Uziel Gal (1923-2002) was born December 15, 1923 in Weimar, Germany, and was originally named Gotthard Glass. Ten years later, the Nazis came to power in Germany, and the persecution of the Jews began. Gotthard was lucky to leave for Great Britain in 1933, and then, in 1936, to Palestine, to Kibbutz Yagur, where he received a new name and surname.
Patriot of Israel
Gal's interest in creating weapons manifested itself from childhood, when at the age of 15 he created an automatic crossbow. He soon joined the Palms, an elite unit of the underground Israeli army, as a weapons engineer. In 1943 he was arrested by the British authorities for the illegal transport of weapons and sentenced to 6 years in prison. After serving 2 out of 6 years, Gal went to the IDF - the armed forces of the newly formed state - to fight in the war for independence.
At the end of the 1940s, Israel Military Industries (IMI) - formerly underground, now officialan Israeli weapons manufacturer - commissioned two engineers to create a decent weapon design for Israeli soldiers, mainly to replace the failed STEN submachine gun. These constructors turned out to be IDF officers Lieutenant Uziel Gal and Major Haim Kara, head of the light weapons section.
Czechoslovak inspiration
No engineer works in a vacuum, and in Gal's case, the inspiration was obvious. In the late 1940s, Czech firearms manufacturer Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka began production of the innovative CZ series of submachine guns. They had 2 features. The magazine was inserted directly into the pistol grip, and not separately in front of the trigger guard. This positioning became possible due to the second feature of the gun. In this design, the front of the bolt was tubular and covered the rear of the barrel when the cartridge was chambered and fired. Thanks to her, the necessary mass of the shutter for recoil control was maintained, which made it possible to reduce the overall length of the weapon.
Thousands of CZs were exported to the Middle East, including Israel, where this submachine gun served as the prototype for Gal and Kara. In the early 1950s, both designers submitted weapons for competitive testing. Kar created the 9mm K-12. Like the CZ, it had a free telescopic breech and was fed by a 20- or 40-round magazine inserted into the pistol grip. It was a worthy weapon - easy to use and maintain, of high quality. Oddly enough, this turned out to be his problem. Foryoung emerging nation K-12 was too expensive an option.
Cheap and cheerful
Gal'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, it had 12 fewer parts, which reduced production costs.
In 1951, a total of 12 K-12s and 5 Uzis were tested for endurance and performance in harsh desert conditions. All things considered, the Uzi submachine gun (photo) proved to be the clear winner and was chosen for further development.
Gal patented the weapon in 1952, granting production rights to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, and the Uzi submachine gun was further tested in the field. In the end, in March 1954, the artillery and technical service placed an order for the production of 8,000 weapons and 80,000 magazines. The design of Uziel Gal was adopted.
Uzi submachine gun: device
Gal created a revolutionary weapon. It was easy to control when firing 9x19mm Parabellum rounds at 600 rounds per minute. The placement of the magazine in the pistol grip moved the center of gravity to the palm area, which made it possible to shoot with one hand. The advantage of this arrangement is intuitive reloading at night or during intense combat - it is enough for a soldier to remember the principle "the hand findshand." The Uzi submachine gun can be dismantled in seconds, and the small number of parts is handy in the field, so there is less chance of losing an important part.
Working mechanism
"Uzi" - a weapon with a free telescopic bolt. When the submachine gun is loaded and cocked, the bolt is held in the rear position by the trigger sear. When the trigger is pressed, it is released and moves forward under the action of a return spring, grabbing the cartridge in the stack by the edge of the base of the sleeve. As the cartridge moves, it touches the guide chute, rises and goes into the chamber, leaving the magazine. The tubular part of the bolt covers the barrel. At this moment, the ejectors rise, and the base of the sleeve falls into the recess of the bolt mechanism holding the drummer. As the bolt stops, the firing pin strikes the primer at the base of the cartridge case and a shot is fired.
The empty shell should now be removed and ejected and reloaded. The gas pressure creates recoil and back pressure in the breech, the mass of which holds the empty case in place until the bullet leaves the barrel and the pressure is reduced to a safe level. Then the shutter starts its journey in the opposite direction, pulling the return spring. At the same time, the ejector pinches the base of the cartridge case, holding it in the breech until it is flush with the rear surface of the exhaust port on the right side of the receiver. At this point, the ejection mechanism strikes the base of the cartridge, turning aroundextractor and pushing the sleeve through the outlet. As the action moves past the magazine, the magazine's spring pushes the cartridges up to prepare it for firing.
Fire Modes
The bolt mechanism moves back until it reaches the rear of the receiver and the return spring has accumulated significant pressure. The spring then begins to move the bolt forward. The Uzi submachine gun has three firing modes, set by a slide switch on the left side at the top of the pistol grip. It has three positions - A, R and S:
- A - full auto fire;
- R - semi-automatic fire, single shot;
- S - fuse, blocks firing.
If the selector is set to position A, the bolt makes a full path forward to the track to fire another cartridge; the cycle will continue as long as the trigger is held down.
If the selector is set to R, the trigger sear engages the bolt and holds it in the rear position until the trigger is pressed again.
The Uzi submachine gun was designed with strict safety requirements in mind, so all variants have three levels of safety mechanism. Position S on the switch blocks the possibility of descent. In addition, there is another safety mechanism at the back of the pistol grip. In order for a shot to be fired, it must be compressed, protecting it from being triggered by impact or fall. Lastboundary - a ratchet cocking mechanism that prevents firing if the bolt is accidentally released during cocking.
Butt
The first generation of submachine guns were equipped with solid quick release wooden stocks. Some of them had holes for ramrods and oil containers. In total, about four varieties of wooden stock were produced, each of which has several sizes and profiles. A critical reconfiguration took place in 1967 when the wood was replaced with a folding metal version. The butt turned out to be very convenient and durable, reduced the weight by 0.1 kg, increased ste alth and portability for special forces, paratroopers and security units.
In addition, polymer versions of the original wooden stocks are available, as well as plastic versions with rubber butt plates.
Sight
Uzi is a submachine gun with a basic but functional mechanical sight with factory zeroing. The front sight consists of a simple steel blade protected by two deep steel wings on either side of it. The sight is adjusted horizontally and vertically. Changes require a special tool to loosen the scope screw.
The rear sight, protected by high metal wings, is a diopter type with a small adjustable aperture, at 100 or 200 m.
Ammunition
2 types of magazines are produced for the Uzi: a standard 25-shot magazine weighing 500 g and a 32-shot magazine weighing 600 g in a loaded state. Their length has been reduced due to the double stack.
The location of the magazine latch on the lower left side of the pistol grip makes it easy to access with the thumb of the left hand, but does not interfere during firing. The receiver is made of stamped steel with an optional sling attachment, and the cocking handle is located in a groove in the top of the receiver, within easy reach of the left hand. A short, ribbed section under the front sight serves as a handguard, from which a short section of the barrel protrudes, held in place by a large nut.
Among the few extras are a short bayonet attached to the barrel and the front of the forearm.
Mini, Micro, Pro
The biggest change to the Uzi came with the introduction of the Mini Uzi in 1980. To meet the demands of special forces and elite security forces, IMI significantly downsized the weapon. The length of the original when folded was 470 mm, and in the "Mini-Uzi" it was reduced to 360 mm. Weight has been reduced by replacing the relatively heavy two-piece folding stock with a lightweight wire construction.
The internal structure also differs. There were options with an open and closed shutter. The sight has also changed - now the front sight and rear sight have become adjustable. A muzzle compensator appeared, necessary to ensure a rate of fire of 1100 rounds per minute. Are usedstandard magazines, as well as a special 20-round.
This is a 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 the assembled state is 486 mm, and with the butt folded - 282 mm. Weight - 2.2 kg (standard "Uzi" weighs 3.6 kg). The rate of fire of the Micro-Uzi modification with an open bolt reaches 1700 rounds per minute, and with a closed bolt - 1050.
The silenced Uzi submachine gun is available in Mini OB and Micro CB versions.
Currently, IWI produces only smaller versions of the submachine gun, and the standard one is manufactured under license in the USA.
Both modifications became a platform for further development, including a special forces version (SF) with 4 Picatinny rails for mounting accessories, which include flashlights, laser pointers, optics, night vision devices.
The Uzi Pro operates similarly to the closed-bolt Micro Uzi, but with a number of improvements, including an "assault grip" with a large, oversized trigger guard on a thick, impact-resistant polymer coating that allows the weapon to be used with gloves used by grip teams during triggering on cables.
A replica of the Uzi, the KWC-KMB07 Mini Uzi pneumatic submachine gun, is very popular among amateurs.
The Uzi pistol was manufactured by IMI in the early 1980s. It is even more compact - only 240 mm long and does not have a folding stock.
Uzi submachine gun: specifications
For a better perception, we arranged them in a table:
| Features | Uzi | Mini Uzi OB | Mini Uzi CB | Mini Uzi CB SF | Micro Uzi CB SF |
| Cartridge | 9x19 mm Parabellum | ||||
| Weight, kg | 3, 5/3, 6 | 2, 65 | 2, 65 | 2, 8 | 2, 2 |
| Barrel length, mm | 260 | 197 | 197 | 197 | 134 |
| Total length, mm | 650 | 588 | 588 | 588 | 504 |
| Length with stock folded, mm | 470 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 282 |
| Departure speed, m/s | 410 | 380 | 380 | 380 | 350 |
| Rate of fire, rounds/min | 600 | 1100 | 1150 | 1150 | 1050 |
| Muffler option | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Countries that still use the Uzi intend to withdraw it from service in the near future. It is being replaced by new generations of individual defensive weapons, including the P90 with a powerful 5.7x28mm cartridge and a speed of 715 m/s and the MP7 with a 4.6x30mm cartridge and the same takeoff speed. However, few post-World War II firearms can boast the untarnished reputation of Uziel Gal's creation.
