Submachine gun "Uzi": photo, characteristics, device

Uziel Gal (1923-2002) was born on December 15, 1923 in Weimar, Germany, and was originally named Gottard Glass. After 10 years in Germany, the Nazis came to power, and the persecution of Jews began. Gotthard was fortunate 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

Interest in creating weapons from Galya appeared from childhood, when at the age of 15 he created an automatic crossbow. Soon he drove in the "Palm", an elite unit of the underground Israeli army, as an engineer-gunsmith. In 1943, he was arrested by the British authorities for illegal transportation of arms 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 of independence.

In the late 1940s, Israel Military Industries (IMI), a previously underground and now official arms producer in Israel, commissioned 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 Khaim Kara, head of the light weapons section.

Czechoslovak inspiration

No engineer works in a vacuum, and in the case of Galem, inspiration was obvious. In the late 1940s, the Czech firearms manufacturer Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka began producing an innovative series of CZ submachine guns. They had 2 characteristics. The store was inserted directly into the pistol grip, and not separately before the trigger guard. This positioning became possible due to the second feature of the pistol. In this design, the front of the shutter was tubular and covered the back of the barrel when the cartridge was sent and shot. Thanks to it, the necessary weight of the shutter was maintained to control the recoil, which allowed to reduce the overall length of the weapon.

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

Cheap and angry

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

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

Gahl patented the weapon in 1952, granting the rights to manufacture to the Ministry of Defense of Israel, and the submachine gun "Uzi" passed further tests in the field. Eventually in March 1954, the artillery and technical service placed an order for the production of 8,000 weapons and 80,000 stores. The construction of Uziel Gal was adopted.

Submachine gun "Uzi": device

Gal created revolutionary weapons. They were easy to control when firing 9 × 19-mm Parabellum cartridges at a speed of 600 rounds per minute. 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 recharging in night conditions or during intense fighting - it is enough for a soldier to remember the principle "the hand finds a hand". The "Uzi" submachine gun can be dismantled in seconds, and a small number of components are convenient in the field - so there is less chance of losing an important detail.

The mechanism of work

"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 whip of the descent. When you pull the trigger, it is released and moves forward under the action of a return spring, grasping the cartridge in the stack beyond the edge of the base of the cartridge case. As you move, the cartridge touches the guide groove, it is raised and directed to the chamber, leaving the store. The tubular part of the bolt covers the trunk. At this point, the ejectors are raised, and the base of the sleeve falls into the recess of the gate mechanism that holds the drummer. As the shutter stops, the striker strikes the capsule at the base of the cartridge case and a shot is fired.

Now an empty shell must be removed and thrown out and the recharge is performed. The pressure of the gases creates a recoil and back pressure in the breech, the mass of which keeps the empty sleeve in place until the bullet leaves the barrel and the pressure drops to a safe level. Then the bolt starts its journey 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 back surface of the discharge hole on the right side of the receiver. At this point, the ejecting mechanism hits the base of the cartridge, turning around the extractor and pushing the sleeve through the outlet. When the gate mechanism moves past the magazine, the spring of the latter pushes the cartridges upward to prepare it for shooting.

Fire Modes

The slide mechanism moves back until it reaches the rear of the receiver, and the return spring does not accumulate significant pressure. Then the spring starts to move the bolt forward. The Uzi submachine gun has three fire modes, mounted 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 the conduct of fire.

If the selector is set to position A, the shutter makes the full path forward to the track to shoot the other cartridge; The cycle will continue as long as the trigger is held down.

If the selector is set to R, the trigger searches the shutter and engages it in the rear position, until the trigger is pressed again.

The Uzi submachine gun was designed with strict security requirements, so all versions have three levels of security mechanism. The S position on the switch blocks the possibility of descent. In addition, at the rear of the pistol grip there is another safety mechanism. In order for a shot to occur, it must be compressed, protecting from triggering when it hits or falls. The last line is a ratchet cocking mechanism that prevents shooting with the occasional release of the bolt during its cocking.

Butt

The first generation of submachine guns was equipped with solid quick-release wooden butts. Some of them had holes for the ramrod and tanks with oil. In total, about four types of wooden butt were produced, each of which has several sizes and profiles. A critical change in configuration took place in 1967, when the tree was replaced by a folding metal version. The application proved 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 original wooden butts are produced, as well as plastic versions with rubber butt-end plates.

Aim

"Uzi" is a submachine gun with a basic but functional mechanical sight with factory fire. The fly consists of a simple steel blade, protected by two deep steel wings on both sides. The sight is adjusted horizontally and vertically. To make changes, a special tool is required to loosen the screw of the sight.

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

Fighting

To "Uzi" are produced 2 types of stores: a standard 25-charger weighing 500 g and a 32-charge weight of 600 g in a charged state. Their length is reduced due to the double stack.

The location of the store latch on the lower left side of the pistol grip simplifies access to the thumb of the left hand, but does not interfere with the shooting. The barrel box is made of stamped steel with optional belt fastening, and the cocking handle is located in the groove at the top of the box, within easy reach of the left hand. A short ribbed area under the fly serves as a forearm, from which protrudes a short section of the trunk, held in place by a large nut.

Among the few additional accessories - a short bayonet, attached to the trunk, and the front part of the forehead.

Mini, Micro, Pro

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

The internal arrangement also differs. There were variants with an open and closed shutter. Changed and sight - now the front sight and the rear sight have become adjustable. A muzzle compensator appeared, which is necessary to ensure a rate of fire of 1100 rounds per minute. Used standard stores, as well as a special 20-charger.

This is the reduction in the size of the submachine gun. In 1986, IMI introduced an even smaller version - with an appropriate name. "Micro-Uzi" - a submachine gun, the length of which in the assembled state is 486 mm, and with the folded butt - 282 mm. Weight - 2.2 kg (the standard "Uzi" weighs 3.6 kg). The rate of modification of the "Micro-Uzi" modification with an open shutter reaches 1,700 rounds per minute, and with a closed one - 1050.

The submachine gun "Uzi" with a silencer is available in the modifications of Mini OB and Micro CB.

Currently, IWI produces only reduced versions of the automatic pistol, and the standard is manufactured under license in the US.

Both versions have become a platform for further development, including a special version (SF) with 4 Picatinny slats for installation of accessories, including flashlights, laser pointers, optics, night vision devices.

Uzi Pro works similarly to Micro Uzi with a closed shutter, but with a number of improvements, among which is an "assault grip" with a large extended escapement guard on a thick, shockproof polymer coating that allows use of the gloves used by the grip groups during descent on ropes.

At fans the exact copy of "Uzi" - the pistol-machine gun pneumatic KWC-KMB07 Mini Uzi uses the big popularity.

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

Submachine gun "Uzi": characteristics

For better perception, we put them into a table:

Countries that are still using the Uzi, in the near future intend to remove it from weapons. New generations of individual defensive weapons are coming, including the P90 with a powerful cartridge of 5.7x28 mm and a speed of 715 m / s and MP7 with a 4.6x30 mm cartridge and the same speed of departure. Nevertheless, only a few types of firearms released after the Second World War can boast of the unblemished reputation of the creation of Uziel Gal.