Uzi

Lore & Background

The Uzi prototype was finished in 1950. It was first introduced to Israel Defense Forces special forces in 1954, and 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. 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.

In Their Own Story

The stairwell smelled of wet concrete and old blood. Max didn't check the body at the bottom of the flight; he just took the Uzi from the man's hand, felt the weight of it—lighter than the .38, shorter, meaner. Rain hammered the fire-escape above, turning the whole corridor into a grey smear. He racked the charging handle, felt the bolt slide home, and the magazine was still warm.

Three floors up, the door was already open. He didn't need to see the silhouettes to know they were waiting. He stepped through, let the first burst go wide, felt the recoil shove the muzzle up, and corrected. The Uzi barked in short, angry sentences. The room filled with the smell of cordite and the particular sharpness of 9 mm casings hitting tile. When it was over he stood in the doorway, breathing hard, the gun still warm in his grip, and the rain kept falling like it had all night and would keep falling all night.

Reader's Guide

The Uzi uses an open-bolt, blowback-operated design with a telescoping bolt. It is constructed primarily from stamped sheet metal. The magazine is housed within the pistol grip, and the pistol grip is fitted with a grip safety. There are two external safety mechanisms: a three-position selector lever and the grip safety. The non-reciprocating charging handle is on top of the receiver cover. The weapon is easy to strip for maintenance. Available stocks include a wooden stock with metal buttplate and a downward-folding twin-strut metal stock. Standard magazines include 25-round and 32-round capacities for 9mm; the Mini Uzi and Micro Uzi use a shorter 20-round magazine. Caliber conversion kits were available in .22 LR, .41 AE, and .45 ACP.

Did You Know?

• The Uzi was designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal, not "Uzi Micro UGAL".
• The Uzi prototype was finished in 1950.
• The Uzi was one of the first weapons to incorporate a telescoping bolt design.
• The Uzi has been exported to over 90 countries.