firearms | walther

198 july 2013 | GUN MART View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net

Uzi 5.5mm! Neal TERMINATOR Parnham with the new Walther IWI Uzi, does it fl oat your boat?

Iconic Uzi

The choice of 22 rimfi re military-style rifl es seems to be ever expanding.

2012 saw the introduction of two old war horses the US M1 Carbine (Chiappa) and the StG 44 assault rifl e (GSG). However, for 2013 we have one of the most famous post-war sub machine guns (SMGs) the Uzi! Made by Walther I had seen prototypes at IWA 2011,

but that was all! But a call to Neal Parnham of Suffolk Rifl e Co. got me one for test.

Walther/UmarexWhen the whole look-a-like thing hit the UK, Walther which is

owned by Umarex were at the forefront with

their Colt Tactical range of M16

derivatives. Good looking, they shot well but suffered from the bolt design, which did not allow easy stripping/cleaning. Later they launched Heckler Koch with the 416 (M4 clone) and the MP5 SMG, different but the same in the bolt department. I was excepting more of the same from the Uzi but was pleased to see things were far more practical!

I’m no stranger to Uzis as I’ve shot real ones (selective fi re) in the past, and before the SLR ban owned a semi-auto version then made by IMI (Israeli Military Industries). That one came with a US-legal 16” barrel, which I cut it down to the original 10.5”, as back then you could do that. I rate the design, which as I discovered has been used, sold and made under licence by

more countries around the world than any other modern SMG.

Design-wise the Uzi uses a telescopic bolt, in that the bolt body is bored out so that when forward it covers the rear of the barrel. This allows for the weapon to be shorter with no loss of barrel length and the magazine to be placed in the pistol grip. The result is a compact and effective design especially in conjunction with its folding butt. It’s likely that its creator Major Uziel Gal of the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) took the telescopic bolt aspects of the Czech Model 25 SMG (VZ 48b) as his inspiration for the Uzi.

9mm? No, 5.5mm!OK Arnie asked for a 9 millimetre Uzi in Terminator, but that is now denied us, not so the .22” (5.5mm) version. This rimfi re is a very good copy of the original,

Once again Walther have brought out another rimfi re look-a-like, this time in the form of the famous, Israeli Uzi SMG - Pete Moore checks it out

The butt operates like the original, so demanding the mandatory long barrel for the UK market

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with one major and a few minor changes and omissions. Being driven and built primarily for the US market the gun sports a mandatory 16” barrel, to which a dummy moderator is wrapped around. Yes it adds weight and length, but does look marginally better than a skinny tube. This also translates to the UK requirement for a Section 1 large fi rearm to have a minimum barrel length of 12” and a minimum overall length of 24”.

Getting picky Walther could have lost 2” off the barrel without breaking UK law, but why would they, given their primary market? Conversely if the stock was fi xed and not folding you could go down to a 12” tube but that still means 4” sticking out in front of the barrel nut. That would be my choice as the folding stock, apart from stowage and cosmetics, has no real value!

Like the original the Walther is heavy at 7.7 lbs empty, and a lot of this weight seems to be made up of Zamak - a zinc-based alloy - much like GSG’s StG44. Steel components consist of the butt, skinny barrel and trigger mech. The bolt is a steel/Zamak conglomerate with a plastic cover (buffer) over the top. Unusually the pistol grip is all-polymer and features an Allen-headed adjuster in the base. A long Allan key is supplied and I presume you can adjust the trigger weight to a degree. Though I could detect no real difference when I tried.

Controls and features consist of a sliding/2-way safety catch

top left of the grip – forward FIRE and back for SAFE. At the base of the grip, again on the left is the mag catch, which is a push-in lever. Like the original the idea is ‘hands fi nd hands’ and the change is smooth and instinctive. Cocking is by a non-reciprocating handle on the removable top cover, it’s U-shaped much like the early Tommy gun so you can see through it onto the front sight. Further inspiration comes from the Colt 1911A1 pistol as the Uzi features a grip safety. As you make your hold the web of your hand automatically pushes the safety in so freeing the trigger.

Battlefi eld modifi cationThe butt folds up under the rear of the receiver and even with the long barrel/moddy it measures

26” butt to muzzle. Fully extended its 33.5”. It’s deployed by striking the heel of the butt downwards, which unlatches the whole assembly, then you just pull the linkage rearwards where it automatically locks into place. To stow squeeze the rear sections of the stock together and hinge it upwards, then press in the button by the sling loop (left side) and swing the whole thing down and forwards. With the front section parallel with the underside of the receiver swing up the rear where it will lock.

The fi rst Uzi’s came with a fi xed, wooden butt, which was not popular. It is said that Uziel Gal designed the new folding stock in two weeks and went around the IDF in combat changing them. Cool story!

The forend is polymer and quite short and it appears that

the dummy moddy and barrel nut are fi xed in position and non-removable. Removing the forend reveals a section of Picatinny rail for a torch or similar. Just behind this on the left is a large, QD sling swivel, which can be removed and positioned rear/right of the receiver. This was not possible on the original. Sights consist of a windage adjustable, L-fl ip, double aperture at the rear for 25 and 50-yards, up front is an M16-style rotary post for elevation. Both are set in large protectors, the base of the rear one incorporates the catch that allows the top cover to be removed for stripping.

Trigger pull is a mushy but reasonable 4-5 lbs. The main difference here is that the Walther Uzi fi res from a closed, blow back bolt with a separate fi ring pin, which is struck by a

Unlike the real gun the 22 copy does not use a telescopic bolt

The bolt system is easy to remove and access for cleaning unlike the

previous Colt Tactical and HK look-a-likes from Walther/Umarex

The Uzi (left) is a very specialised design and does not offer the versatility of the AR15-type 22 like this S&W M&P 15-22 (right)

firearms | walther

200 july 2013 | GUN MART View hundreds more gun reviews online at www.gunmart.net

hammer as opposed to the open bolt/fi xed fi ring pin of the 9mm military version. It also offers an automatic, last round hold open actuated by the empty magazine.

The Uzi comes with 2 x 20-round magazines as standard with external, pull-down lugs for ease of fi lling. The gun is well presented and comes with a comprehensive manual, though there is no mention of the long Allen key and trigger adjuster system.

Lock & loadTo load slap in a magazine and pull back and release the cocking handle, which will cycle/cock the action and chamber the fi rst round. The handle is automatically drawn forward and out of the way by a spring. Iron sights only, it’s accurate enough and able to produce 1” groups @ 25-yards with care and around 2” @ 50. Length of pull is generous at 16”, however, the position of the pistol grip means long or short arms are easily

accommodated. It’s heavy but this translates into a stable rifl e in the shoulder.

Reliability is always my concern with these guns and the Uzi did not disappoint as from 22 subs to HV it ate them all. I put about 400-rounds through it with only the usual ammo-related stoppages. Stripping is easy – cock the action and apply the safety. Slide in the catch at the front of the rear sight and

lift the rear of the top cover up and off. Next lift the buffer off the bolt, then pull the bolt all the way to the rear and lift it and the spring/guide rod out of the action. The pistol grip assembly is secured by a single cross pin at the front, push this out right to left and pull it off. As can be imagined cleaning is easy due to the access offered by the simple design.

So what do you do with the Uzi?In truth it’s a fun plinker and little else and much like the StG, and Chiappa M1 it’s not as versatile, nor does it offer the potential of the generic 22 AR15. However, the mandatory long barrel/moddy aside, it’s a superb reproduction of probably the most famous post war SMGs. Would I get one; only if I could get rid of that bloody awful dummy can...GM

The cocking handle is easy to get hold of and U-shaped so you

can use the sights

The Walther Uzi is a good copy, but I don’t like the mandatory longer barrel and heavy dummy moddy

Copy cat development or coincidence? The Czech VZ25 SMG, this too offers a telescopic bolt and mag through pistol grip layout and pre-daters the Uzi

Left side controls – note the grip safety

and simple mag catch; very much hands fi nd hands

Model Walther IWI UziCalibre 22 Long RifleCapacity 20 DM (two magazines supplied)Action Blow backBarrel 16”Length 33.5”Length folded 26”Weight 7.7 lbsPrice £540Contact Suffolk Rifle Co, 01473 730035

www.suffolkrifle.co.uk

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION