The readership of "VO" clearly liked the series of articles on submachine guns, as evidenced by their comments. Even verbal battles ensued, which is significant. Their only drawback is the desire to quickly declare their knowledge and convict others of ignorance. Meanwhile, there is no absolute knowledge in principle. That is why in the text of articles in brackets are constantly given references to the materials of our own site, where the same samples were written either earlier, or … more. However, for some reason, many miss them. But overall, the discussion was very helpful. It is always important to look at the opinion of those who not only have an idea of the weapon, but also fired from it. And some comments simply ask to be inserted into the text, they are so capacious and at the same time exhaustive.
For example, here is a comment by a person under the nickname "Major Whirlwind":
“AKS-74U is a shortened version of the AKS-74 assault rifle for arming the crews of combat vehicles, aircraft, gun calculations, etc. It differs from the standard AKS74 assault rifle in more compact dimensions, a barrel shortened by 2 times and a lower weight. Uses a cartridge 5, 45x39 mm, standard for Soviet / Russian machine guns. All the disadvantages are the essence of the continuation of its merits. Why is it bad for its niche? Is it only because today such an assault rifle can be made even easier, with a different receiver design, better suited for various sights, installed optionally. Make the barrel even more tenacious, with better cooling. But in the 80s he began to enter the troops. Now, perhaps, they will replace it with a more modern one, which has so far only been exposed at exhibitions and presentations. For a standard submachine gun cartridge, what else can you think of compact and light?"
"Scorpion" is a convenient weapon and therefore marked the beginning of a new trend
Indeed, one cannot but agree with this, and this comment was chosen because it most closely matches the topic of this material. And we will begin to consider it by recalling once again that submachine guns of the 3rd generation, which appeared at the end of the war and the beginning of the 50s, for all their originality bore the imprint of … "old ideas", the main of which was the idea … universalization of weapons! So you have a rifle? There is! Well, let's add a carbine to it and … that's enough! The submachine gun appeared? OK! Let's make it lighter and more compact and … that's enough!
AKS-74U with folded stock
In the Soviet army, which completely abandoned the PP, this point of view just found its embodiment in the AKS-74U (See VO September 20, 2018). And, by the way, there was nothing wrong with that in the conditions of preparation for an all-out war for survival. One sample, one cartridge … one base. Everything is logical and justified from all points of view.
However, it was at the same time, namely in the late 60s - early 70s, that submachine guns of the 3+ generation began to appear, which differed from the previous models … let's say: "an increased level of specialization." So, in Czechoslovakia from 1961 to 1979, the production of submachine guns "Scorpion" vz.61 designed by Miroslav Rybazh began. Strictly speaking, it is more of an "automatic pistol" than a "submachine gun", but still it is customary to refer it to the latter, and not to the former.
At the time of the Warsaw Pact, this would be the only sample created for the American cartridge 7, 65 mm (7, 65 × 17 mm), chosen not by chance, but due to its low recoil, but soon there were samples under our 9 mm cartridge (vz. 63) and chambered for the 9-mm Parabellum cartridge (vz. 68). It turned out that his design easily tolerates all this. True, with a rate of fire of 840 rds / min. a magazine for 20 rounds was shot almost instantly. The barrel was leading up after 2-3 shots, but … when firing at point-blank range, all this turned out to be insignificant.
At close range, this sample of the weapon showed extremely high efficiency. It is not for nothing that he has become almost the “king” of sales on the black market. Everyone bought it: both "freedom fighters" (for example, fighters of the Palestine Liberation Organization loved it very much!), And "freedom fighters", and besides, they were armed with Czechoslovak tankmen and radar operators, helicopter pilots and signalmen. In addition to the Czechoslovak army, it was supplied to Egypt, Libya, Angola, Iraq, and even our famous anti-terrorist group "Alpha" at the very beginning of its existence also used it. It makes no sense to dwell on it in more detail, especially since the VO material about "Scorpion" was published on February 28, 2013 ("Scorpion Vz.61 submachine gun"). It is only important to note the trend - at last, more specialized PPs began to enter service than those that were before!
MAS-10 "Ingram" - a design in which there is nothing superfluous
Then again, you need to remember the saying that "everything bad, like good, is contagious." We do not know whether the American Gordon Ingram knew about the Czechoslovak "Scorpion" or "the idea was in the air," but he hurried to do something similar and did. Its MAC-10 was designed in 1964, but it began to be mass-produced only in 1970, and at the same time chambered for.45 ACP (11, 43x23) and 9-mm "Parabellum" (9x19) - M10 modifications. The M11 variant, in contrast to these two samples, was chambered for the 9mm Short (9x17) cartridge. The MAC company ceased to exist in 1976, and all rights of the Ingram submachine gun were transferred to RPB Industries Incorporated.
The front strap could be used as a means of restraint
Interestingly, the model turned out to be even simpler than the "Scorpion". The bolt runs on the barrel, the fire is both automatic and single. The bolt cocking handle is originally made, which also plays the role of a fuse, but is located on top and has a slot for aiming. It is enough to turn it 90 degrees so that it overlaps the line of sight, and it would be possible to immediately determine whether this PP is on the fuse or not. The wire stock is extremely primitive, but it is designed in such a way that it slides into the receiver. The sight is not adjustable, diopter.
Low weight, cheapness, powerful cartridges - all this spoke in favor of this submachine gun. But low accuracy due to strong recoil led to the fact that the military is currently not used by the Ingram. But a commodity is a commodity, and if it is, it means that it can be sold. And submachine guns of this type were sold even to Israel, as well as to the island of Taiwan, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and Spain, and in the United States themselves they were used by various special forces during the Vietnam War.
A standard Uzi, even with a folding stock, was a rather massive weapon …
By the way, in Israel they soon decided to follow the same path and in 1982 they released a modification of the "Mini-Uzi", and after it, in 1987, an even more compact model, "Micro-Uzi". The reason was the awareness of the need to specialize submachine guns to perform different tasks. So, for example, the full-size "Uzi" was heavier than the Soviet AKS74U or the German HK MP5 because of its thick walls near the receiver and a massive wooden butt, which is not always needed. For security units and intelligence officers, such a PP was too large, but its reduced versions, suitable for hidden wearing, turned out to be just right. However, any advantages are fraught with disadvantages directly related to them. The short receiver of the Mini-Uzi and Micro-Uzi caused an extremely high rate of fire - up to 1000-1250 rounds per minute, at which a 20-round magazine, for example, was fired from it in just a second!
"Micro-Uzi"
In order to somehow increase the mass of the shutter and reduce the rate of fire, the "Micro-Uzi" began to make it from a tungsten alloy, but it did not become less than 1200 shots with it. "Uzi" of various modifications were purchased by more than 30 countries of the world, up to the FRG, where under the designation MP-2 they were armed with the police and the Bundeswehr (until 1985, when they were replaced by MP-5), so that it is found very widely in all its variants … By the way, it is worth noting that the Soviet automatic pistol Stechkin, firing 9x18 cartridges, was, firstly, three times lighter than the Uzi (with a holster-butt, it weighed 1.22 against its 3.65 kg), shorter (length the first 270 mm and the second 470 mm), but also surpassed it in the accuracy of firing single shots. Although Uzi's shops are not only more capacious, but also in fact universal - they fit different submachine guns. Although it would be more correct to say that magazines from many submachine guns fit the Uzi.
There has even appeared a special "harness" complete with two "Micro-Uzi", which allows you to fire "like Macedonian" from two hands at once and literally flood the crowd of opponents with streams of lead simultaneously from two barrels!
By the way, he managed to mark himself already in the 4th generation of submachine guns. In 2010, the Uzi-Pro appeared on the arms market, which differs from the Micro prototype by improved ergonomics and the presence of a Picattini rail both on the receiver cover and on both sides of the barrel (or below the barrel). All this, according to the most modern fashion, allows you to "weight" this "baby" with all kinds of additional devices such as a laser designator, tactical flashlight, etc.
"Uzi-Pro"
