Uzi

The Uzi (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. 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.

Design
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 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. 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.

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. The Uzi features a bayonet lug.

Controls
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. 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
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
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".

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 9x19mm Parabellum, only the barrel and magazine needed to be changed.

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. 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
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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

Worldwide sales
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.
 * 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.
 * All merchant mariners of the Zim Integrated Shipping line are trained in the use of, and issued, the Uzi.

Military variants
The Uzi Submachine Gun is a standard Uzi with a 10 in 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.

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.

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. Its muzzle velocity is 350 m/s (1148 f/s) and its cyclic rate of fire is 1,200 rpm.

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. The new weapon weighs 2.32 kg and has a length of 529 mm with an extended stock, 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.

Uzi carbine
The Uzi carbine is similar in appearance to the Uzi submachine gun. The Uzi carbine is fitted with a 16 in 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. 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.

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.

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 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.

Uzi Pistol
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.

AG 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). 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
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. The gun had a gray parkerized finish, a 16-inch [410 mm] carbine-length barrel and is 31.49 inches [800 mm] overall.

Users



 * 🇩🇿 Algeria
 * 🇦🇴 Angola
 * 🇦🇷 Argentina
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
 * 🇧🇩 Bangladesh: Used by the Rapid Action Battalion.
 * 🇧🇪 Belgium: Made under license by FN Herstal.
 * 🇧🇴 Bolivia
 * 🇧🇷 Brazil: Mini-Uzi variant.
 * 🇨🇫 Central African Republic
 * 🇹🇩 Chad
 * 🇨🇱 Chile
 * 🇨🇴 Colombia
 * 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
 * 🇭🇷 Croatia: Produces unlicensed copies of the Uzi and Micro-Uzi called the ERO and Mini ERO respectively.
 * Democratic Republic of Congo
 * 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
 * 🇪🇨 Ecuador
 * 🇸🇻 El Salvador
 * 🇪🇷 Eritrea
 * 🇪🇪 Estonia: Uses the Mini-Uzi variant.
 * 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇬🇦 Gabon
 * 🇩🇪 Germany: Made under license as MP2. Replaced by the HK MP7.
 * 🇬🇹 Guatemala
 * 🇭🇹 Haiti: Uzi and Mini-Uzi variants used by Haitian National Police.
 * 🇭🇳 Honduras: Uzi and Mini-Uzi variants.
 * 🇮🇳 India: Uzi variant was used by the Special Protection Group until 2008, when it was replaced with the FN P90. Micro-Uzi variant is used by Indian Army Para Commandos.
 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * 🇮🇷 Iran
 * 🇮🇶 Iraq
 * 🇮🇪 Ireland: Used by the Regional Support Unit.
 * 🇮🇱 Israel: Uzi and Mini-Uzi variants. Mini-Uzi variant was used by the YAMAM elite unit and Shin Bet.
 * 🇮🇹 Italy: 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.
 * 🇰🇪 Kenya
 * 🇱🇷 Liberia
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania: Lithuanian Armed Forces.
 * 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
 * 🇲🇹 Malta
 * 🇳🇱 Netherlands (replaced)
 * 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
 * 🇳🇪 Niger
 * 🇳🇬 Nigeria
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan: Used by Special Service Group Navy.
 * 🇵🇦 Panama
 * 🇵🇾 Paraguay
 * 🇵🇪 Peru: Uzi, Mini-Uzi, and Micro-Uzi variants.
 * 🇵🇱 Poland: Uzi and Mini-Uzi are used by Government Protection Bureau and GROM.
 * 🇵🇭 Philippines
 * 🇵🇹 Portugal: Portuguese Army.
 * Rhodesia: Manufactured under license.
 * 🇷🇴 Romania: Mini-Uzi variant is used by the Military Police.
 * 🇷🇼 Rwanda
 * 🇸🇴 Somalia
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa: Manufactured under license.
 * 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
 * 🇸🇩 Sudan
 * 🇸🇷 Suriname
 * 🇸🇿 Swaziland
 * Syria
 * 🇹🇼 Taiwan
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand
 * 🇹🇬 Togo
 * 🇹🇴 Tonga
 * 🇹🇳 Tunisia
 * 🇺🇬 Uganda
 * 🇺🇸 United States
 * 🇺🇾 Uruguay
 * 🇻🇪 Venezuela
 * Vietnam: People's Army news (Báo Quân đội nhân dân) informed that Technical Department of Special Operation Command (Sapper) had a project to design and manufacture calibration device for MARS attached on Micro UZI
 * 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe