Uzi
| Uzi | |
|---|---|
|
|
| general information | |
| Civil name: | Uzi |
| Military designation: | MP2 (wooden shoulder rest ) MP2A1 (with foldable metal shoulder rest) |
| Country of operation: | see usage |
| Developer / Manufacturer: |
Uzi Gal / IMI IWI |
| Development year: | 1949-1956 |
| Manufacturer country: |
Israel South Africa |
| Production time: | since 1954 |
| Weapon Category: | Submachine gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 470/650 (with folded out shoulder rest) mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3.6 kg |
| Sight length : | 309 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
9 × 19 mm 9 × 21 mm IMI .45 ACP .22 lr |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 20, 25, 32, 40 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Bar magazine |
| Cadence : | 550-600 rounds / min |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | Right |
| Visor : | Open sights |
| Closure : | Mass closure |
| Charging principle: | Recoil loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Uzi ( Hebrew עוזי[ ˈʕuːzi ], [ ˈʔuːzi ]; German also [ ˈʊʦi ]) is a compact shooting machine gun that is manufactured by the Israeli armaments company Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and sold worldwide. It is one of the most famous submachine guns.
development
The namesake, Uzi Gal , designed the weapon in 1949 as a young officer with the rank of lieutenant . He was promoted to captain for inventing the Uzi , but never participated in their financial success. Series production began in the early 1950s, and in 1954 the Uzi was officially introduced to the Israel Defense Forces . Template for the weapon were u. a. the submachine guns of the models Sa 23 to 26, modified from the Czech ZK 476. The Uzi, in turn, was later often reproduced almost one-to-one, e.g. B. as Croatian ERO 9 , Chinese Norinco 320 or US MAC-10 .
The Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal received a production license in 1958 and manufactured the weapon between 1960 and 1983. South Africa is also an important licensee.
technology
The Uzi submachine gun is a simply constructed recoil loader with a fixed barrel and a simple ground lock . It is a firing weapon , i. H. only after pulling the trigger does the slide move forward and insert a cartridge into the chamber.
As with the Czech submachine guns of the Sa 23 to 26 models, the breech is hollow at the front and encloses the rear part of the barrel. This design enabled a very compact weapon with the magazine in the pistol grip, which is why the center of gravity of the weapon is close to it. This means that the weapon is so steady when fired that it can even be fired with one hand in continuous fire. Contrary to the trend towards 32-round magazines at the time, the Uzi was originally only available with a 25-round magazine, as Uzi Gal saw this as the best compromise between ammunition quantity and reliability.
The 260 mm long barrel is only held in place by a union nut on the front of the housing and can be changed quickly and easily. Rifle grenades can also be fired with a barrel attachment and the use of appropriate propellant ammunition .
The Uzi is notorious for its unpredictability, because due to its simple construction with a locking ground lock, a shot can be released even when the device is locked. However, this deficiency was largely remedied by the introduction of a palm safety device. A shot can only be released when this button on the back of the pistol grip is pressed. However, this additional safety device requires correctly maintained mechanics. Particularly noteworthy in this context is the catch claw, which engages in the lock from below using spring pressure (similar to a door lock) and holds it back. This claw wears off over time, and single shots become double shots. This also happens if the claw becomes stiff, the spring weakens or if the lock at the locking notches is rounded or wears out. The claws are therefore considered wear parts and must be checked regularly during maintenance work and replaced if necessary.
The safety devices also include a fire selector lever, which also serves as a safety lever, and a safety device that sits on the cocking handle and only allows a shot to be fired when the weapon is cocked.
The sight consists of a perforated rear sight and front sight with protective side jaws and a sight length of 309 mm. The folding rear sight can be adjusted to distances of 100 m and 200 m.
Only the first weapons had a wooden butt, Uzi Gal preferred the precision of a fixed stock. At the end of the 1950s, a variant with a metal shoulder rest that could be folded down and folded at the same time was introduced at the request of the Israeli paratroopers, who were tired of having to remove the stock before every jump. There is also a long barrel version called a carabiner.
Most of the parts of the Uzi consist of stamped sheet metal parts. The handles are made of plastic, some parts are made of steel. As accessories there are u. a. Lamps, bayonets , magazine loading aid and connecting clips for magazines to have several magazines directly on the weapon.
Other models
Mini Uzi
From 1981 the Mini-Uzi was developed as a submachine gun for police and military special forces and has been in production since 1982. It is intended to be carried concealed and is therefore 0.85 kg lighter at 2.65 kg and shorter than the original Uzi at 360–600 mm. It also has a second pistol grip on the handguard and a shoulder rest that can be folded down to the side. The barrel, which has been shortened to 197 mm, is drilled out over a length of approx. 20 mm and provided with slots to act as a compensator . This reduces the muzzle velocity to around 375 m / s. In addition to the conventional locking mass shutter (with it the rate of fire of the Mini-Uzi is approx. 950 rounds / min), the Mini-Uzi was also available as a shooting recoil loader . In this variant, the rate of fire increased to approx. 1,700 rounds / min.
Micro-Uzi
The Micro-Uzi submachine gun weighs 2.0 kg and is 486 mm long, the barrel length is only 115 mm. It has a similar shoulder rest to the Mini-Uzi, but the front pistol grip is omitted. The Micro-Uzi is a shooting recoil, with a similar system as the shooting Mini-Uzi variant. However, in the case of the Micro-Uzi, the shutter had to be additionally weighted with tungsten inserts, since otherwise the rate of fire would be much too high with the light system. As a result, the rate of fire, as with the shooting Mini-Uzi, is around 1,700 rounds / min.
Uzi gun
The semi-automatic version of the Micro-Uzi is marketed as the Uzi self-loading pistol to enable its sale in countries where private ownership of fully automatic weapons is prohibited by law. It is therefore not set up for continuous fire and has no shoulder rest. Due to its low weight (1700 g at a length of 240 mm) and a different center of gravity than the Uzi-MP, the weapon is considered difficult to handle while firing.
use
The Uzi is now used by armies and police units in over 90 countries. In 2003 the Israeli armed forces withdrew the Uzi from their weapons inventory as a training weapon. Before that, their use was mostly limited to vehicle crews. Since then, the M16 rifle has mostly been in use as the successor . However, it continues to be manufactured for both export and domestic use.
The Bundeswehr has been using the Uzi since 1959 under the designation MP2 (with wooden stock) or MP2 A1 (with foldable shoulder rest). For a long time, 1964 was given as the official year of introduction, as Germany did not officially establish diplomatic relations with Israel until 1965 . The MP2 A1 variant was requested when a fatal accident in security duty in 1961 was attributed to the rigid shoulder rest of the MP2. In contrast to the Israeli army, the MP2 is used by soldiers in the Bundeswehr with 32 instead of 25 round magazines. It has been gradually replaced by the MP7 since 2002 .
See also: List of hand weapons of the Bundeswehr
literature
- Craig Philip: The World's Great Small Arms. Barnes & Noble Books, New York NY 1993, ISBN 1-56619-205-6 .
- Chris McNab : The Uzi Submachine Gun , Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84908-906-7 . (81 pages online PDF) ( Memento from May 15, 2018 in the Internet Archive )
Web links
- UZI Talk
- Waffeninfo.net: Uzi SMG
- Uzi in parts
- Hand weapons of the Bundeswehr: submachine gun MP2 / MP2A1
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Chris McNab: The Uzi Submachine Gun
- ↑ a b c Once & now - submachine guns. Development and history. Tactics & shooting, collecting & technology (= visor. Special. 40). Vogt-Schild Germany, Bad Ems 2006, ISBN 3-9809243-8-6 , p. 58.
- ↑ a b Once & Now - submachine guns. Development and history. Tactics & shooting, collecting & technology (= visor. Special. 40). Vogt-Schild Germany, Bad Ems 2006, ISBN 3-9809243-8-6 , p. 62.
- ↑ a b c d e f Once & Now - submachine guns. Development and history. Tactics & shooting, collecting & technology (= visor. Special. 40). Vogt-Schild Germany, Bad Ems 2006, ISBN 3-9809243-8-6 , p. 60.
- ↑ Receiver Markings. In: UZI Talk. January 18, 2005, archived from the original on September 8, 2013 ; accessed on April 11, 2013 .
- ↑ Then & Now - Submachine Guns. Development and history. Tactics & shooting, collecting & technology (= visor. Special. 40). Vogt-Schild Germany, Bad Ems 2006, ISBN 3-9809243-8-6 , p. 61.
- ^ McNab, p. 75
- ↑ Then & Now - Submachine Guns. Development and history. Tactics & shooting, collecting & technology (= visor. Special. 40). Vogt-Schild Germany, Bad Ems 2006, ISBN 3-9809243-8-6 , pp. 60-61.