Key Points – The Uzi, designed by Major Uziel Gal and adopted by the Israel Defense Forces in 1955, is one of history’s most iconic submachine guns.
Its innovative design, inspired by the Czech CZ 25, featured a telescoping bolt and a magazine housed in the pistol grip, making it well-balanced, reliable, and easy to reload.
Built with inexpensive stamped sheet metal parts, the compact 9mm weapon was combat-proven by the IDF in numerous conflicts, including the Six-Day and Yom Kippur Wars.
For its time, it was arguably the best SMG in the world, widely adopted by special forces and law enforcement globally before eventually being supplanted by the H&K MP5.
Uzi: The Reliable, Recognizable & Rugged Submachine Gun
The Uzi submachine gun (SMG) or machine pistol is an iconic firearms design with a silhouette possibly as recognizable as that of the AK-47. It emerged at a perfect time and place in post-World War II history.
In 1948, the newly formalized State of Israel, surrounded on all borders by active enemies, recognized the need to rationalize and update its chaotic weapons inventory. Israel Military Industries (IMI), the official state arms manufacturer, commissioned two engineer officers to design a new SMG for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Designed in 1950 by Major Uziel “Uzi” Gal of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the gun proved itself in the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six-Day War of 1967, the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and more.
Who Was Uziel Gal, the Designer of the Uzi?
The man who designed the iconic SMG was born Gothard Glas and grew up in Munich. His boyhood home was full of swords, pistols, and rifles. He had begun his first attempts at designing weapons at the age of ten.
He took a long rifle and attempted to shorten it into somewhat of a carbine by sawing down the barrel. His family emigrated to what is now Israel after Hitler and the Nazis came to power in 1933, and he kept at it, although it was illegal under the British Mandate of Palestine.
His family settled in Kibbutz Yagur in the Land of Israel, and his great passion for guns returned. The young man joined the Palmach, the underground Haganah organization’s elite fighting force, and found the perfect occupation: Weapons development.
However, he was caught and sentenced to seven years in prison by the British Mandate authorities for his work with illegal weaponry. He received a pardon after just over two years in Acre Prison. The young Gotthard passed the time behind bars by designing a new submachine gun.
After Israel gained its independence, Glas changed his name to Uziel Glas and later to Uziel Gal and became an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
His submachine gun was adopted in 1955, and although he didn’t want his SMG named after him, the Israeli government overruled him, and the Uzi was born.
Meet The Uzi Submachine Gun
Gal drew inspiration for his weapon design from the Czech CZ 25, but he perfected it to create a weapon that was cheap to produce, easy to fire, simple to service, and ruggedly dependable.
As with the CZ 25, the Uzi incorporated the magazine housing into the pistol grip, which made it very well-balanced and made it much easier to reload due to the intuitive hand-finds-hand principle.
It used a telescoping bolt with a blowback action. It had a cyclical rate of 600rpm and was accurate up to 200 yards (in semi-automatic mode; automatic fire accuracy is about 50 yards).
The weapon was chambered for 9×19 mm or, as it is best known, 9mm Parabellum. Magazines were either 25- or 32-round capacity. The weapon was incredibly reliable but required a significant amount of training for the shooter to become proficient with it.
Some other key features of the Uzi include but are not limited to, its simplicity of design, with many parts made from stamped sheet metal, making it less expensive to manufacture and easier to maintain and repair.
The Uzi’s compact size made it ideal for use in urban areas and cramped spaces. It became a favorite for Special Forces units and law enforcement.
Best Ever? For Its Time … Yes
Many have said that the Uzi was the best submachine gun ever. While it is arguably the best-known submachine gun ever, like many weapons, it has been supplanted by later models.
For its time, however, the Uzi was the best submachine gun for quite some time, as evidenced by its widespread international use by elite Special Forces units and law enforcement agencies, such as the US Secret Service.
However, the advent of the H&K MP5 changed the landscape, and it became the workhorse of units carrying submachine guns. It replaced the Uzi and was used by more than 40 countries.
However, the Uzi remains an icon; simply saying its name evokes instant recognition. It was a prime example of brilliant design and engineering.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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