Mini UZI
Israel Weapon Industries · Submachine Gun · In Production · 1980
Also known as: IMI Mini UZI, Mini Uzi SMG
Overview
The Mini UZI is a compact variant of the iconic UZI submachine gun, developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI, now IWI) and released in 1980 as a scaled-down version of Uziel Gal's original 1954 design. Engineered for special forces, VIP protection details, and covert operations, the Mini UZI retains the full-size weapon's signature blowback action, open-bolt firing mechanism, and wrap-around telescoping bolt, but in a significantly reduced package measuring just 600mm with stock extended and 360mm with the side-folding stock collapsed. The barrel is shortened to 197mm from the full UZI's 260mm, and the overall weight drops to approximately 2.7kg empty. The Mini UZI accepts the same 20-, 25-, and 32-round detachable box magazines as its parent design but introduced a dedicated 20-round short magazine optimized for concealed carry. A distinctive tradeoff came with the compaction: the Mini UZI's cyclic rate jumped to roughly 950 rounds per minute compared to the full-size UZI's 600 rpm, a consequence of the lighter, faster-cycling bolt. This made the weapon harder to control in sustained automatic fire but ideal for short, high-volume bursts at close range. Civilian semi-automatic variants include the Mini UZI Carbine, which features a 16-inch barrel to comply with US federal firearms regulations, and the stockless Mini UZI Pistol. The Mini UZI remains in production and in service with elite military and law enforcement units worldwide.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2700 g (95.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 3000 g (105.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Folded Length | 360 mm (14.17") |
| Barrel Length | 197 mm (7.76") |
| Height | 125 mm (4.92") |
| Width | 32 mm (1.26") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Select Fire |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 375 m/s (1230 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 524 J (386 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 950 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 254 mm (10.00") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
- .45 ACP — also known as .45 Auto, 11.43x23mm
- .22 Long Rifle — also known as .22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Grip Safety, Manual Safety Selector, Ratcheting Safety
- Features: Wrap Around Bolt, Telescoping Bolt, Stamped Steel Construction, Side Folding Stock, Select Fire, Open Bolt Firing, Compact Design, Iron Sights, Fixed Firing Pin
Variants
- Mini UZI Carbine — Semi Auto Civilian
- Mini UZI Pistol — Semi Auto Civilian
- Micro UZI — Compact
- UZI Pro — Modernized
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Israel Defense Forces - Sayeret Special Forces · adopted 1980
- United States Secret Service · adopted 1981
- German GSG 9
- French GIGN
- Korean Army 707th Special Mission Battalion
- Israel National Police
- Portuguese Armed Forces
Conflicts
- 1982 Lebanon War (1982-1985)
- South Lebanon Conflict (1985-2000)
- First Intifada (1987-1993)
- Second Intifada (2000-2005)
Production
Production years: 1980-present
Production figures are not separately published from the broader UZI family (10+ million units). Mini UZI is a minority of total production, with the majority of units produced for special operations, VIP protection details, and civilian semi-automatic variants in the US market.
Origin
Country of origin: Israel
Designer: Uziel Gal
Notes
The Mini UZI was developed by IMI engineers under the direction of Uziel Gal's original design team in the late 1970s, entering production in 1980. It was intended to fill the tactical gap between a sidearm and a full-size submachine gun for close-protection and special operations roles. The most famous public appearance of the Mini UZI occurred on March 30, 1981, when US Secret Service agent Robert Wanko deployed one from a briefcase during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan outside the Washington Hilton - the resulting photographs of a suited agent brandishing the stubby SMG became one of the defining images of Cold War-era executive protection. The Mini UZI's 950 rpm cyclic rate was a deliberate engineering compromise: the shorter, lighter bolt cycles faster than the full-size UZI's, trading controllability for the compactness demanded by its mission profile. The weapon retains the grip-located magazine well - Uziel Gal's borrowed innovation from the Czech vz. 23/25 - allowing tactile, hand-finds-hand reloading in darkness or under stress. A small percentage of Mini UZIs were produced in .45 ACP and .22 LR for niche markets and training. The Micro UZI followed in 1983 as an even more compact version, pushing the cyclic rate to 1,250 rpm. The Mini UZI was largely superseded in frontline special operations use by the Heckler & Koch MP5 and later the MP7, though it remains in limited service and widespread collector demand.
Background
On March 30, 1981, US Secret Service agent Robert Wanko pulled a Mini UZI from a briefcase and crouched over the pavement outside the Washington Hilton during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan - the resulting photograph became the weapon's iconic introduction to the world. The trade-off for the Mini UZI's smaller frame was a cyclic rate that jumped from the full-size UZI's 600 rpm to roughly 950 rpm, meaning a shooter could empty a 32-round magazine in under two seconds. Designer Uziel Gal reportedly opposed variants of his original design that changed its handling characteristics, but the Mini UZI was developed and released anyway to meet growing demand from VIP protection details worldwide.