If necessity is the mother of invention, the beginning of the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 was the mother of the UC-9. The State of Israel needed to consolidate its logistical nightmare of a small-arms arsenal into a single platform in order to arm itself against numerically superior Arab forces. Luckily for the imperiled fledgling country, Uziel Gal was ready to answer the call of duty . . .
When Gal was designing the stamped metal sub-gun that would become his namesake – an honor he was staunchly opposed to – he scarcely could have imagined that it would become one of the most iconic small arms of the 20th century with more than 10 million built. That’s not to say that the Uzi is the be-all end-all in terms of weapon design, but much like the AKM it “just works” which makes the Uzi infinitely better than any high-speed low-drag SMG that runs 80% of the time.
As a child of the 80’s I always saw villains wielding intimidating Uzis while wearing huge Ray-Bans, which to me at the time was the epitome of cool. After I finally joined the ranks of armed Americans I began my pursuit of an Uzi carbine to satiate my NFA urge without damaging my finances too badly. When I began my search, though, authentic Uzis hadn’t been imported for a good while. There are companies, such as Vector, that will send you an Uzi clone built from a parts kit, but it might not be in the price range of most Uzi enthusiasts. Uzists?
Century Arms sought to remedy this with their UC-9 “Uzi-like” carbine. It’s “Uzi-like” because the UC-9 doesn’t have full part interchangeability with Israeli Military Industries’ (IMI now IWI) Uzi Carbines. This isn’t a big concern to first-time buyers, but Uzi connoisseurs will likely steer clear of these. The UC-9 sports a matte gray phosphate finish, Model A type aperture sights, a grip safety and fires from a closed bolt.
Like its fully automatic cousin, the UC-9 is a blowback operated firearm, meaning gases from fired rounds are sent directly back to the bolt. Cycling speed being controlled by only its mass and the recoil spread. Just like other blowback operated firearms the action may be difficult for smaller individuals to charge and could result in unnecessary recoil. The former can post a problem for those lacking upper body strength, while the latter is a non-issue due to the combination of the UC-9’s tremendous weight and the light-kicking 9mm para cartridge.
I took the carbine out to my local range a grand total of 3 times firing 250, 350, and 500 rounds through it. Initially I went with the C4 mantra, “less is more” concerning lubrication but the UC-9 didn’t appreciate my minimalist tendencies. So much so that it would fail to feed about 20% of the time and of those failures 30% would have blown primers regardless of ammo type. After flushing out the carbine with MilPro7 and drying all components with a state of the art rag my shooting companion and I decided to drench the sub-gun look-alike with Milpro lube. It went from a 20% failure rate to about an 8% failure rate, with all failures originating from a blow primer.
After scouring the internet for clues I found that many people believed an out-of-spec firing pin could be the culprit. Fair enough. I didn’t have an original firing pin for comparison, but inspected the current pin for any glaring defects. I didn’t find one, but I did notice that the phosphate finish was applied a tad bit excessively on the internals of the gun, specifically on the feed ramp. At this point the UC-9 had over 400 rounds through it, which would have aided in polishing the ramp. I didn’t want to use my dremel to finish the job, so I decided to fire an additional 100 rounds through the gun. After close inspection I discovered the ramp was much smoother and the gun itself -having been re-lubed after the degreasing- was running successfully about 96% of the time. Any failures experienced at this point were magazine related.
Once I had the gun in working order I decided to check how accurate a fixed barrel close-bolt pistol caliber carbine could be. Firing from a rest at 50 yards using iron sights:
The faux-Israeli gal seemed to enjoy Federal American Eagle.
Despite what Arny in Commando would have you believe, handling the Uzi is heavy and awkward to shoot one handed, especially with a 16 inch barrel. The cheek weld with a folding metal stock is worse than folding Russian triangular AK stocks and requires some elbow grease to lock up. The controls on the UC-9, like all full-sized Uzis, are within reach of your primary hand. Except for the magazine release, which is located at the bottom of the pistol grip and is only accessible with the support hand.
I admittedly love all Israeli weapons and tend to have a predilection for them. That said, the UC-9, when purchased around the 500 dollar mark, represents an excellent bargain for someone wanting to get into the PCC game for fun or just wanting to scratch that subgun itch without breaking the bank. Keep in mind, the gun was rough internally and the trigger feels like dragging a well-oiled cinderblock across pavement. Thankfully the trigger pull is fairly short and breaks crisply.
Specifications:
Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
Barrel: 16”
Overall Length: 31.5”
Weight: 13 lbs. empty
Action: Closed bolt blowback
Finish: Grey phosphate coating, similar to Parkerization
Capacity: 10, 20, 32 (included) 40, 50 round box magazine
Price: MSRP – $899. Much cheaper in the wild (more like $599)
RATINGS: (out of five stars):
Accuracy: * * * 1/2
Acceptable accuracy for a pistol caliber carbine. Good enough for plinking, range fun, or home defense. Not much use outside of 100 yards.
Ergonomics: * * * 1/2
While heavy, the Uzi design employs the hand-finds-hand school of thought, making reloading a cinch. The grip-safety was stiff, though, and charging the bolt is exceptionally difficult with a jammed round.
Reliability: * * * 1/2
A thousand rounds fired with roughly 150 failures. Not great, but this rate dropped significantly after break-in and generous lubrication.
Customize This: * * * *
A major benefit of being derived from one of the most prolific designs in history means that your bank account is the biggest limiting factor for customization. Some of the cooler options, like a giant tac light from the ’50’s are extremely expensive.
Overall Rating: * * * 1/2
There are better designs out there that weigh less and are more ergonomic than the UC-9, but they are generally more expensive. For pure cool factor though, it’s tough to beat an Uzi. A heavy, impractical little blaster whose iconic lines will get you more looks at the range than an AR ever would.
This shows that pro-2A people are motivated and organized. Bodes well for the 2014 election. If you can recall a Senator with more votes than they originally received, even with the other side pouring in money and using every dirty trick in the book, then they should be able to win some seats.
I feel as if we need to build a large wall around the city, not for our safety, but their own. The walls in Mayberry on the Walking Dead kept the walkers out and the people stayed in blissful ignorance. If the people left, they’d die very quickly. If most of these snobby sheepish NY types ever left the city they’d be completely at a loss. Lets do our part to save NYC by petitioning for a wall around the city, so they cant hurt themselves and so their Hitler-esque policies cant spread and infect the rest of us “yokels” in the rest of Amerika, remember, its for the children.
Wow,the HK fans really came out swinging on this. Personally, I’ll continue to limp along with my Franken-AR and my Walther. Whether I suck and HK hates me or not, none of what I can (or want to) afford to own from them feels good in my hand. That said, the first sub gun I ever fired was an MP-5, which felt excellent.
I stopped reading when you wrote that it had a 96% success rate. That’s 100% FAIL for anything other than a water pistol.
30 years ago HK offered me a job at the san fran SHOT Show, they were a viable Design and Mfg Co. back then but when I was told that once hired I could Never expect horizontal transfers with-in the Co. I passed.
This looks like a poorly designed AG implement
Whne they come for your guns give them to them one bullet at a time.
A “simple” blowback weapon like the Uzi or, say, a .22 or .380 pistol, uses the combination of the bolt weight and the spring strength to keep the bolt closed until the gas level has dropped to a safe level. It is the recoil energy that is sent directly back to the bolt: the gases go out the other end where they belong.
The way it is phrased above makes it sound like it uses the direct-impingement mechanism of the AR-15 rather than something much simpler and more reliable.
Is it just me or does it look like the $300 Hi-Point 9mm carbine.
I have a 250 count box of .45ACP – in my hand. Lord only knows what the LA Times would call that.
Although I do not agree with this action at all I am finding it hard to feel sorry for the people of NYC. THEY keep electing Communists to run their government then they are surprised when they want to take away your right to protect yourself. And believe me they have some real goodies in store for you once they get your protection. I suggest you move YESTERDAY out of NYC or start a citizen movement to get rid of the Communists running the city. Where were all these people when DeBlasio was running for office. What did they do to stop this Communist from being elected?? Probably too busy watching the football games.
Hahaha…dont look in my closet, your mind will explode
i really doubt 1st time semiauto buyers are the target audience in mind for this rifle, but people of the gun seeking alternative options, or to simply add to one’s collection. (this would look great in the safe next to my hk93 and my ptr 91).
this is a cool new design that will get alot of attention considering that there are SO many ar’s out there.
Take your regulation and shove it up your ass. Happy Thanksgiving.
how do i know if my entry was received? i emailed it last week and never got a response from anybody. is it an unmanned email account?
IF YOU WANT TO HANG THIS GUN ON YOUR WALL, BUY IT. IF YOU WANT A GUN THAT SHOOTS, AND SHOOTS EVERY TIME, THEN DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. THE MAGAZINES THEY COME WITH DO NOT FUNCTION, MISFEED AND COMPLETELY JAM THE WEAPON. (THEY FAILED TO FEED 8 TIMES IN 40 ROUNDS, I GAVE UP AFTER THAT)THEIR DEALER, KELLY ENTERPRISES IN KEY WEST DOES NOT BACK UP THE WEAPONS. THEY TAKE YOUR MONEY AND TELL YOU TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER-AND THEY TELL YOU TO SHIP TO THEM THE GUN- IN THE MEANTIME YOU HAVE NOTHING AND GET NOTHING IN THE END. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME THESE PEOPLE ARE. IF YOU WANT AN UZI THEN BUY A REAL UZI, NOT THE VECTOR PIECE OF JUNK.
Um. Caps lock on the lower edge of the keyboard. It’s not the dealer’s fault btw, they sold you the product you wanted, don’t punish them for your poor decision.
I whole heartedly disagree with this review. I bought one a couple months ago on a whim after jot finding what I really wanted. I bought 400 rounds at the same time. No lube or work done and first time shooting I went thru 325 rounds without a single malfunction or even realizing I had almost up all my ammo. It shoots so smooth and light. It is heavy as all hell. And stock can be a pain in the ass to fold. But other than that im innlove with this rifle.
Every picture has the ugly barrel clipped, and reliability sucks, it’s heavy, and you gave it 3.5 stars across the board? WHAT? Someone got paid for this article somehow.
This article is reinforcement for having decided to go with a Kel-Tek Sub 2000 as my PCC buy. I understand that many love to hate Kel-Tek, and I freely admit that it is the only Kel-Tek product I have bought; however the S2K I bought (S&W 59 mag set-up) NIB for $425 has been absolutely reliable and very accurate with Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Tula and Wolf new manufacture and Freedom remanufactured 115 gr fmj ammunition. It also folds up very conveniently for storage and travel. If one can deal with a tube type stock, then why not go that way? Another even more economical alternative would be one of the Hi Point PCCs which so many actual users seem to like so much. Either way the price difference could be put into ammunition or another firearm. What price empty panache?
The one I purchased in Sept 2014 has been 100% reliable with every round nose bullet that it has been fed (115, 124, 147, and 158 grain). I have fired cheap Remington UMC, Georgia Arms reloads, Prvi, even hard primered Tula and Wolf with no problem whatsoever.
Due to the feed angle from the double stack magazine that the uzi uses and barrel chamber profile, does not feed flat tip or steep angle hollowpoints well, but is to be expected. These guns, not unlike other subguns, were designed for the original 9mm round nose bullet taper so that is what works best in them.
Also, can you please explain exactly what you meant by the term you used in the article “uzi like”?
That is very misleading to people who do not know the history of the closed bolt semiauto uzi’s. That implies that these are somehow different than other semi auto uzi’s and they are not so I would appreciate a direct reply of how they are different.
Mine is like the semi auto Action Arms (imi import) guns from yesteryear, with the exception that Century modified the bayonet lug to “postban” configuration. While it would be nice to have a standard bayonet lug to be able to use certain light mounts and such, the absence of a proper bayonet lug is not a deal breaker for me because the 16 inch barrel would stick out beyond the end of the bayonet anyway, so unless you go through the hassle of SBR’ing it, is futile at best.
Also, many of the parts that are on this gun are IMI parts. Aside from the bayonet lug, everything is interchangeable with semi auto IMI parts. Or Vector Parts, or any other parts that are to spec.
There must be some U.S. made parts to comply with stupid import laws, so again, that is to be expected as well.
The receivers themselves are made by Global Machine and Tool in the great state of Texas and the one I have is in spec to within .004″ which is well within IMI protocols and even better than many Vectors that used the old Group Industries receivers I have come across over the years.
If you are trying to compare this “Uzi like” closed bolt semi auto to an open bolt full auto gun, that just shows your ignorance of the history and subject matter because ATF deemed that it was too easy to convert an open bolt semi auto to a full auto back in the ’80’s and every semi auto uzi made in the states or imported since have all been this same closed bolt design that you get with the UC9.
Thank you for this very informative article. As of last night, I had a hard-on for one of these and was going to get one. Now, I will go to Texas on this one…..”El-Passo!”. The guy who talked about the Drako I can agree with. I will go with the mini-Drako that I was planning on before this bright idea. I have four AK-type pistols currently and they are ALL 100 % reliable. Thank you again for not letting me waste my money on this one.
First off, century has, and does make high some high quality weapons. But you get what you pay for. I guess everyone has forgotten about the m70-ab2 they built with both fixed and wire underfolder. They came built from yugoslavian rpks, (Trunions and bolt/carriers too) with chrome lined or hardened barrel nothing adultered. No welded muzzle nut, no tapco fckd trigger group, bolt carrier cam still in place. These guns were and still are running around 800-1100. If you can find one someone wants to sell. Having said that, having bought many CAI builds, Generally, the lower the price the more “work” you need to do to your gun. Alot of thier ugly long barreled weapons are MEANT to be cut down, gutted, fine tuned and have the import regulations taken out of them. It is my opinion that you should not buy rough finished or cheap firearms without having the express understanding that they need to be tuned. Its like buying a mustang because you like the new shelby cobra, but complaining because you bought the v6 model.
First off, century has, and does make high some high quality weapons. But you get what you pay for. I guess everyone has forgotten about the m70-ab2 they built with both fixed and wire underfolder. They came built from yugoslavian rpks, (Trunions and bolt/carriers too) with chrome lined or hardened barrel nothing adultered. No welded muzzle nut, no tapco fckd trigger group, bolt carrier cam still in place. These guns were and still are running around 800-1100. If you can find one someone wants to sell. Having said that, having many CAI builds. Generally, the lower the price the more “work” you need to do to your gun. Alot of thier ugly long barreled weapons are MEANT to be cut down, gutted, fine tuned and have the import regulations taken out of them. It is my opinion that you should not buy rough finished or cheap firearms without having the express understanding that they need to be tuned. Its like buying a mustang because you like the new shelby cobra, but complaining because you bought the v6 model. PS century is actually very good about taking your out of spec gun and fixing it if you have out of the box issues.
Have to say I am very disappointed in mine. Out of the first 100 rds. I had 38 fte and 10 ftf. I have tried several different brands of ammo in this thing and so far the only thing that has given even close to reliability is 124 gr. nato american eagle and still had 5 ftf out of 50. Unacceptable! Called CAI and all they could do was recommend a gunsmith in their AO that “might” be able to do something. I admit, the “cool” factor had some to do with buying this, but cool went out the window when reliability did, too. Debating whether or not to keep it and just load my own ammo. Did do a little research and found this thing is supposed to work better with ammo velocity above 1140 fps. but for some reason none of the stores around here even carry 124 nato. The one box I shot was given to me. Might just be better trading it for a buttload of ammo!
I bought one this year for 600, the going rate around here. It’s a dead ringer for my 1983 IA full auto. The only visual difference is the grooved bolt on the UC-9, the longer barrel, and my UC’s bolt cover looks slightly different. The UC even has a 3 position selector, but it’s blocked for the auto position. I oiled it, and blew through a box of Wolf 9mm (100 rounds), with 3 jams. When I switched over to Winnie FMJ, there were 0 jams in 500 rounds. It is a novelty gun, no doubt. In semi-auto, you really just have a 13lb Glock. It’s still fun to shoot, and nice to carry on you ATV when you’re out in the woods.