Skoda houfnice vz 14 Skoda houfnice vz 14 Skoda houfnice vz 14 ("Howitzer model 1914") and Skoda houfnice vz 14/19 ("Howitzer model 1914/1919") were 100 mm (3.93-inch) field howitzers made in Czechoslovakia by the Skoda works. The "Skoda houfnice vz 14" was created in 1914. It was used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Large numbers of the howitzers were acquired by Italy after the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. An improved version of the howitzer was created in 1919. The main improvement was a longer barrel offering greater range that which could be mounted in the old howitzer beds.
Gun laws in the Czech Republic out of some 300,000 legal gun owners have a concealed carry permit. The vast majority of Czech gun owners possess their firearms for protection, with hunting and sport shooting being less common. Firearms ownership has a very long tradition in the country. The English term "pistol" originated in 15th-century Czech language. "Mariánská skála" in Ústí nad Labem is Europe's oldest still open shooting range, established in 1617. The Czech lands have been the manufacturing center (including weapons industry) of Central Europe for over two centuries. Firearms possession was severely restricted during German occupation and the subsequent communist dictatorship, with ownership