole querschnittlich), which has been underway since November 2024. The new weapon is intended to replace the semi-automatic P8 pistols currently used by the Bundeswehr and their modified P8A1 variant, while complementing the pistols selected for special forces units – 3,200 P14 and 3,300 P14K (Walther PDP; which also replaced the P9A1, P12, and P30).
Six bidders were admitted to the competition, offering a total of 11 pistols. All were first required to meet the Bundeswehr’s technical requirements for the new weapon. After verification of performance characteristics, price became the sole selection criterion. Three companies were admitted to price negotiations: Glock of Austria, AREX of Slovenia (acquired in 2017 by the Czech investment group RSBC), and Česká zbrojovka of the Czech Republic.
The winner concluded a seven-year framework agreement for the delivery of 203,000 semi-automatic pistols with a total value of approximately 56 million EUR. On November 5, 2025, the Bundestag Budget Committee approved funding for the first implementing contract under the framework agreement, worth 19 million EUR, covering the delivery of 65,000 P13 pistols with accessories.
The company POL-TEC of Fürth is not only the distributor of the firearms but also a strategic partner responsible for training. It also represents the Italian company Radar 1957, which will supply the Bundeswehr with three types of holsters: Level 2 (with a single retention mechanism), Level 3 (with two retention mechanisms), holsters for concealed carry, and other accessories.
In addition to the combat-version pistols chambered for 9×19 mm ammunition, the Bundeswehr is also procuring training weapons featuring frames in red
The CZ P-10C is a striker-fired semi-automatic pistol with a polymer frame. It operates on the short-recoil principle with a 102 mm barrel. The P-10C debuted in 2017, and in 2020 the weapon was adopted by the Czech Armed Forces (ACR). The pistol weighs 740 g and has an overall length of 187 mm. The P13 is chambered in 9×19 mm and is fed as standard from a 15-round magazine.
One of the Bundeswehr’s requirements was a weapon adapted for mounting a miniature red-dot sight on top of the slide. As a result, the P13 became the P-10C OR (Optics Ready) variant. It has not yet been confirmed which red-dot sight will be selected for the new pistols, nor whether every delivered weapon will be equipped with an electro-optical sight. The P14/P14K pistols are fitted with Aimpoint ACRO P-2 optics.
The German armed forces abandoned the traditional black finish and required the new pistol to feature a slide, frame, and magazine base plate in an earth-tone color (FDE, Flat Dark Earth). In addition to the combat-version pistols chambered in 9×19 mm, the Bundeswehr is also procuring training weapons with frames colored red.
/ Photo: Ceska Zbrojovka
The delivery of new semi-automatic pistols to the Bundeswehr represents a major success for the Czech defense industry. It marks a break in the dominance of German manufacturers on the domestic market and the loss of a prestigious and most important customer, the armed forces, for the next 20–30 years. For Česká zbrojovka, this is a landmark contract that positions the company as a market leader in handguns.
