Submachine gun Uzi: photos, specifications, device

Uziel Gal (1923-2002) was born on December 15, 1923 in Weimar, Germany, and originally bore the name of Gottard Glass. After 10 years in Germany, the Nazis came to power, and the persecution of Jews began. Gottard was lucky in 1933 to leave for Great Britain, and then, in 1936, to Palestine, to the kibbutz Yagur, where he received a new name and surname.

Patriot of Israel

Galya showed interest in creating weapons from childhood, when at the age of 15 he created an automatic crossbow. Soon he entered the "Palm", an elite unit of the underground Israeli army, as a weapons engineer. In 1943, he was arrested by the British authorities for the illegal transportation of weapons and sentenced to 6 years in prison. After serving 2 years out of 6, Gal went to the IDF - the armed forces of the newly formed state - to fight in the war for independence.

In the late 1940s, the Israel Military Industries (IMI) company, formerly clandestine and now the official arms manufacturer of Israel, instructed two engineers to create a decent weapon design for Israeli soldiers, mainly to replace the failed STEN submachine gun. These designers were IDF officers Lieutenant Uziel Gal and Major Chaim Kara, head of the light weapons section.

Czechoslovakian inspiration

Not a single engineer works in a vacuum, and in the case of Gal, the inspiration was obvious. At the end of 1940, the Czech manufacturer of firearms Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka began the production of the innovative CZ submachine gun series. They had 2 features. The magazine was inserted directly into the pistol grip, and not separately in front of the trigger guard. Such positioning became possible due to the second feature of the gun. In this design, the front of the shutter was tubular and covered the rear of the barrel during chambering and firing a cartridge. Thanks to it, the necessary mass of the shutter was kept to control recoil, which allowed to reduce the total length of the weapon.

Thousands of CZs were exported to the Middle East, including Israel, where this submachine gun served as a prototype for Galya and Kara. In the early 1950s, both designers presented weapons for competitive testing. Kar created the 9mm K-12. Like the CZ, it had a free telescopic shutter and ammunition from a 20- or 40-charge magazine inserted into the pistol grip. It was a worthy weapon - easy to use and maintain, high quality. Oddly enough, this turned out to be his problem. For a young nation with an emerging economy, the K-12 was too expensive an option.

Cheap and cheerful

Galya’s design worked on the same principles, but was based on a cheap and quickly stamped metal structure that did not require K-12 tolerances. This increased its strength and reliability when used in the field. In addition, there were 12 fewer parts in it, which reduced production costs.

In 1951, a total of 12 K-12s and 5 Uzi were subjected to endurance and performance tests in harsh desert conditions. Taking into account all factors, the Uzi submachine gun (photo) turned out to be the clear winner, and it was chosen for further development.

Gal patented weapons in 1952, granting production rights to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the Uzi submachine gun underwent further field trials. In the end, in March 1954, the artillery and technical service placed an order for the production of 8,000 weapons and 80,000 stores. The design of Uziel Galya was adopted.

Uzi submachine gun: device

Gal created a revolutionary weapon. It was easy to control when firing 9 × 19 mm Parabellum ammunition at a speed of 600 rounds per minute. Placing the store in the pistol grip moved the center of gravity into the palm, which made it possible to shoot with one hand. The advantage of this arrangement is the intuitive reloading at night or during a tense battle - it is enough for a soldier to remember the principle “hand finds a hand”. The Uzi submachine gun can be dismantled in a matter of seconds, and a small number of components is convenient in the field - so there is less chance of losing an important part.

Work mechanism

"Uzi" is a weapon with a free telescopic shutter. When the submachine gun is loaded and cocked, the shutter is held in the rear position by the trigger of the trigger. When you pull the trigger, it is released and moves forward under the action of the return spring, capturing the cartridge in the stack over the edge of the base of the sleeve. As it moves, the cartridge touches the guide chute, rises and goes into the chamber, leaving the store. The tubular part of the bolt covers the barrel. At this point, the ejectors rise, and the base of the sleeve falls into the recess of the bolt mechanism holding the hammer. As the shutter stops, the firing pin strikes the capsule at the base of the cartridge case and a shot is fired.

Now the empty sleeve should be removed and thrown out and recharged. The gas pressure creates recoil and back pressure in the breech, the mass of which holds the empty sleeve in place until the bullet leaves the barrel and the pressure drops to a safe level. Then the shutter starts its way in the opposite direction, pulling the return spring. At the same time, the ejector clamps the base of the sleeve, holding it in the breech until it is flush with the rear surface of the outlet on the right side of the receiver. At this point, the ejection mechanism strikes the base of the cartridge, turning around the extractor and pushing the sleeve through the outlet. When the bolt mechanism moves past the magazine, the spring of the latter pushes the cartridges up to prepare it for firing.

Fire modes

The bolt mechanism moves back until it reaches the back of the receiver, and the return spring does not accumulate significant pressure. Then the spring begins to move the bolt forward. The Uzi submachine gun has three fire modes, set by a slide switch on the left side at the top of the pistol grip. He has three positions - A, R and S:

• A - full automatic fire;
• R - semi-automatic fire, single shot;
• S - fuse, blocks firing.

If the selector is set to position A, the shutter makes a full path forward to the track to fire another cartridge; the cycle will continue as long as the descent is held down.

If the selector is set to position R, the trigger whisper engages with the shutter and holds it in the back position until the trigger is pulled again.

The Uzi submachine gun was designed to meet strict safety requirements, so all options have three levels of safety mechanism. Position S on the switch blocks the possibility of descent. In addition, at the rear of the pistol grip is another safety mechanism. In order for a shot to occur, it must be compressed, protecting it from being triggered by an impact or a fall. The final frontier is the ratchet cocking mechanism, which prevents firing if the bolt is accidentally released during cocking.

Butt

The first generation of submachine guns was equipped with solid quick-detachable wooden butts. Some of them had openings for a ramrod and containers with oil. In total, about four varieties of wooden stock were produced, each of which has several sizes and profiles. A critical configuration change occurred in 1967, when the tree was replaced by a folding metal version. The stock turned out to be very convenient and durable, reduced weight by 0.1 kg, increased stealth and portability for special forces, paratroopers and security units.

In addition, polymer versions of the original wooden stocks are produced, as well as plastic ones with rubber butt plates.

Aim

"Uzi" - a submachine gun with a basic, but functional mechanical sight with factory adjustment. The front sight consists of a simple steel blade protected by two deep steel wings on both sides. The sight is adjusted horizontally and vertically. Changes require a special tool to loosen the scope screw.

The whole, protected by high metal wings, is a diopter type with a small adjustable aperture, at 100 or 200 m. The sights are strong and reliable, effective at given ranges and allow you to quickly aim when shooting offhand.

Ammunition

Uzi produces 2 types of stores: a standard 25-shooter weighing 500 g and a 32-shooter weighing 600 g in a charged state. Their length is reduced due to the double stack.

The location of the magazine latch on the lower left side of the pistol grip simplifies access to it with the thumb of the left hand, but does not interfere during firing. The receiver is made of stamped steel with an optional belt mount, and the cocking handle is located in a groove in the upper part of the box, within easy reach of the left hand. A short ribbed section under the front sight serves as a forearm, from which a short section of the trunk protrudes, held in place by a large nut.

Among the few optional accessories is a short bayonet attached to the barrel and the front of the forearm.

Mini, Micro, Pro

The biggest changes in Uzi came with the advent of Mini Uzi in 1980. To meet the demands of special forces and elite security units, IMI significantly reduced the size of its weapons. The folded length of the original was 470 mm, and in Mini Uzi it was reduced to 360 mm. The weight was reduced by replacing the relatively heavy two-piece folding stock with a lightweight wire construction.

The internal structure also differs. There are options with an open and a closed shutter. The scope has also changed - now the front and rear sights have become adjustable. There was a muzzle compensator, necessary to ensure a rate of 1100 rounds per minute. Standard stores are used, as well as a special 20-shooter.

On this reduction in the size of the submachine gun. In 1986, IMI introduced an even smaller version - with the appropriate name. Micro-Uzi is a submachine gun, the length of which in assembled condition is 486 mm, and with the stock folded - 282 mm. Weight - 2.2 kg (standard "Uzi" weighs 3.6 kg). The firing rate of the Micro-Uzi modification with an open shutter reaches 1700 rounds per minute, and with a closed one - 1050.

The Uzi submachine gun with a silencer is available in Mini OB and Micro CB versions.

At this time, IWI produces only reduced versions of the automatic pistol, and the standard is manufactured under license in the United States.

Both modifications became a platform for further development, including the special version (SF) with 4 Picatinny rail for installing accessories, which include flashlights, laser pointers, optics, night vision devices.

Uzi Pro works like a Micro Uzi with a closed shutter, but with a number of improvements, including an “assault grip” with a large enlarged descent guard on a thick impact-resistant polymer coating that allows you to use weapons in gloves used by grip groups when pulling on cables.

An exact copy of the Uzi is very popular among amateurs - the pneumatic submachine gun KWC-KMB07 Mini Uzi.

The Uzi pistol was manufactured by IMI in the early 1980s. It is even more compact - only 240 mm in length and does not have a folding butt.

Uzi submachine gun: specifications

For a better perception, we put them in a table:

Countries still using the Uzi intend to remove it from service in the near future. New generations of individual defensive weapons are replacing, including the P90 with a powerful 5.7x28 mm cartridge and a speed of 715 m / s and MP7 with a 4.6x30 mm cartridge and the same take-off speed. Nevertheless, only a few types of firearms fired after the Second World War can boast a spotless reputation for the creation of Uziel Galya.