Odds are you have heard of the UZI. The UZI was (and for some, still
is) the epitome of the submachine gun. It has been the gun chosen by the
elite and used by the masses. It started as a heavy weight submachine
gun designed for military use.
The arm brace is a great addition to the Pro and is a welcome step between the naked pistol and the full on SBR.
The
original UZI weighed in at nearly 8 pounds and measured 19 inches in
length. As time progressed the UZI became smaller, lighter, and
ultimately more efficient. With the following generations the UZI
progressed into the Mini, then later the Micro and now the UZI Pro.
Ultimately IWI has sold more than 2,000,000 UZIs and has exported them
to over 90 countries. In short these guns have been used by more
military, law enforcement and security companies than any other
submachine gun in history.
The history of the UZI may be
impressive, but what good does that do for the US firearms market? We
can’t own machine guns manufactured after 1986, so what does IWI have
for us?
IWI is now importing a new version of the latest and
greatest UZI just for the US civilian market. The UZI Pro is more or
less a neutered version of the current service model being employed
around the globe, and it is being imported into the US as a pistol.
Features
- Caliber 9mm Luger (9x19mm)
- Operating System Blowback
- Magazine Capacity Included: 1-20 round and 1-25 round. Optional: 32 round magazine
- Barrel Type Cold hammer forged, CrMoV
- Barrel Length 4.5″
- Overall Length 10″ w/brace folded, 18” extended
- Weight 4.5 lbs.
- Rifling Right Hand, 1:10 inch twist
- Sights Adjustable Target Sights
- MSRP – $1,299
Design
The
UZI Pro is a pistol built around the traditional UZI telescopic bolt /
blow back design. The compact pistol has traditional UZI features such
as the grip safety, the slide safety, steel stick magazines and
ratcheting barrel nuts. From that point forward the gun departs from the
old formula.
Broken down.
For
fans of the wide wide world of optics lights and lasers, 1913 rails
have been added to both the frame and top cover of the gun. Because this
is an incredibly compact design, the frame’s rail sticks out a bit. The
charging handle has been moved to the side of the gun. The lower
portion of the pistol is now made form polymer and the magazine release
has been moved under the trigger guard. Most importantly IWI has
incorporated a side folding arm brace into the gun. The arm brace is
manufactured by SB Tactical and it truly does a great job of taming the
already mild recoil of the UZI pro.
The brace, when folded, can get in the way. But it makes the gun much shorter.
With such a compact frame, the rail section had to be extended out in front.
The
UZI Pro has what some would consider a heavy trigger pull. I’m not sure
if Israelis just like heavy triggers, or what–but the trigger on the
UZI Pro is stout. Breaking at 9lbs, it is very similar to a double
action revolver’s trigger. Heavy with a lot of travel. However, it is
manageable and still capable of delivering accurate shots, but it will
take you a few rounds to acclimate to it.
Now let’s talk about safeties. The UZI Pro is what I’d call a
very
safe gun to carry. It incorporates two manual safeties and one passive
safety. With a thumb safety and a grip safety, there is little chance of
this thing going bang when you don t want it to. However, in the chance
that it gets dropped, it also incorporates a firing pin block that will
prevent accidental discharge.
Oversized controls are easy to find, even with gloved hands.
Ergonomics
Military
firearms don’t always focus on ergonomics. Functionality doesn’t
generally breed comfort. The UZI Pro seems to get 99% of it right. From
the light weight of the polymer lower to the left side charging handle,
the Uzi Pro just does it better than its predecessors. The oversized
magazine release is easy to use. The lower is molded to accommodate
large hands and it provides just enough traction that recoil doesn’t
unseat your grip. Magazine changes have also been simplified by the
bevel on the mag-well, which works as a funnel.
The SB Tactical
side-folding brace brings an extra point of contact to the firearm,
making it even more controllable. Using the brace as specified by the
manufacturer (and the fine folks at the ATF), I found the shooting
experience to be vastly improved. Recoil was tamed and muzzle rise was
alleviated. With the Pro strapped to your wrist, you may feel a bit like
Robocop. But strapping this one down works better than a lot of the
larger pistols I’ve shot that had braces. Some are simply too heavy. You
strap them on and lose most of the dexterity required to manipulate a
large firearm. But the UZI Pro is light enough to be more maneuverable.
The mag-well on the Pro is beveled and easy to find with the stick mags.
Braced on the arm. At just 4.5 pounds, this is one of the easiest guns to brace like this.
Bracing off the cheek, though, allows for more accurate shot placement.
Using
the brace off of my cheek, I found improved accuracy. As functional as
this is as a pistol, I think it is a solid candidate for SBR status.
With a simple form 1, this could be a great rifle for concealment. With
the brace folded up, it is a chunk of gun, but it would still fit neatly
in a pack or bag.
When not in use you can easily fold the Brace
to the side. When its folded up it makes shooting the gun a bit
difficult. However, you can slide the brace an inch or too forward and
it stays out of your way while shooting the gun like a traditional
pistol.
How does it shoot?
Shooting the UZI Pro is like
any other Handgun or pistol caliber carbine. Recoil is negligible. The
sights are adequate and the controls are right where they need to be.
With the brace removed, I found the gun to be controllable but a bit
wild. The gun just wants to do the wave. Add a single point sling,
though, or the SB Tactical brace and it levels out. The extra weight is
useful for controlling the muzzle rise.
Reliability and UZI have
always been synonymous. The UZI Pro does not stray form that reputation.
During the review, I put the gun through the paces. Feeding it a steady
diet of of over 500 rounds of IMI 115gr EX-STAR 9mm and remanufactured
Freedom Munitions 9mm, I had no malfunctions. Though this review wasn’t
designed as a torture test, I suspect the the Pro would do exceptionally
well in adverse conditions.
With every pull of the trigger it is
clear that this is an UZI. Everything about it screams UZI and for me
and allot of gun nuts this is the exact reason to buy this gun. Its been
many years since legitimate Israeli UZI’s have been imported into the
country. For me and many others fans of the UZI it has just been to
long.
Accuracy of the Uzi Pro SB
The UZI isn’t known for
accuracy. This is a compact package meant to get lead on-target fast.
What some sub-guns do with accuracy, the old UZIs did with volume and
rate of fire. With the UZI Pro, though, this is all changing–as well it
should. This is a semi-auto. It should shoot as good as any pistol with a
4.5″ barrel–or even better, thanks to the extra mass.
From 7 meters, without the brace.
Same distance, braced.
I
shot the pistol from 7 meters for the accuracy testing portion of this
review. With the brace folded, I was able to consistently put down
2.5-inch groups. With the arm brace extended, I shot tighter 5 shot
groups. No surprise. Clean 1-inch groups are easy. Moving out to 15 and
then 30 meters, I was still able to make clean and fast hits on target.
At the end of the day, the UZI Pro SB is not a precision rifle, but it
functions as good as many pistol caliber carbines.
Front sight, adjustable for height.
Rear sight with extra white dots to help line up the front sight. Just kidding–those white dots between the sights are glares.
In the end
The
UZI Pro SB is a welcome addition to the US firearms market. For many of
us, it has been a long time coming. The UZI Pro (which has no folding
brace) and Pro SB (with the SB Tactical brace) are now available and can
be brought home today. $1,099 for the standard model and $1,299 for the
SB version tested here, they aren’t exactly bargain bin guns–but an old
IMI UZI carbine sells for $2000 and the pistols sell for $2500 or so.
Read more about the Uzi Pro SB: http://www.iwi.us/UZI/UZI-Pro-Pistol-UPP9SB.aspx
Buy s Uzi Pro from GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=uzi%20pro
IMI ammo: http://zqiammo.com/
The upper, broken down.
The Pro comes with one 20 and one 25 round stick mag.
The polymer lower.
The brace folded. Like this, the Pro becomes an easily concealed gun.
