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Israel Legacy IWI
Uzi
An open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine gun designed by Uziel Gal that became the standard-issue weapon of the Israel Defense Forces and one of the most widely exported submachine guns of the 20th century. Its compact size and telescoping bolt design set the standard for later SMG development.
In service since 1954 · 90 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
200
m range
600
rpm
400
m/s
32
rds
💲 ≈ $800 — Approximate surplus/export unit price
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 90 operators
In service since 1954. Status: legacy · ~10,000,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Effective range
Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.
- 200 m Bottom 8% of rifles
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 600 rpm Stronger than 12% of rifles
- Muzzle velocity
Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.
- 400 m/s Bottom 3% of rifles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 9×19 mm Parabellum
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.
- 9 mm
- Ammunition
Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.
- 32 Stronger than 88% of rifles
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 0.64 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 4 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
- Barrel length
Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.
- 260 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $800 Top 7% of rifles
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 10,000,000 Top 9% of rifles
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 90 Top 3% of rifles
Specifications compiled from public IWI and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Tula Arms Plant AEK-971 Frequently asked questions
How many crew does the IWI Uzi require? +
The IWI Uzi requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the IWI Uzi? +
The IWI Uzi's primary weapon is the 9×19 mm Parabellum.
What is the IWI Uzi used for? +
The IWI Uzi is a rifle & long arms typically used for infantry combat.
How many countries operate the IWI Uzi? +
The IWI Uzi is operated by 90 countries.
How much does the IWI Uzi cost? +
The IWI Uzi has an approximate unit cost of 800 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
