Today we shall be taking a look at a German-reworked semi-automatic version of an iconic UZI, which was developed in the late 1940s in the state of Israel and exported to 90 countries. Read on for another LSB journey in firearms history…

The 9mm Para. UZI sub-machine gun was designed by Captain (later Major) Uziel Gal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The weapon was submitted to the Israeli Army for evaluation and won over more conventional designs due to its simplicity and economy of manufacture. Gal did not want the weapon to be named after him, but his request was ignored. The UZI was officially adopted in 1951 and produced by Israeli Military Industries (IMI), which was founded in 1933. First introduced to IDF special forces in 1954, the weapon was placed into general issue two years later. The first UZI SMGs were equipped with a short, fixed wooden butt-stock, and this is the version that initially saw combat during the 1956 Suez Campaign. Later models would be equipped with a folding metal stock.

The UZI was used as a personal defence weapon by rear-echelon troops, officers, artillery troops and tankers, as well as a frontline weapon by elite light infantry assault forces. The UZI's compact size and firepower proved instrumental in clearing Syrian bunkers and Jordanian defensive positions during the 1967 Six-Day War. Though the weapon was phased out of frontline IDF service in the 1980s, some UZIs and UZI variants were still used by a few IDF units until December 2003, when the IDF announced that it was retiring the UZI from all IDF forces. It was subsequently replaced by the fully automatic Micro Tavor.

The UZI is blowback-operated and fires from an open-bolt, which exposes the breech end of the barrel, and improves cooling during periods of continuous fire. However, it means that since the bolt is held to the rear when cocked, the receiver is more susceptible to contamination from sand and dirt. The telescoping bolt design, in which the bolt wraps around the breech end of the barrel, allows the barrel to be moved far back into the receiver and the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip, allowing for a heavier, slower-firing bolt in a shorter, better-balanced weapon.

The UZI has an impressive record of world-wide sales, ranging across 90 different countries. It was also manufactured under licence by FN Hertsal as well as other firms in Europe, the U.S.A. and China. Within two decades, more UZI sub-machine guns were sold to military, law enforcement and security markets than any other sub-machine gun ever made, with production exceeding 10 million units over all variants, including the UZI carbine, UZI pistol, Mini UZI and Micro UZI, which were mainly intended for commercial sales but were also used by security forces. 

The German Bundeswehr adopted the UZI in 1959 under the designation ‘MP 2’, replacing the Beretta M1938/49 (‘M 1’) and the Thompson M1 in service. The German MP 2 was fitted with the IDF-style wooden stock and only later with a metal folding stock (‘MP2A1’). 50,000 guns were ordered and delivered to Germany. They are distinguished by the markings on the selector switch, which instead of the Hebrew lettering, bears the letters ‘D’, ‘E’ and ‘S’, respectively ‘Dauerfeuer’ (auto), ‘Einzelfeuer’ (semi-auto), and ‘Sicher’ (‘safe’). 10,000 of these guns were sold to Portugal.

The UZI that we are offering for sale today is an Israeli-made original that was rebuilt as a semi auto in 2015 by Schwaben Arms in Rottweil (SAR), Germany and re-designated ‘SAR M54’. SAR did a fine job of it – this is the best UZI rework ever produced. The gun, which is in brand new condition, is in the classic UZI configuration with wooden stock, as used by the Bundeswehr. It comes with the original magazine and a BW camouflage mag carrier. This UZI make a great collectible as well as an excellent range companion.  

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If you wish to own interesting firearm, please send us a private message or phone us on 99471091 to reserve it until you visit the shop to see it physically. You will require as a minimum a Target Shooter Licence A or a Collector Licence A to be able to purchase it. LSB’s knowledge and experience in historical firearms assures you of a good investment. We offer a lifetime guarantee on the genuineness of the pieces in our vast inventory so that you may buy in full confidence.

We take great pleasure in bringing you these daily snippets of firearms history and we hope that you enjoy reading them.