History History Dealer Resources History The UZI was developed (and hence its name) by Uziel Gal (1924-2002) a captain in the Israeli army who won an internal competition for the design of a new sub machine gun. The first prototypes appeared in 1950 and soon after the first production batches were issued to selected units for field testing. An improved design appeared just before the Sinai Campaign of 1956 and it was in this desert war that the UZI emerged as a winner in the highly demanding surroundings. The UZI turned out to be not only highly reliable, but also surprisingly accurate for such type of weapon, and soon caught the eye of the international firearms community. During the 1960s a new folding metal stock replaced the original wooden stock and the UZI was also licensed to be produced by FN, the Belgian firearms company.

The UZI's original manufacturer - Israel Military Industries (IMI) - has not rested on its laurels and developed a number of variants:- The Mini Uzi is shorter and lighter than the standard model; The Micro Uzi is shorter still, almost the size of a large handgun; Another version is the Uzi Pistol - a semi-automatic version of the Micro. In addition there have been several more customized versions in much smaller production scales. The UZI gained its fame not only in combat, but also as a favorite of elite forces and security services. During the attempted assassination on U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1981, the press cameras caught one of his bodyguards pulling an UZI from his jacket. In subsequent years the UZI also became a regular feature in dozens of actions movies where it was seen in the hands of Hollywood's biggest stars. Today, after more than half a century in service by the world's leading defense forces, the UZI family has a place of honor in firearms history. The new company Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) which was launched from a privatized spin-off of IMI's original small arms division continues the production and development of the UZI.

You can learn more about UZI firearms by visiting Israel Weapons Industries (IWI). UZI Police and Self-defense gear is manufactured and distributed by CampCo Inc. 57 Years Ago Today: Invention of the "Uzi" Gun | 57 Years Ago Today: Invention of the “Uzi” Gun Published on: April 26, 2012 57 years ago today, the Israeli-developed submachine gun “ Uzi “, named after its developer Uziel Gal, was first introduced to the IDF on Israel’s 7th Independence Day in 1955. Uziel Gal, inventor of the "Uzi" gun 1) The Invention The “Uzi” was first developed after Ya’akov Dori, the first Chief of the General Staff, announced a bid on a new submachine gun to replace the existing “Stan”. Two guns were tested: the Uzi, and the Kara, developed by Chaim Kara. The two were compared to three commonly used guns: the German Schmeisser the Italian Beretta "The Sten is so 40s.

I'll have an Uzi, please." However, the Uzi beat them all, due to it being lightweight, cost-efficient and easy to assemble. Go Uzi! IDF soldier with "Uzi", October 10th, 1956 2) The Golden Age The Uzi was initially beta-tested with commando units, and later with the Paratroopers Brigade, since they needed a small, compact gun on their special missions. It was considered an excellent weapon, foolproof and easy to use, with the ability to shoot up to 600 rounds per minute. Its main disadvantages were its short barrel, meaning it was good only for short ranges (120-200 meters). One of the many variations of the the "Uzi" gun The Uzi was the gold standard of IDF guns for many years, and was the go-to weapon in the Sinai Campaign and the Six-Day War .

IDF Soldier with "Uzi" during the Sinai Campaign, October 30th, 1956 IDF soldiers with "Uzi", May 21st, 1967 3) The Fall While truly being a magnificent invention, the Uzi experienced a few rough spots: several incidents of bullet emissions (unplanned shots) raised doubts about it being “safe”, and meanwhile more accurate guns were being invented. In the late 60s the Israeli “ Galil “, invented by Yisrael Galil (there may be at trend here), finished its testing phase and was introduced to the IDF’s fighting ranks. It later became the new big thing until the 80s, and was joined by the American M-16 . The Uzi, sadly, was decided to be put out of use. The IMI "Galil". Bye bye, Uzi 4) Worldwide Fame The Uzi was sold to over 90 countries, and even though it is no longer in IDF use, different versions of it are still used, mostly by elite commando units or security personnel, due to its small size and great firepower.

Uziel Gal displaying his weapon to German Minister of Defense Franz Josef Strauss in 1963 If you found this post interesting, consider checking out more about IDF weapons . For more information, follow us on Twitter or visit the IDF website . Uzi Gal, 79, Israeli Arms Expert And Inventor of Submachine Gun - The New York Times The New York Times World |Uzi Gal, 79, Israeli Arms Expert And Inventor of Submachine Gun Search Uzi Gal, the Israeli armaments expert who invented the widely used 9-millimeter submachine gun called the Uzi, died on Saturday at his home in Philadelphia. He was 79. He had cancer, Agence France-Presse reported. In 1976, Mr. Gal retired from Israel's government-owned weapons-manufacturing company, Israeli Military Industries, which had employed him, and moved to Philadelphia to pursue medical treatment for his daughter, who later died. He invented the Uzi in the 1950's. An easily loaded compact gun weighing only nine pounds, it proved accurate, reliable and efficient, and is now in the arsenals of armies, secret-service organizations, bodyguards and the like in a number of countries.

More than 1.5 million Uzis have been produced. ''It's a cheap weapon, easy to handle, with great fire power, extremely reliable and with a range of about 150 to 200 meters,'' said Raphael Eitan, a former chief of staff of the Israeli Army. Mr. Gal studied mechanical engineering while he was imprisoned by the British administrators of his part of Palestine in the mid-1940's after they found that he had a firearm. Advertisement Continue reading the main story He saw combat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, to which he brought a homemade submachine gun. Afterward he went to officers training school. He went on to design the Uzi, which impressed army leaders. By 1956 it was being manufactured by Israeli Military Industries, whose management named it for him, against his own wishes. In 1958, the Netherlands decided to acquire Uzis for its army. Other Euiropean countries soon did likewise. Selling Uzis in other countries was highly lucrative for Israel, but not for him. As a state employee, he did not become rich.

In 1974, the army began substituting another weapon, the Galil assault rifle, for the Uzi. Mr. Gal's retirement came two years later. He was born Uziel Gal in Germany, immigrated with his family to the British-administered part of Palestine in 1936 and grew up on a collective farm near Haifa. Mr. Gal, a widower, is survived by a son, Iddo, and a brother. Uzi | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Iron sights The Uzi (Hebrew: עוזי‎, officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt , blowback -operated submachine guns . Smaller variants are considered to be machine pistols . The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design which allows the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip for a shorter weapon. The first Uzi submachine gun was designed by Major Uziel Gal in the late 1940s. The prototype was finished in 1950. First introduced to IDF special forces in 1954, the weapon was placed into general issue two years later.

The Uzi has found use as a personal defense weapon by rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tankers, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces. The Uzi has been exported to over 90 countries. [2] Over its service lifetime, it has been manufactured by Israel Military Industries , FN Herstal , and other manufacturers. From the 1960s through the 1980s, more Uzi submachine guns were sold to more military, law enforcement and security markets than any other submachine gun ever made. [5] Contents Edit The Uzi uses an open-bolt , blowback -operated design quite similar to the Jaroslav Holeček-designed Czech ZK 476 (prototype only) [6] and the production Sa 23, Sa 24, Sa 25, and Sa 26 series of submachineguns, from which it was inspired. The open bolt design exposes the breech end of the barrel, and improves cooling during 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. [7] 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. [5] The weapon is constructed primarily from stamped sheet metal, making it less expensive per unit to manufacture than an equivalent design machined from forgings. With relatively few moving parts, the Uzi is easy to strip for maintenance or repair. The magazine is housed within the pistol grip, allowing for intuitive and easy reloading in dark or difficult conditions, under the principle of "hand finds hand". The pistol grip is fitted with a grip safety , making it difficult to fire accidentally. However, the protruding vertical magazine makes the gun awkward to fire when prone. [7] The Uzi features a bayonet lug. [8] Controls Edit Controls are relatively simple. The non-reciprocating charging handle on the top of the receiver cover is used to retract the bolt.

Submachine gun 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. Semiauto civilian market versions of the Uzi usually do not have or need this feature. When the handle is fully retracted to the rear, the bolt will cock (catch) on the sear mechanism and the handle can then be released to spring fully forward under power of a small spring attaching it to the topcover. It will remain forward during firing of the weapon since it does not reciprocate when the bolt is thrust backward by the force of a cartridge firing, or forward by the main action spring. The military and police versions of the Uzi will fire immediately upon chambering a cartridge as the Uzi is an open bolt weapon. This feature is extensively modified on commercial market semiauto Uzis in order to prevent fully automatic fire. The semiauto variants (whether rifle or pistol) fire from the closed bolt, with the entire bolt mechanism designed as a two-piece mechanism. The main bolt functions much like the original, but will close upon release of the charging handle.

A mechanism containing part of the shape of the bolt and firing pin remains cocked to the rear. That striker-like mechanism is only released forward when the trigger is pulled. There are two external safety mechanisms on the Uzi. The first external safety mechanism is the three-position "ARS"-style selector lever located at the top of the pistol grip and behind the trigger group. The rear position is "S", or "safe", which locks the sear and prevents movement of the bolt. One notch forward is the middle position "R", or "repeating", which will allow the weapon to function in semiautomatic single shot mode, requiring the trigger to be pulled for each shot. When the switch is placed all the way in the forward position "A", or "automatic", this disengages part of the sear mechanism, allowing use of the trigger to control the firing mechanism. Once on automatic, the user may hold the trigger back and the weapon will fire until the magazine is empty. The bolt will then most likely come to rest on an empty chamber once the magazines is empty since the Uzi does not employ a bolt hold-open mechanism like those found on weapons that fire from the closed bolt.

A very rare semiautomatic version made by FN Herstal and sold in Europe for a short time during the 1970s functioned exactly the same way, but the "automatic" setting on the selector lever was eliminated and blocked off. That variant was not approved for commercial import into the USA and was eventually withdrawn from production after having a relatively short commercial life in Western Europe and Canada. The second external safety mechanism is the grip safety, 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 grip safety on the Uzi uses a stronger spring than that found on most handguns with a somewhat similar mechanism (US M1911, German Luger). The pistol grip must be firmly held by the user in order to allow the weapon to function, regardless of any manipulation of other controls. The trigger mechanism is a conventional firearm trigger, but functions only to control the release mechanism for either the bolt (sub-machine gun) or firing pin holding mechanism (semi-auto) since the UZI does not incorporate any internal cocking or hammer mechanism.

While the system is much more mechanically simple than, for example, the Heckler & Koch MP5 , it creates a noticeable delay from the point the user pulls the trigger and the point that the weapon actually fires. This delay is common with weapons that fire from the open bolt. 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 lays flush with the pistol grip in order to help prevent accidental release of the magazine during soldier's maneuvers and day to day activities. When the gun is de-cocked (the magazine must be removed or at least lowered enough to prevent feeding a round in the chamber in order to prevent the weapon from firing), 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.

[9] The magazine must be removed prior to de-cocking the weapon or else the bolt will feed a round when being let forward and then leave the firing pin resting on an unfired primer, which can then fire if the weapon is knocked or dropped. The de-cocking procedure is to remove the magazine, check the chamber (which should be empty) and then pull the trigger which will release the bolt to fall on the empty chamber. The magazine may then be re-inserted. To ready the weapon for firing again, the bolt handle must be retracted to the rear. Use of the selector switch is irrelevant to this process, except that it will prevent the bolt from moving when it is in the "safe" position. Stocks Edit An Uzi armed Israeli on guard duty in the Negev. Note wooden buttstock. 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 was 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 a 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 have a permanent base to be compliant with US gun laws. Choate made an aftermarket polymer stock with a rubber buttpad that had a flat butt, a straight comb, and a permanent base. In 1967 IMI developed a downward-folding twin-strut metal stock with two swiveling sections that tucks under the receiver at the rear of the weapon. 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 Edit The original magazines for the 9mm Uzi were 25-round. Experimental 40- and 50-round extended magazines were tried but was found 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 Uzi to use the same 30-round magazines as the M3 "Grease Gun" . [10] Caliber Conversions Edit 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 9x19mm Parabellum, only the barrel and magazine needed to be changed. [10] Aftermarket caliber conversions also exist in .40 S&W and 10 mm auto .

Since these calibers have a similar bolt-face as the 9x19mm Parabellum round, the bolt does not need to be changed. [10] The .40 S&W kit could be used with the regular 9mm UZI but the 10 mm Auto kit needed to use the .45 ACP UZI due to its larger size and power. Operational use An Israeli soldier with an Uzi during the Yom Kippur War Israeli female 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. [9] The Uzi was used as a personal defense weapon by rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tankers, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces. The Uzi's compact size and firepower proved instrumental in clearing Syrian bunkers and Jordanian defensive positions during the 1967 Six-Day War . Though the weapon was phased out of frontline IDF service in the 1980s, some Uzis and Uzi variants were still used by a few IDF units until December 2003, when the IDF announced that it was retiring the Uzi from all IDF forces. [11] 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 7.62 mm FN MAG machine gun was still in operation. [12] 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 50 m) 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 phaseout of the Uzi from IDF front-line assault units . [11] The Uzi has been used in various conflicts outside Israel and the Middle East during the 1960s and 1970s. Quantities of 9 mm Uzi submachine guns were used by Portuguese cavalry, police, and security forces during the Portuguese Colonial Wars in Africa. [9] Worldwide sales Edit Secret Service agents cover Press Secretary James Brady during the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr. on March 30, 1981.

Notice the Secret Service agent holding the Uzi in case of further attack. Total sales of the weapon to date (end 2001) has netted IMI over $2 billion (US), with over 90 countries using the weapons either for their armed forces or in law enforcement. [5] The Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) first issued the Uzi in 1956. It was the first country other than Israel to use it as a service weapon. Their models are distinct in that they have a wooden stock made to their specifications that is more angular, had an angled butt and a curved comb, and is 2 inches longer than the IDF model. The German Bundeswehr (especially its tank crews) used the Uzi since 1959 under the designation MP2. 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: "S" stands for "sicherung" ("secure", or "safe"), "E" stands for "einzelfeuer" ("single-fire", or "semi-automatic"), and "D" stands for "dauerfeuer" ("continuous-fire", or "automatic"). The Bundeswehr relegated it to reserve use after adopting the Heckler & Koch MP5 in 1985. It was replaced with the Heckler & Koch MP7 Personal Defense Weapon in 2007. The Irish Gardaí ERU and RSU have replaced the Uzi with the Heckler & Koch MP7 . 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 Sri Lanka Army , Sri Lanka Navy Elite Forces and 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 outside of the Washington Hilton Hotel by John Hinckley, Jr. , 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. [5] All merchant mariners of the Zim Integrated Shipping line are trained in the use of, and issued, the Uzi. [13] Military variants Edit Israeli paratroopers armed with Uzis The Uzi Submachine Gun is a standard Uzi with a 10-inch (250 mm) 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.

[9] The Mini-Uzi is a smaller version of the regular Uzi, first introduced in 1980. The Mini-Uzi is 600 mm (23.62 inches) long or 360 mm (14.17 inches) long with the stock folded. Its barrel length is 197 mm (7.76 inches), its muzzle velocity is 375 m/s (1230 f/s) and its effective range is 100 m. It has a greater automatic rate of fire of 950 rounds per minute due to the shorter bolt. [9] The Micro-Uzi is an even further scaled down version of the Uzi, introduced in 1986. The Micro-Uzi is 486 mm (19.13 in) long, reduced to 282 mm (11.10 in) with the stock folded and its barrel length is 117 mm. [14] Its muzzle velocity is 350 m/s (1148 f/s) and its cyclic rate of fire is 1,200 rpm.

[9] The Uzi-Pro, an improved variant of the Micro-Uzi, was launched in the year 2010 by Israel Weapon Industries Ltd. (I.W.I.), formerly the magen ("small arms") division of Israel Military Industries . The Uzi-Pro is a blowback-operated, select-fire, closed-bolt submachine gun with a large lower portion, comprising grip and handguard, entirely made of polymer to reduce weight; the grip section was redesigned to allow two-handed operation and facilitate control in full-automatic fire with such a small-sized firearm. The Uzi-Pro features three Picatinny rails , two at the sides of the barrel and one on the top for optics, the cocking handle having been moved on the left side. [15] The new weapon weighs 2.32 kg and has a length of 529 mm with an extended stock, [16] and 30 cm while collapsed. 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. [16] [17] Civilian variants Edit The Uzi carbine is similar in appearance to the Uzi submachine gun.

The Uzi carbine is fitted with a 16-inch (410 mm) barrel (400mm), 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. [12] The FS-style selector switch has two positions (the automatic setting was blocked): "F" for "fire" (semi-auto) and "S" for "safe". Uzi carbines were available in calibers 9mm, .41 AE, and .45 ACP. The Uzi carbine has two main variants, the Model A (imported from 1980 to 1983) and the Model B (imported from 1983 until 1989). These two variants were imported and distributed by Action Arms .

[12] The American firm Group Industries made limited numbers of a copy of the Uzi "B" model semiauto carbine for sale in the US along with copies of the Uzi submachinegun for the US collectors' market. After registering several hundred submachineguns transferable to the general public through a special government regulated process, production was halted due to financial troubles at the company. Company assets (including partially made Uzi submachineguns, parts, and tooling) were purchased by an investment group later to become known as Vector Arms . Vector Arms built and marketed numerous versions of the Uzi carbine and the Mini-Uzi. [18] Mini-Uzi Carbine Edit The Mini-Uzi Carbine is similar in appearance to the Mini-Uzi machine pistol. The Mini-Uzi carbine is fitted with a 19.8 inch 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. [12] Uzi Pistol Edit The Uzi Pistol is a semi-automatic , closed bolt, and blowback-operated pistol variant. Its muzzle velocity is 345 m/s.

It is a Micro-Uzi with no shoulder stock or full-automatic firing capability. The intended users for the pistol were various security agencies in need of a high-capacity semi-automatic pistol, or civilian shooters that wanted a gun with those qualities and the familiarity of the Uzi style. It was introduced in 1984 and produced until 1993. [9] Foreign copies Edit Strojnica ERO The Arma Grupa Strojnica ERO (Arms Group "ERO machine-gun") was a Croatian UZI clone that was made locally by Arma Grupa of Zagreb during the Yugoslav War. It was the same dimensions as the UZI except it was made entirely from stamped steel, causing it to weigh more (3.73 kg. / 8.22 lbs). [19] The only difference from the UZI is that its selector switch is marked R (Rafalno > "Burst", or "Full Auto"), P (Pojedinačno > "Single Fire") and Z (Zaključan > "Locked", or "Safe") and its Rate of Fire is 650 rounds per minute.

It uses the 32-round magazine as standard, but can use any 9mm UZI-interface magazine of 25-rounds or larger. The Strojnica Mini ERO is a clone of the Micro-UZI; it differs in that it had a heavy-gauge folding wire stock like the Vz.61 Skorpion Machine Pistol . It weighs 2.2 kg / 4.85 lbs. unloaded and is 545.5 mm / 21.47 inches overall with the folding stock extended and 250 mm / 9.84 inches with the stock folded.It uses the 20-round Mini-UZI magazine. Norinco M320 Edit Norinco of China manufactures an unlicensed copy of the Uzi Model B that is sold as the M320. 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.

[20] The gun had a gray parkerized finish, a 16-inch [410 mm] carbine-length barrel and is 31.49 inches [800 mm] overall. Users Submachine Gun "Uzi" Sighting range 200 m First "Uzi" submachine gun example was developed by Israel Army lieutenant Uziel Gal in 1949. Submachine gun was intended for Israeli armed forces, special forces and other services. Weapon was called "Uzi" in honor to it's developer. From the beginning of it's serial production "Uzi" became very popular all over the world among various military and security forces more than in 90 countries. In 1949 Uziel Gal begin to develop new submachine gun. Firstly he scrutinized Czech Republic antebellum submachine guns such as 9-mm Model 23/25 and 7.62-mm Model 24/26. These examples and postwar production ZK-476 were in service to create "Uzi" prototype which had a number of it's predecessor lineament. Developers choice made on Czech submachine guns wasn't occasional.

Czech Republic was known and extends tradition as developer of successful and reliable weapons. Submachine gun's "Uzi" automatic works on free lock's recoil principle. Fire is executed when lock is still moving ahead. Reloading handle is placed on the barrels box what makes submachine gun comfortable reload from right or left hand. During firing it stays sable. "Uzi" length from muzzle to backward barrels box wall is only 445 mm including 260 mm barrels length. Small dimensions were reached using lock, covering barrel in 95 mm. Firing lock holds barrel from every side except right cartridge-case extraction window. "Uzi" executes single or automatic fire. Safety-lock plays role of fire changer's switch at once. Submachine gun is outstanding in high safety level. Additional automatic safety-lock is placed in pistol handle. It turns on only when weapon is properly held. Automatic safety-lock blocks trigger and lock. Turning reloading handle backward in 175 mm it won't return to initial position while it won't be pulled backward in 80 mm more. It works as one more safety-lock blocking weapons lock.

Magazine is inserted in pistol handle what increases weapons stability and allows to fire from one hand furthermore it makes weapon well balanced. Submachine gun can be partly dismantled in a minute. Technologically it isn't complicated what determined it's low price, high reliability and fast serial production what was especially important for Israeli. Standard "Uzi" has original construction folding metal frame butt-stock however it is also produced with fixed wooden stock as well. In Israeli hand in hand with base submachine gun modification there are developed small size modifications. Firstly it is "Mini-Uzi" and "Micro-Uzi". Main construction is the same and only differences is in dimensions, size and butt-stocks shape. There is one more modification - pistol "Uzi" intended for commercial usage and allowing only single fire with small pistol size. All mentioned modifications use 9 x 19 mm Para cartridge.

USATODAY.com - Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi submachine gun Add USATODAY.com RSS feeds Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi submachine gun JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's military is phasing out the legendary Uzi submachine gun, calling it antiquated and replacing it with more sophisticated, electronics-outfitted weaponry, an army spokesman said Wednesday. Israelis have long identified with the Uzi, including a boy trying one out at an army weapons show. AP file, 1997 But the Uzi, a national icon and the country's most famous contribution to the arms industry, will still be produced and exported, to the presumable delight of drug dealers, gang members, Secret Service agents and Hollywood action stars alike. (Related site: Uzi lore ) Israel's military took the simply constructed, half-century-old weapon out of front line units two decades ago, but continued to issue it to some elite units and soldiers carrying heavy gear who needed a light weapon for self-defense. Now the army says it will dump it altogether. As of this week, "we're no longer training soldiers on the Uzi," said army spokesman Capt. Jacob Dallal.

"Basically, it's antiquated," he said of the 9-mm weapon. State-owned Israel Military Industries has made over 1.5 million Uzis and will continue manufacturing the weapon, which has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from sales the world over, including in the United States, Latin America and Africa. Illegal arms sales have also put the weapon into the hands of Colombian drug lords. In Israel, the weapon's smaller models are still popular with security guards who favor portability over accuracy. Many private security companies use the original, larger model because it's cheap. It's also still a mainstay with some of the world's police forces and security services guarding VIPs, said Yiftah Shapir of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. The Uzi, while still used by the U.S. Secret Service, is also beloved of gangs in the United States because of its reputation as "a macho weapon," said gun expert Tim Brown of Globalsecurity.org. But he added the Uzi "is not a very good gun — it's very inefficient, inaccurate. ...

It's mostly used in bad Hollywood action movies." In 1984's The Terminator, for example, a gun shop owner commends Arnold Schwarzenegger's cyborg for ordering the "Uzi 9 millimeter" before his murderous rampage. Whatever its qualities as a weapon, the Uzi arouses nostalgia and pride in Israel, where it was developed around the same time as the country's war-rattled birth in 1948. "It was the first Israeli weapon after 2,000 years of diaspora," Shapir said. Recalling his own days in the military in the late 1960s, he added, "I can still disassemble an Uzi with my eyes closed, hands tied behind my back, even if you wake me in the middle of the night." Elite Israeli fighting units found it useful because of its resistance to mud and water, giving the weapon a further mystique — and marketing cachet. The Uzi again made headlines when the weapon's creator, Uzi Gal, 79, died in September 2002.

At 15, Gal developed a bow that could automatically fire arrows, and later he secretly made weapons in a metal workshop for the Jewish underground. When the first Arab-Israeli war erupted in 1948, he was asked to develop a submachine gun for Israel's army, which faced weapons embargoes and had little cash. The Uzi first found its way into soldiers' hands in 1954, and it swiftly proved its deadly effectiveness two years later in the Sinai campaign against Egypt. Among various models are Uzi Carbine, with a long barrel, the Micro-Uzi, which is smaller, and the Uzi Pistol, a semiautomatic weapon slightly larger than a regular handgun and weighing less than 4 pounds. The Uzi — whose modified single-shot pistol version can be bought for some $500 in the United States — is one of the most copied weapons in the world, with knockoffs produced in China and several eastern European countries, according to Israeli media reports. Through its long years of service in the Israeli military, soldiers revered it for its hardiness and ease of operation — but at the same time lamented its limited range and disturbing tendency to fire itself when dropped or struck.

Its short barrel gave it an accurate range of just 50 yards. The weapon was taken out of use by front line units in Israel in the early 1980s. It was replaced with standard and short versions of the American-made M-16, which can accurately hit a target at 1,000 yards. This year, Israel announced the development of the Tavor, a new, compact assault rifle to be issued to soldiers starting in January. The rifle comes in three designs: a basic assault rifle, a sharp-shooting model and a shorter version for commandos and paratroopers that is useful in urban warfare. The Tavor, like the Uzi, is small enough to be useful in street combat, but it can also be outfitted with high-tech electronics, such as sights that can provide real-time data on targets a soldier might not be able to see with his own eyes. The simple Uzi, by comparison, is greatly outdated, Shapir said. "Just a few pieces of metal, one spring, and that's it." Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi submachine gun Associated Press December 17, 2003 Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi submachine gun By Jason Keyser Israel's military is phasing out the legendary Uzi submachine gun, calling it antiquated and replacing it with more sophisticated, electronics-outfitted weaponry, an army spokesman said Wednesday. But the Uzi, a national icon and the country's most famous contribution to the arms industry, will still be produced and exported, to the presumable delight of drug dealers, secret service agents and Hollywood action heroes alike. Israel's military took the simply constructed, half-century-old weapon out of frontline units two decades ago, but continued to issue it to some elite units and soldiers carrying heavy gear who needed a light weapon for self-defense. Now the army says it will dump it altogether. As of this week, "we're no longer training soldiers on the Uzi," said army spokesman Capt. Jacob Dallal. "Basically, it's antiquated," he said of the 9-mm weapon.

State-owned Israel Military Industries has made over 1.5 million Uzis and will continue manufacturing the weapon, which has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from sales the world over, including in the United States and developing nations in Latin America and Africa where Israel has had influence. Illegal arms sales have also put the weapon into the hands of Colombian drug lords. In Israel, the weapon's smaller models are still popular with security guards who favor portability who accuracy. Many private security companies use the original, larger model because it's cheap. It's also still a mainstay with some of the world's police forces and security services guarding VIPs, said Yiftah Shapir of the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University. The Uzi, while still used by the U.S. Secret Service, is also beloved of U.S. gangs because of its reputation as "a macho weapon," said gun expert Tim Brown of Globalsecurity.org. But he added the Uzi "is not a very good gun - it's very inefficient, inaccurate ...

It's mostly used in bad Hollywood action movies." In 1984's "The Terminator," for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger's cyborg makes a point of decisively ordering the "Uzi nine millimeter" in a gun shop before commencing his murderous rampage, and is commended by the owner. Whatever its qualities as a weapon, the Uzi arouses nostalgia and pride in Israel, where it was developed around the same time as the country's war-rattled birth. "It was the first Israeli weapon after 2,000 years of diaspora," Shapir said. Recalling his own days in the military in the late 1960s, he added, "I can still disassemble an Uzi with my eyes closed, hands tied behind my back, even if you wake me in the middle of the night." Elite Israeli fighting units found it useful because of its resistance to mud and water, giving the weapon a further mystique - and marketing cachet. The Uzi again made headlines when the weapon's creator, Uzi Gal, 79, died in September 2002.

At 15, Gal developed a bow that could automatically fire arrows, and later he secretly made weapons for pre-state Jewish underground in a metal workshop. He was asked to develop a submachine gun for Israel's army - which faced weapons embargoes and had little cash - when the first Arab-Israeli war erupted in 1948. The Uzi first found its way into soldiers' hands in 1954, and it swiftly proved its deadly effectiveness two years later in the Sinai campaign against Egypt. Among various models are Uzi Carbine, with a long barrel, the Micro-Uzi, which is smaller, and the Uzi Pistol, an semi-automatic weapon slightly larger than a regular handgun and weighing less than 4 pounds (2 kilograms). The Uzi - whose modified single-shot pistol version can be had for some US$500 in the United States - is one of the most copied weapons in the world, with knockoffs produced in China and several eastern European countries, according to Israeli media reports. Through its long years of service in the Israeli military, soldiers revered it for its hardiness and ease of operation - but at the same time lamented its limited range and disturbing tendency to fire itself when dropped or struck.

Its short barrel gave it an effective accurate range of just 50 yards (meters). The weapon was taken out of use by frontline units in Israel in the early 1980s. It was replaced with standard and short versions of the American-made M-16, which can accurately hit a target at 1,000 yards (900 meters). The M-16 and the Israeli-made Galil rifle became the main frontline weapons in Israel. The M-16 is now gradually being replaced as well. Earlier this year, Israel announced the development of the Tavor, a new, compact assault rifle to be issued to soldiers starting in January. The rifle comes in three designs: a basic assault rifle, a sharp-shooting model and a shorter version for commandos and paratroopers that is useful in urban warfare. The Tavor is also made by Israel Military Industries. Shapir said the Tavor is vastly better than the Uzi. Both are small enough to be useful in street combat, but the Tavor can be outfitted with high-tech electronics, like sights that can provide real-time data on targets a soldier might not be able to see with his own eyes.

By comparison, the simple Uzi, despite its deadliness, is greatly outdated, Shapir said. "Just a few pieces of metal, one spring, and that's it." ï¿½ Copyright 2003, Associated Press Uzi (VIDEO) - $0.00 Editor Review Though my first memories of the UZI come from watching television in the eighties, my favorite cinematic homage is a brief sequence from the Cohen Brothers 1998 classic, The Big Lebowski. Walter and the Dude are about to dupe the nihilists by dropping off a leather briefcase full of Walter’s underwear. Walter’s plan for finding information about The Big Lebowski’s missing wife is elegant in its simplicity. Walter Sobchak – Your wheel! At fifteen m-p-h I roll out! I double back, grab one of 'em and beat it out of him! The UZI! The Dude – UZI? Walter Sobchak – You didn't think I was rolling out of here naked!

Walter bails out of the moving car, dropping the UZI, which, when it hits the pavement, spins – belching lead into the rear of The Dude’s Gran Torino. Of course Walter Sobchak has an UZI. It is an iconic scene – evidence of what I see to be the Cohen Brother’s fixation with guns – and we never even get to see the UZI. It stays wrapped up in the butcher paper Walter used to disguise it. But we all know what the UZI looks like. It is a cliché symbol of coked up mobsters in the sunshine state. Someone on the small screen is always swinging an UZI back and forth, spraying lead, before being popped by a calm cop with a semi-automatic pistol and too much hair gel. Yet guns don’t gain this sort of notoriety, clichéd or otherwise, without reason. There has to be more to the gun’s legacy. There’s a lot more. What it is. The UZI was developed in the era after WWII that brought so many iconic firearms. The UZI is an open-bolt submachine gun. In this respect, it is kin to the Thompson – though shorter and lighter.

The charging handle is on the top of the receiver and it locks the bolt open. Pulling the trigger closes the bolt, stripping a round as it goes. When the bolt hits home, the round fires and the bolt bounces back to the open position. This design helps keep the guts of the UZI from overheating during sustained firing and cools the gun down faster after. What it isn’t The downside of the UZI is related to the open bolt. While few Miami gangsters find their guns clogged with sand, it is possible – maybe they’re spending too much time at the beach. It is a real concern in Israel where the UZI was developed and where the gun saw regular active service into this century. The gun isn’t suited for the sandy conditions of the Middle East. And there was another problem. While the UZI excels in close quarters, many troops who carry the gun complain about the relatively short range. Some claim the UZI is accurate out to about 50 yards. That isn’t far enough if the enemy has an AK . As a result, many troops still needed rifles . The UZI isn’t a substitute for a rifle. But let’s consider the benefits.

The UZI, even the full sized SMG, is really compact. Yet it has the same basic functionality and barrel length as a Thompson. The UZI’s length allows for surprising concealment. My favorite method is the shoulder rig that acts as both holster and sling. But there are other methods – an iconic photograph of the assassination attempt on President Regan shows a Secret Service Agent brandishing an UZI. At his feet is an open Samsonite briefcase, an effective off body holster. Size is one benefit. But there are others. The stamped metal receivers make UZIs easy to produce. The rapid rate of fire and high capacity magazines are standard for a submachine gun. But my favorite attribute of the UZI is the ease with which it is aimed. How does it shoot? I’m not sure I’ll do this description justice, so bear with me. The front grip on the gun is so close the actual grip that it forces both hands close together. This odd stance is more comfortable when the gun is held at waist level. Holding the UZI braced at the waist allows the gun to point both accurately and naturally. And this stance makes the recoil and muzzle flip completely controllable.

It is the suicidal gangster stance I was writing about earlier, only without the side-to-side antics. And it works. Firing from this position on full auto, I could keep the rounds in the black of a silhouette target. My spread was bigger than a dinner plate, but this was my first time shooting an UZI. And if you need a greater level of accuracy, you can line up the target between the giant hump shaped wings that protect the front and rear sights. Even at a glance, these fins will show you a clear picture of what is going to be demolished by the bullets. Shooting like this was less comfortable for me, but I could keep three to five round bursts in a circle about eight inches across. And if you have more time, there are rather conventional sights to line up. At twenty-five yards, the UZI does as well as most production pistols . And that is something. It means that this gun is versatile. Conclusions The UZI is capable of a high level of precision. While this gun may have been designed to eliminate the need for a pistol and a rifle, it isn’t quite as concealable as a pistol or as effective (at longer ranges) as a rifle.

Yet it is perfect for certain military and law enforcement niches. Like many submachine guns, the concern is collateral damage. I think the three distinct ways I found to shoot the gun eliminate the need for the old spray-and-pray, though this may always be the public image that the UZI will have to overcome. Though this isn’t a weapon many of us will ever add to our collections, it is a gun that deserves respect. Though its practical role may be limited, it plays that role incredibly well. And it will always look like a badass gun in the hand of a badass movie star. Uzi Gal, 79; Invented Popular Israeli Submachine Gun in 1954 - latimes Uzi Gal, 79; Invented Popular Israeli Submachine Gun in 1954 September 10, 2002 |MYRNA OLIVER | TIMES STAFF WRITER Uzi Gal, who invented the Uzi submachine gun favored by military commandos, Secret Service agents, underworld figures and a variety of Hollywood film characters, has died. He was 79. Gal, who had suffered from cancer and other illnesses for many years, died Saturday in his Philadelphia home.

First made in 1954 by Israel Military Industries, the weapon has been sold in 90 countries. More than 2 million guns have been produced, making hundreds of millions of dollars for Israel, but not a shekel for Gal, who was a government weapons expert. Born in Germany, the son of a painter, Gal fled to England with his parents in 1933 when the Nazis came to power. Three years later, the family moved to Palestine and the Kibbutz Yagur near Haifa. Uzi attended technical school and showed an early proclivity for inventing weapons. At 15, he created a bow that could automatically fire arrows. Before he could complete an engineering degree, he was recruited by Palmach, the elite unit of the pre-state of Israel army Hagana to head its armaments department. In 1943 he was imprisoned by the British, then in control of what would become Israel, for carrying weapons illegally. Released three years later, Gal became a force in weapons development in the fight for independence and later in the postwar Israel armament industry. He became adept at designing computer programs to build weapons as well as the weapons themselves.

But his best-known creation would be the Uzi and its variations. The low-cost gun known for its reliability and simplicity, with its short barrel, limited recoil and 100-round magazine in the handgrip, made an immediate impact in the mid-1950s. "It was a great moment for the state of Israel," Gal told a London newspaper in 1997. "Because never in 2,000 years had there been such a thing: A weapon that the Jewish people had made for themselves, and I designed it from the ground up." The Netherlands became the first country outside Israel to buy Uzis for its army in 1958, and Belgium and Germany quickly followed. Israel forces notably utilized the Uzi in the 1967 Six-Day War and in their daring hostage rescue operation at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976. The gun was etched in American consciousness in 1981 when a Secret Service agent was photographed brandishing an Uzi after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. The Uzi also has appeared in less heroic photographs of street gangs, drug lords and other criminals and on movie screens in the hands of the villains.

That kind of notoriety prompted a Barbara Walters television special more than a decade ago stressing the dangers of permitting Uzis and other automatic weapons to fall into the public's hands. But an Israeli Military Industries official reported that sales doubled the day after the program appeared. "I suppose even bad people can recognize the best," he said. Gal moved to Philadelphia some years ago. But he continued to design weapons for Israel, especially guns that could be sold in the United States. No information on survivors was available. Gal will be buried Thursday in Kibbutz Yagur in Israel. MORE: Homepage - IWI IWI US IWI has the right to modify and/or change the information in this website (including pictures) without prior notice. This website is the property of Israel Weapon Industries (I.W.I) Ltd. ('IWI') and contains proprietary information. IWI reserves the whole rights to this website and to the data/invention/content herein described. This website shall not be duplicated, used, or copied in any form, except with the prior written permission of IWI's authorized person. Acceptance of this website will be construed as acceptance of the foregoing conditions.

Question: Which nation developed and makes the Uzi sub-machine gun?
Answer: Israel