The Uzi (; ; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the State of Israel. It is one of the first weapons to incorporate a telescoping bolt design, which allows the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon.

The Uzi prototype was finished in 1950. It was first introduced to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) special forces in 1954, and the weapon was placed into general issue two years later. The IDF supplied Uzis to rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tank crews, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces.

The Uzi has been exported to over 90 countries. Over its service lifetime, it has been manufactured by Israel Military Industries, FN Herstal, and other manufacturers. From the 1960s through to the 1980s, more Uzi submachine guns were sold to more military, law enforcement and security markets than any other submachine gun ever made.

Design

thumb|[[Uziel Gal, the designer and inventor of the Uzi submachine gun]]

The Uzi uses an open-bolt, blowback-operated design, quite similar to the Jaroslav Holeček-designed Czech ZK 476 (prototype only) and the production Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26 series of submachine guns introduced in 1948. The open bolt design exposes the barrel's breech end, improving cooling after periods of continuous fire. However, it means that since the bolt is held to the rear when cocked, the receiver is more susceptible to contamination from sand and dirt. It uses a telescoping bolt design, in which the bolt wraps around the breech end of the barrel. This allows the barrel to be moved far back into the receiver and the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip, allowing for a heavier, slower-firing bolt in a shorter, better-balanced weapon.

Operation

The non-reciprocating charging handle on the top of the receiver cover is used to retract the bolt. Variants have a ratchet safety mechanism which will catch the bolt and lock its movement if it is retracted past the magazine, but not far enough to engage the sear. When the handle is fully retracted to the rear, the bolt will cock (catch) on the sear mechanism and the handle and cover are released to spring fully forward under power of a small spring. The cover will remain forward during firing since it does not reciprocate with the bolt. The military and police versions will fire immediately upon chambering a cartridge as the Uzi is an open bolt weapon.

There are two external safety mechanisms on the Uzi. The first is the three-position selector lever located at the top of the grip and behind the trigger group. The rear position is "S", or "safe" (S = Sicher or Secure on the MP2), which locks the sear and prevents movement of the bolt.

The second external safety mechanism is the grip safety, which is located at the rear of the grip. It is meant to help prevent accidental discharge if the weapon is dropped or the user loses a firm grip on the weapon during firing.

The trigger mechanism is a conventional firearm trigger, but functions only to control the release mechanism for either the bolt (submachine gun) or firing pin holding mechanism (semi-auto) since the Uzi does not incorporate an internal cocking or hammer mechanism. While the open-bolt system is mechanically simpler than a closed-bolt design (e.g. Heckler & Koch MP5), it creates a noticeable delay between when the trigger is pulled and when the gun fires.

The magazine release button or lever is located on the lower portion of the pistol grip and is intended to be manipulated by the non-firing hand. The paddle-like button lies flush with the pistol grip in order to help prevent accidental release of the magazine during rigorous or careless handling.

When the gun is de-cocked the ejector port closes, preventing entry of dust and dirt. Though the Uzi's stamped-metal receiver is equipped with pressed reinforcement slots to accept accumulated dirt and sand, the weapon can still jam with heavy accumulations of sand in desert combat conditions when not cleaned regularly. The magazine must be removed prior to de-cocking the weapon.

Stocks

thumb|Uzi with a detachable wooden stock

thumb|Uzi with a folding stock

There are different stocks available for the Uzi proper. There is a wooden stock with a metal buttplate that comes in three similar variations that were used by the IDF. The first version had a flat butt and straight comb and had hollows for a cleaning rod and gun oil bottle. The second had an angled butt and a straight comb and no hollows. The third had an angled butt and curved comb and no hollows; a polymer version is currently available from IMI. The wooden stocks originally had a quick-release base but the ones sold in the United States often had a permanent base for legal reasons, as detachable stocks on pistols or other short-barreled weapons upgrade the weapon to NFA status.

Choate made an aftermarket polymer stock with a rubber butt-pad that had a flat butt, a straight comb, and a permanent base.

In 1956, IMI developed a downward-folding twin-strut metal stock with two swivelling sections that tuck under the rear of the receiver. The Mini Uzi has a forward-folding single-strut metal stock that is actually an inch longer than the Uzi's. Its buttplate can be used as a foregrip when stowed. The Micro Uzi has a similar model.

Magazines

The original box magazines for the 9mm Uzi had a 25-round capacity. Experimental 40- and 50-round extended magazines were tried but were found to be unreliable. A 32-round extended magazine was then tried and was later accepted as standard. The Mini Uzi and Micro Uzi use a shorter 20-round magazine. Available extended magazines include 40-, and 50-round magazines. Other high-capacity aftermarket magazines exist such as the Vector Arms 70-round and Beta Company (Beta C-Mag) 100-round drums.

The .45 ACP Uzi used a 16- or 22-round magazine, while the .45 ACP Micro Uzi and Mini Uzi used a 12-round magazine. A conversion kit by Vector Arms allowed the .45-caliber Uzi to use the same 30-round magazines as the M3 "Grease Gun".

Caliber conversions

The Uzi was available with caliber conversion kits in .22 LR or .41 AE. The operator just has to change the barrel, bolt and magazine. The .22 LR had 20-round magazines; the original IMI kit used a barrel insert while the aftermarket Action Arms kit used a full replacement barrel. The .41 AE also had a 20-round magazine; since it has the same bolt face as the 9×19mm Parabellum, only the barrel and magazine needed to be changed.

IMI also manufactured a .45ACP conversion kit both in full auto/open bolt with a 10.2" barrel for the 9mm SMG and a semi only/closed bolt with a 16" barrel for the carbine version. Magazine capacity is limited, with 2 sizes of 16 and 10 rds each.

History and operational use

thumb|alt= A soldier with an Uzi next to a road sign reading "ISMAILIA 36"|An Israeli soldier with an Uzi during the Yom Kippur War (1973)

thumb|Israeli soldiers on parade with Uzis, Jerusalem, 1968

The Uzi submachine gun was designed by Captain (later Major) Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The weapon was submitted to the Israeli Army for evaluation and won out over more conventional designs due to its simplicity and economy of manufacture. Gal did not want the weapon to be named after him, but his request was ignored. The Uzi was officially adopted in 1951. First introduced to IDF special forces in 1954, the weapon was placed into general issue two years later. The first Uzis were equipped with a short, fixed wooden buttstock, and this is the version that initially saw combat during the 1956 Suez Campaign. Later models would be equipped with a folding metal stock. It was subsequently replaced by the fully automatic Micro Tavor.

In general, the Uzi was a reliable weapon in military service. However, even the Uzi fell victim to extreme conditions of sand and dust. During the Sinai Campaign of the Yom Kippur War, IDF Army units reaching the Suez Canal reported that of all their small arms, only the 7.62mm FN MAG machine gun was still in operation.

The Uzi proved especially useful for mechanized infantry needing a compact weapon and for infantry units clearing bunkers and other confined spaces. However, its limited range and accuracy in automatic fire (approximately ) could be disconcerting when encountering enemy forces armed with longer-range small arms, and heavier support weapons could not always substitute for a longer-ranged individual weapon. These failings eventually caused the phasing out of the Uzi from IDF front-line assault units. It replaced the MP1 (Beretta M1938/49) and Thompson M1 in service. The MP2 was fitted with the IDF-style wooden stock and the later MP2A1 was fitted with the metal folding stock. It can be recognized by its distinctive three-position "DES" selector switch: "D" for "Dauerfeuer" ("continuous-fire", or "automatic"), "E" for "Einzelfeuer" ("single-fire", or "semi-automatic"), and "S" for "Sicher" ("secure", or "safe"). It was replaced with the Heckler & Koch MP7 Personal Defense Weapon in 2007. They were also issued to the paramilitary Gendarmerie.

  • The Irish Gardaí ERU and RSU were issued the Uzi from the 1970s to 2012. It was replaced with the Heckler & Koch MP7 in March 2014.
  • In Rhodesia, the Uzi was produced under license from 1976 until the fall of Rhodesia in 1980. It was made from Israeli-supplied (and later Rhodesian-made) components.
  • Sri Lanka ordered a few thousand Mini Uzi and Uzi carbines in 1990s. Currently those are deployed with the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy Elite Forces, and the Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force as their primary weapon when providing security for VIPs.
  • The United States Secret Service used the Uzi as their standard submachine gun from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when it was phased out and replaced with the Heckler & Koch MP5 and FN P90. When President Ronald Reagan was shot on March 30, 1981, Secret Service Special Agent Robert Wanko pulled an Uzi out of a briefcase and covered the rear of the presidential limousine as it sped to safety with the wounded president inside.

Military variants

thumb|A Mini Uzi

thumb|Argentine special forces with a Micro Uzi

thumb|Uzi Pro

The standard Uzi has a barrel. It has a rate of automatic fire of 600 rounds per minute (rpm) when chambered in 9mm Parabellum; the .45 ACP model's rate of fire is slower at 500 rpm. Its muzzle velocity is and its cyclic rate of fire is 1,200 rpm. It weighs slightly over . The new weapon weighs and has a length of with an extended stock, and while collapsed. As of 2011 it has been purchased by the IDF in limited numbers for evaluation and it is yet to be decided whether or not to order additional units for all of its special forces.

Civilian variants

Uzi carbine

The Uzi carbine is similar in appearance to the Uzi submachine gun. The Uzi carbine is fitted with a barrel, to meet the minimum rifle barrel length requirement for civilian sales in the United States. A small number of Uzi carbines were produced with the standard length barrel for special markets. It fires from a closed-bolt position in semi-automatic mode only and uses a floating firing pin as opposed to a fixed firing pin. As of 2024, average prices can be over $25,000.00 USD.

Today, while the civilian manufacture, sale and possession of post-1986 select-fire Uzi and its variants is prohibited in the United States, it is still legal to sell templates, tooling and manuals to complete such conversion. These items are typically marketed as being "post-sample" materials for use by federal firearm licensees for manufacturing/distributing select-fire variants of the Uzi to law enforcement, military and overseas customers.

Mini Uzi carbine

The Mini Uzi carbine is similar in appearance to the Mini Uzi machine pistol. The Mini Uzi carbine is fitted with a barrel, to meet the minimum rifle overall length requirement for civilian sales in the United States. It fires from a closed-bolt position in semi-automatic mode only. The Ero submachine gun is not a literal copy of the Israeli Uzi submachine gun. It is made of higher quality materials, and on earlier examples the barrel is thicker than on the original, and the receiver cover is slightly wider. They were made entirely from steel stampings, causing it to weigh more (). Main difference between Ero and Uzi was in the rate of burst fire, which was 600 rounds/min for the Uzi and 650 rounds/min for the Ero). It uses the 32-round magazine as standard but can use any 9 mm Uzi-interface magazine of 25 rounds or larger.

After producing the Ero, Končar Arma Grupa d.o.o. started making some design changes. With the Mini-Ero, they picked a size in between that of the Mini-Uzi and Micro-Uzi, and also used a stock taken from the vz.61 Škorpion. The barrel length is 125 mm and Mini-Ero has a closed bolt compared to its original counterpart. The weight of the Mini-Ero is 2.2 kg (4.85 lb) empty. The length is 545.5 mm (21.47 in) with the folding stock extended and only 250 mm (9.84 in) with the stock folded. It uses standard Micro Uzi magazine (32 rounds). Production started in Myanmar after 1991 when an Israeli delegation visited the country and supplied the Tatmadaw with Uzis. It also included the rights to manufacture the Uzi under license.

The BA93 is based on the Uzi, but with a longer barrel and fixed stock. It was introduced in 1993. Improvements made include moving the charging handle from the top to the left with a shorter barrel. Early versions were marked "POLICE Model" in English. Modifications were made to avoid the US Assault Weapon Import Ban: the folding stock was replaced with a wooden thumbhole stock, the barrel nut was welded in place, and the bayonet lug was removed. The gun had a gray parkerized finish,

Zastava M97

The Zastava M97 is a Serbian clone of the Mini Uzi. Two variants consist of the M97 with an barrel and the M97K with a barrel and no folding stock with a vertical foregrip permanent attached.

Hamas clone

From 1993 to 1996, Hamas manufactured a total of 350 Uzi clones, until its production was dismantled by the Palestinian Security Services' intelligence unit led by Moussa Arafat.

Users

thumb|A map with users of the Uzi in blue

Africa

  • : Burundian rebels

Asia

  • : Used by Unit Tindakan Khas
  • : Locally produced under model number BA93 (wooden stock) and BA94 with, used mainly by Myanmar Police Force and Special Operation Task Force.

Europe

  • : Made under license by FN Herstal.
  • : Produces unlicensed copies of the Uzi and Micro Uzi called the ERO and Mini ERO respectively.
  • : Uses the Mini Uzi variant.
  • Formerly available in each Garda District HQ to suitably trained plainclothes officers.
  • : The Mini Uzi variant results by official schedules to be in the inventories of the Italian National Police. A local version called the Type 821-SMG was manufactured from 1984 to 1989 by the SOCIMI - Società Costruzioni Industriali Milano, S.p.A. in Milan.
  • : Lithuanian Armed Forces.
  • : Mini Uzi variant is used by the Military Police.
  • : Used by the Military Police Battalion Cobra.

South America

  • Mini Uzi variant.

<gallery>

File:Wwwm8173.JPG|An Uzi-armed Israeli on guard duty in the Negev (1956), note wooden stock

File:IDF parade 1958.jpeg|Israeli paratroopers armed with Uzis in 1958

File:Dan Hadani collection (990044486000205171).jpg|An IDF Bedouin soldier with an Uzi equipped with a mag clip (1969)

Image:Imi uzi b22.jpg|An Uzi submachine gun

Image:Uzi silencer.png|Uzi with suppressor

File:Uzi-p1030098.jpg|An Uzi pistol

File:IMI UZI.JPEG|An Uzi seized during Operation Urgent Fury

</gallery>

In over 200 action films from Hollywood film studies, as well as other major studies worldwide, action heroes and antiheroes are shown frantically firing from an Uzi held in one hand, or even from two Uzis held in two hands. On a webpage on the subject of the Uzi manufacturer, Israel Weapon Industries contains a list of notable films of this type, starting with the 1976 Raid on Entebbe. IWI says that Arnold Schwarzenegger fired more rounds from an Uzi than all other action heroes, including James Bond, Charles Bronson, Jackie Chan, Keanu Reeves, Chuck Norris, Michael Douglas, John Travolta, Vincent Cassel, and Ed Harris. The creator of the Uzi, Uziel Gal, was a consultant on Terminator 2, where he gave lessons to Linda Hamilton, who played Sarah Connor, the main female protagonist. Charlie Gao of The National Interest suggests that the surge of the Uzi's cultural popularity was because it was the first widespread machine gun of modern design after the bulky ones originating in World War II era.

See also

  • List of equipment of the Israel Defense Forces

References

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  • Israel Weapon Industries (IWI): Mini Uzi & Micro Uzi
  • Uzi Pro at Modern Firearms
  • Uzi History, Reference Material, Parts, Discussion Forum
  • Uzi in Parts
  • Video of suppressed Uzi being fired
  • Video of operation on YouTube