Experimental Micro?

[Brian06]

Hello All,

I recently got in a bunch of parts kits (11/01 here) from the Ministry of Defense in Israel. I have what looks like to be an experimental Micro Uzi, take a look and let me know if you know what this thing is.

Things I’ve noted:
-Takes a standard full size / mini barrel nut
-Thick receiver like a full size
-Full size barrel that has been cut down?
-Full size bolt that has been cut down?
-Grip stick is longer than any others (front to back)
-Odd selector
-No Stock or stock attachment points
-Sights are completely different than any other model
-Front trunnion different than other model

 

[Brian06]

Says “files are too large to upload,” can someone help me out?

 

[strobro32]

Either downsize pics to under 1mb or host the images elsewhere and link to them

 

[Hey]

Says “files are too large to upload,” can someone help me out?

Here you go…

 

[124NATO]

Well that's different! Looking forward to hearing about theses

 

[MeanSOT]

Patiently awaiting a drop in from Dave on this one

 

[StenAtopia]

The selector and charging knobs are cool. Sorta rounded and knurled. Never seen a kit like this. Must of built 7-10 micros in my life. This one is neat.

 

[Brian06]

Just in case anyone was interested, David had the parts kit for a little while and gave me some information on this:

I’ve looked over the parts carefully and have my own theory of what this is.

This gun was definitely not made on production tooling. It’s very roughly made. You can see that the teeth on the barrel nut are very rough and almost look like they were cut by hand. The slot cut in the top of the bolt is very rough. The top cover shows a lot of hand work. The fire control parts are standard but are very roughly made. The rear sight looks hand made.

At first I thought it was a prototype of the UZI Pistol or the Micro UZI, but now I see that is not the case. The bolt, barrel, and top cover are all longer than the parts for the Micro UZI but shorter than the full size UZI. The gun has two sling swivels but no provision for a stock. So the gun was not made to be shouldered, but apparently a sling was used to stabilize such a small gun firing full auto.

Here is what I think this gun is. In the late 1970s, IMI was prototyping smaller versions of the UZI. One became the Mini UZI, which was used in Israel in the late 1970s and began selling commercially about 1982. I think this is a prototype of an even smaller gun they made about the same time. You can see the serial number starts with 78. I know IMI sometimes used a date code, starting with the year, on some prototypes. If this serial number means it was made in 1978, that would fit the timeframe of the research on a smaller UZI. IMI never did anything with the gun at that time.

Then in about 1981, Action Arms in the United States requested that IMI make a pistol version of the UZI that could be sold to the civilian market. To fulfill that request, I think IMI went back to this prototype, borrowing many of the ideas but made it even smaller so it should be fired by hand like a pistol. So not really a prototype for the UZI Pistol, but an inspiration that led to the UZI Pistol (and later the Micro UZI). It’s really too bad this gun got cut up. I’ll see if anyone in Israel can confirm my suspicion

 

[atxtj]

Just in case anyone was interested, David had the parts kit for a little while and gave me some information on this:

I’ve looked over the parts carefully and have my own theory of what this is.

This gun was definitely not made on production tooling. It’s very roughly made. You can see that the teeth on the barrel nut are very rough and almost look like they were cut by hand. The slot cut in the top of the bolt is very rough. The top cover shows a lot of hand work. The fire control parts are standard but are very roughly made. The rear sight looks hand made.

At first I thought it was a prototype of the UZI Pistol or the Micro UZI, but now I see that is not the case. The bolt, barrel, and top cover are all longer than the parts for the Micro UZI but shorter than the full size UZI. The gun has two sling swivels but no provision for a stock. So the gun was not made to be shouldered, but apparently a sling was used to stabilize such a small gun firing full auto.

Here is what I think this gun is. In the late 1970s, IMI was prototyping smaller versions of the UZI. One became the Mini UZI, which was used in Israel in the late 1970s and began selling commercially about 1982. I think this is a prototype of an even smaller gun they made about the same time. You can see the serial number starts with 78. I know IMI sometimes used a date code, starting with the year, on some prototypes. If this serial number means it was made in 1978, that would fit the timeframe of the research on a smaller UZI. IMI never did anything with the gun at that time.

Then in about 1981, Action Arms in the United States requested that IMI make a pistol version of the UZI that could be sold to the civilian market. To fulfill that request, I think IMI went back to this prototype, borrowing many of the ideas but made it even smaller so it should be fired by hand like a pistol. So not really a prototype for the UZI Pistol, but an inspiration that led to the UZI Pistol (and later the Micro UZI). It’s really too bad this gun got cut up. I’ll see if anyone in Israel can confirm my suspicion

Well that is certainly cool. Hopefully it can be rebuilt, I would love to see that thing living again!

 

[dubagel]

I have some photos from the old IDF museum in Tel Aviv of their mini Uzi collection. They are not the best due to the glare from the plexiglass but I’ll email/message them to you if you want.

 

[Brian06]

I have some photos from the old IDF museum in Tel Aviv of their mini Uzi collection. They are not the best due to the glare from the plexiglass but I’ll email/message them to you if you want.

That would be awesome, PM incoming.

 

[Brian06]

Well that is certainly cool. Hopefully it can be rebuilt, I would love to see that thing living again!

I’m considering a few different things at the moment.
First, I could reverse engineer it and have parts kits made (that would be a REALLY expensive 5 year project). Second, I could sell it to a friend to build a post-sample. Third, I could put it up for auction.

 

[RoverDave]

I have some photos from the old IDF museum in Tel Aviv of their mini Uzi collection. They are not the best due to the glare from the plexiglass but I’ll email/message them to you if you want.

These are the Mini UZIs on display at the IDF museum in 2005 when I visited. They were all from the 1982 timeframe when IDF was prototyping various stock options as the gun was transitioning from an IDF weapon (in the late 1970s) to a commercially available product. They didn't have any original prototypes from the 1970s. Also a photo of Ingram M10/M11 they had on display

 

[MitchWerbellsGhost87]

These are the Mini UZIs on display at the IDF museum in 2005 when I visited. They were all from the 1982 timeframe when IDF was prototyping various stock options as the gun was transitioning from an IDF weapon (in the late 1970s) to a commercially available product. They didn't have any original prototypes from the 1970s. Also a photo of Ingram M10/M11 they had on display

Those Ingrams deserve their own thread in the MAC section… lots of interesting stuff going on with those.. and they are very early guns as well.. well the M10 is anyway, M11 not as much.