THE WILD EAST. Czech gunmaker CZG Ceska Zbrojovka is taking a punt on American unrest. The Prague-based company announced last week that it had bought rival Colt, manufacturer of choice for 19th century wild west cowboys and outlaws. In a conference call on Monday, CZG – which already makes most of its money in the United States – said it expected the combined group’s revenue to double to $1.2 billion by 2025, largely thanks to strong demand from law enforcement buyers. The deal looks cheap, too. Formerly bankrupt Colt generated $255 million in sales in 2020, according to CZG. Fold in Colt’s $15 million of net cash, and CZG’s cash-and-shares offer of around $220 million values the gunsmith founded by Samuel Colt in Connecticut at 0.9 times revenue. Listed rivals Sturm Ruger and Vista Outdoor trade on average at 1.5 times, according to Refinitiv data. If the booming gun sales of the past year continue, that’ll look prescient. (By Oliver Taslic)