Uzi

submachine gun

The Uzi is a type of submachine gun (SMG). It is famous for being very small and easy to carry, much more easily than any SMG made in World War II. It does this by loading magazines inside the grip, much like a pistol. It was not the first submachine gun to do this, but the Uzi was the first used on a large scale.

IMI Uzi (MP-2)
TypeSubmachine gun
Place of originIsrael
Service history
In service1954–present
Used bySee Users
WarsSuez Crisis
Six-Day War
Vietnam War
Yom Kippur War
Colombian internal conflict
Sri Lankan Civil War
Portuguese Colonial War
Falklands War
Invasion of Grenada[1]
1982 Lebanon war
South African Border War
Rhodesian Bush War
Somali Civil War
Mexican Drug War
Syrian Civil War
Miami Drug Wars
Production history
DesignerUziel Gal[2]
Designed1948
ManufacturerIsrael Military Industries
Israel Weapon Industries
FN Herstal
Norinco
Lyttleton Engineering Works (under Vektor Arms)
RH-ALAN
Group Industries
Produced1950–present
No. built10,000,000+[3]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass3.5 kg (7.72 lb)[2]
Length
  • 445 mm (17.5 in) stockless
  • 470 mm (18.5 in) folding stock collapsed
  • 640 mm (25 in) folding stock extended[2]
Barrel length260 mm (10.2 in)[2]

Cartridge9×19mm Parabellum
.22 LR
.45 ACP
.41 AE
ActionBlowback,[2] open bolt
Rate of fire600 rounds/min[2]
Muzzle velocity400 m/s (9mm)[4]
Effective firing range200 m[5]
Feed system10 (.22 and .41 AE)
16 (.45 ACP)
20, 25, 32, 40, 50 (9 mm) magazines
SightsIron sights

There are different kinds of Uzis: Mini Uzi, which is a smaller version of the Uzi; Micro Uzi, which is only slightly larger than a standard pistol; Para Micro Uzi, which was made for Counter Terrorist Units; and the Uzi Pistol, which is semi-automatic (it fires one bullet every time you pull the trigger). All of these kinds of Uzis are still in use by the special forces today. It is slowly being replaced by the MP-5.

History

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Uzis were invented by an Israeli army officer, Uziel Gal.[6] This gun was first used in 1956. Uzis were used in the 1967 Six Day War by Israel. They are made by Israel Military Industries and also by the Belgian weapon company, FN.[6]

Even though Uziel Gal told his manufacturers not to name the weapon after him, they ignored his request and did so anyway.

References

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  1. Lee E. Russel (1985). Grenade 1983. p. 39.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Miller, David (2001). The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns. London: Salamander Books. pp. 391–393. ISBN 1-84065-245-4. OCLC 59522369.
  3. McManners, Hugh (2003). Ultimate Special Forces. New York: DK Publishing. p. 157. ISBN 0-7894-9973-8. OCLC 53221575.
  4. "Firearms". The Uzi Official Website. Uzi Brands International. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  5. Popenker, Max R. (27 October 2010). "UZI / Mini UZI / Micro UZI submachine gun (Israel)". World Guns: Modern Firearms & Ammunition. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "The Uzi official website". uzi.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.

Other websites

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