Real Group Industries Build? Please help a newbie to the UZI world! :)

[saigaguns]

Hello everybody! I'm Nick and I live in NW Montana. I have several different types of weapons but never knew much about Uzi. I had a lot of fun with a m-11 and my buddy told me I should consider an Uzi.

Well, one has come up in the paper and it turns out to be a Green Uzi made by Group Industries. I have done some research and it seems like this was the best source or information. The serial number is in the 500247-819 i think. I talked to the guy about it and he said it ends in three hundred so maybe its marked 500300? I assume the dash is for the last three numbers 247 248 247 all the way to 819 right?

I know there are thousands of receivers out there by GI. Is there a way to tell that it was made by GI? I will be looking at it tomorrow.

Green parkerized carbine, 6 magazines carbine folder with the long barrel. marked GI. 1200 rounds 9mm all for $1400 dollars. Seems kinda high? I dont know.... You guys eat and breathe the Uzi. I don't know much about them.

I don't really know what to offer him. 1200 rounds is nice plus the 6 mags... I just dont want to buy a cheap build on a GI receiver if you know what I mean...

Thanks for all your help in advance!

FIX BAYONETS!

Nick

 

[saigaguns]

this is the thread i looked at earlier with the serial number thing... posted by officer960

http://www.uzitalk.com/forums/showthread.php?4377-PRE-or-POST-I-need-your-help!&s=

 

[saigaguns]

this one also helped me. i know that vector stamped theirs and made a few without their mark on them....

http://files.uzitalk.com/reference/pages/receivermarks.htm

Have any of you ever seen a green group industries buit uzi?

 

[saigaguns]

odd! inventory from the bankrupt sale... http://www.titleii.com/bardwell/group_auction.txt

 

[RoverDave]

Nick, welcome to the site.

The serial number you list makes it likely to be an original Group Industries build. Serial number range isn't a 100% guarantee but a good indicator. Most of the Vector guns are stamped Vector, so the absence of a Vector stamp is also a good indicator (but not a 100% guarantee). The original GI guns appear to have a green finish, but it's really the green grips that give you that impression. Everything you said is consistent with it being an original GI gun.

That being said, the price does seem high. Functionally the gun is no better than a Vector gun. There are fewer GI semi-autos around so you could argue it's worth more, but there isn't any significant collector value associated with them. You'd be better off buying a Vector and your own ammo.

 

[saigaguns]

thanks for your help rover! what should I offer the guy? he's coming over tomorrow to let me inspect it. i don't need the 1200 rounds but the 6 magazines would be nice!

i appreciate your help and will be donating a little paypal money to the site. even though paypal is anti gun and sucks more than ebay!

here is a really cool article i just found. probably old to yall. its about vectors relationship with mr brown and the group industries receiver!

http://www.kellyenterprises.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=7

have a good one! nick

 

[RoverDave]

That article is also here in the UZI Talk library (with the proper credit to where it was published.)

A new Vector semi-auto and 6 magazines shouldn't cost over $900. Unless you're a collector that wants an original GI, there's no reason for you to pay extra for it. I'm not sure how much factory ammo is going for now. Shouldn't be over $25/100 so that means the 1200 rounds would be worth $300 tops. I wouldn't offer more than $1200 for the whole thing.

 

[sirwillett]

Bought my Vector UZI new 2 months ago new for $695 and six 32 round magazines For $62.

 

[G43 Nut]

$1050 would be my max, with care and patience you can get a new vector 6 mags and ammo for that price.

 

[saigaguns]

Thanks for all your help! The seller came over and showed me the rifle. She was beautiful! It had a greenish tint to the finish. It was in excellent condition. I believe him when he said it was only shot a handful of times. The only imperfection on the weapon was were the front hand guard (green) had a few ribs damaged from the barrel hitting against it from X pattern storage inside the old black pelican type waterproof case. Three of the magazines also matched the color of the rifle and the other three were black. The magazines all had a pentagon on them? Or maybe it was a star. Forgot already. His presentation was impressive but not enough to fool me. I am very fortunate that you guys are here or I would have forked over the 1400 just because I liked it that much. The ammo he offered was smartly displayed in SKS bandoleers but was cheap chink green box ball ammo from norinco double staked into the pouches. He cleverly showed me a black and white box of norinco. I would never shoot chinese ammo out of a weapon I appreciated. Even if it was free. That stuff smells like 500g fireworks! It was very nice of the man to stop by on his way back from selling an sks up near the boarder. It saved me a trip to Kalispell. I called him back the other day and offered 850 for the case, weapon and 6 magazines. He said it was going in the paper again this week.... www.mountaintrader.com and he would call me if nobody purchased it. I hope to get a call on it! I figured I would offer him 100 bucks more than my cost for a brand new Vector Uzi. I found one locally for 750 so the novelty of the original GI is worth 100 bucks minus the front guard ding. Anyway, I hope it all develops.

Thanks again for your time G43 and Rover!

Fix bayonets!

Nick

 

[nirvana]

When the AW ban went through, there were only aboput 120 Group guns that could be pre-ban.

The ATF actually came by GI and inspected the guns. Only guns that were complete (ie, had all major parts) were ruled pre-ban. While there were thousands (literally, thousands) of receiver shells stamped, the ATF determined that an assault weapon was actually a configuration, not a serial numbered reciever. Thus, the 120 (maybe 125?) guns that could be assembled as assault weapons were actually allowed to be preban.

These guns were layed out in rows for inspection, and then given the sign off. Thus, while it doesn't matter anymore since the sunset of the ban, only about 120 preban Group Guns exist.

 

[David Hineline]

The AW ban matters in states that still have it. Nroinco is some of the best made.

 

[nirvana]

The AW ban matters in states that still have it.

Very good point, that always escapes me cause I don't live in one of those states. To be honest, I dont know how one could tell pre-ban from post-ban on these. Perhaps the presence of a bayonet lug? I'll see what I can find out.

 

[SaigaJunkie]

I got her! He wanted 1400 for it plus 1200 rounds of crap chinese ammo. I told him it was not an Israeli Uzi and that I could get a new vector for 750. I offered him 850 since it was nice and kinda rare. He made his money and I'm very happy to have it. It maybe has 100 rounds down range. This was made by Mr. Brown and is #500371 I figured out the problem with not being able to post so hopefully i can figure out the photo thing! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

 

[RoverDave]

Looks nice. Congrats!

 

[GOLDWING]

Nothing like that new UZI smell and feel....................Just wait till you shoot it, you will be hooked.

 

[REDHORSE]

I bought my factory GI 9mm UZI in Oct '93, serial # is in the 5008xx range. It's been a perfect carbine, somewhere between 15k-20k rounds through it.

Early on I had a broken ejector and a broken spot weld in the collapsible stock. Stock was sent in and replaced/fixed by GI. No other issues since then. I've only replaced the sear with an IMI semi-auto sear just as a precaution.