Centurion UC-9 (UZI)

[John A.]

As many know, I ordered a Century Intl. Arms semi auto Uzi last week. And this thread is to answer whatever questions you may have about it because there seemed to be a bunch in previous discussions.

I plan to pick it up sometime after UPS delivers it to the local FFL tomorrow and pics will follow.

I also plan to exchange the folding stock for one of the wooden fixed stocks because I like them better, but that may or may not be in the next few days because I have a lot on my plate and there are some mods to the stock I'll have to do to remain in compliance with NFA reg's and I may not have time to fit it to the receiver right off the bat.

I will do a quick function check with the gun straight out of the box (no nothing done to it) just to check how it's going to work. I'm going to take some lube with me, but I'm not using it unless I absolutely have to. Mostly because I want to see how reliable it's going to be in less than optimal conditions and with less attention than I would normally give one.

I don't really expect it to run very well with the Fed American Eagle 147 gr because of the flat tips due to the bullet itself and if it does I'll be surprised because they don't feed well in anything I have unless it has a single stack magazine (which the uzi isn't), and I also don't know how it's going to run with the hard primer TULA ammo either, but there's only 1 way to find out.

I also am going to run some Georgia Arms 147 gr round nose and some RN Remmy UMC 115's just so I will test a variety of different bullets and weights and styles to see if it dislikes anything.

I don't have a front sight tool, but I may be able to adjust them with a pair of bent nose pliers if they're off real bad.

I'm checking more for function than groups, but with any luck, with about 250 rounds of ammo to test, I may be able to take care of both.

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

Looking forward to updates John...

 

[John A.]

No problem LES.

Still waiting on the brown truck to make it to the pawn shop this morning, and since I've already rushed and finished my chore list that I had planned for today, I had a few minutes to spare and wanted to post up some more specifics on the gun.

Many of the parts in the UC-9 are Isreali IMI parts. Though, to comply with import restrictions, many of the parts have to be made in the U.S. to be 922 compliant. This goes for virtually all import guns that have been deemed "non-sporting" by one of the AG's from 1968 to present.

The Centurion UC-9 uses a receiver made from Global Machine and Tool LLC, located in Texas. They are known to be better quality out of the box than even the vector Uzi's, which use a receiver made by left over Group Industries stock that was sold during the bankruptcy proceedings. Not saying they're bad specifically, but there are many cases where it's documented that they've had their share of problems.

With that said, Vector has a 5 year warranty (compared to Century's 1 year warranty). But this topic isn't a bash against any other brand or for another. I just wanted to be open about some issues that do arise and there is a lot of brand loyalty out there. Again, not a bash against Vector, because they have made some nice clones too, I just felt that it was worth mentioning for full disclosure.

Anyway, here's some pics that I grabbed from Globals' facebook page of some receivers that I liked during various stages of making them.





wire edm cut machine



Some CNC equipment. Machining and engraving



View attachment 6535

 

[aksavanaman]

Christmas in September! I like the days when I'm so busy at work that i forget till the end of the day that I had a gun coming in... puts a smile on my face every time!

 

[John A.]

The carbine has arrived. No manual or paperwork was included whatsoever. Just what is seen here.

In looking at the buttstock, they staked the nut that is holding the stock on pretty well and looks like it is going to be a chore to remove. But I hate the folder, so it will happen. Just won't be today. Maybe by the weekend. Who knows.

The bolt is gritty with the top cover in place from the bolt riding along the bottom surface of the receiver cover (as its' supposed to), but I expected that being a new gun. It will smooth out with some rounds downrange and I may polish it with a cloth dremel wheel just to speed things along. It slides really smooth and almost effortlessly with the cover off. You can see the wear lines on the top of the bolt where they touch each other.

I have read some reviews that has said the barrel takedown pin or spring (or both) come out, but mine does not. Mine feels really good and like it should.

The barrel to receiver fit is exactly what it should be. I have not mic'ed it, but also do not see the need to.

The receiver/top cover mates up perfectly and square with the receiver.

I did look and the 16" barrel is not a chrome lined barrel. I have seen some aftermarket barrels with chrome lining, however, the IMI uzi submachineguns did not have chrome lining either.

The barrel chamber and feed ramp is smooth.

The semi auto trigger pack pin has been flared at the end to ensure that it doesn't walk out.

The barrel channel in front of the receiver is not rough and actually pretty smooth.

It does NOT have a bayonet lug, though with the 16 inch barrel, an uzi bayonet would be NONFUNCTIONAL anyway even if you were to install one because the barrel would protrude out farther than the bayo blade. But I would still like a bayonet lug because there are aftermarket rails that will attach there so you can mount a light or laser. As is, you would have to get a universal barrel mount rail to attach any kind of light.

Mags slid in and locked tight, even fully loaded and bolt closed, but pushing the mag release with a fully loaded mag is difficult to impossible to remove without pulling the bolt back. Effortless with an empty or partially loaded mag. I assume that it doesn't have a lot of clearance for obvious reasons and it may have been the mag itself because I only checked it with the ones I bought from RTG.com. But in reality, you don't really want a mag to be drooping down while you're firing it or cycling the bolt so it will pick up the rounds as it should.

Trigger pull is very heavy, and has some creep and grit. Hopefully, it will get somewhat better with use.

Besides a range report itself, is there anything else anyone is wanting to know about the quality of the gun or the parts or ????

 

[John A.]

About 240 rounds in all sent downrange and all went well. The only thing that exhibited failures was the flat tip ammo (though I suspected as much going into it).

Otherwise, not a single failure or cause of concern.

The sights are in need of adjusting. It is shooting about 4 inches low at 25 yards and the post is bottomed out with no more adjustment left, so I will have to file some of the top post off until it is where I want it. If I file too much, I can always raise the front sight until it's zero'd that way.

Quick video of it clanging some steel:

 

[John A.]

I was able to convert the folding stock to the fixed wood stock this morning. There are quite a few steps involved, but it's not terribly hard, though is a little time consuming if you want to do it right and does take some tools like a bench grinder, belt sander, drills, etc. Here are the basic steps courtesy of uzitalk. http://www.uzitalk.com/reference/pages/review-fixedstock.htm

I am going to share several pictures a description of what is involved in case anyone else is considering this, it's worth the extra effort as far as I am concerned because I like the wood stock better. The folder feels like you're getting whacked in the cheek, especially if you have a poor cheekweld when you pull that trigger.

I didn't show the steps drilling the hole through the qd stock metal mount, nor the grinding/milling the are where the new receiver nut is going in the hole in the back of the receiver.

I also didn't show the step that I had to do tapping the two front holes (1/4-20) because my stock was one of the early versions that had a different mounting method. To my knowledge, the newer ones are already threaded.

Once the stock mount is modified, I installed it on the receiver.

The next step was to slightly modify the wood stock itself so the new buttstock bolt would have enough clearance in the wood when you slide it in place. You may can see the recess that I sanded away with a small dremel sanding wheel.

Here are the two front screw holes that I mentioned tapping earlier and their purpose.

And the rear screw is obviously a wood screw that goes through the stock mount.

The end result is really solid and much more comfortable cheekweld than the folder and I like the "retro" stock better.

 

[aksavanaman]

Worlds better with that wood stock. Fantastic job John! Did you make that sling?

 

[John A.]

Thanks.

Yeah, I made the sling from some left over webbing strap I had laying around.

The reason for the buckle near the stock is so I can swap it out with one of my single points quickly on demand if I would rather go that route.

 

[old mossy]

Nice John.

Did you ever find out what they writing on the stock was?

 

[John A.]

Thank you very much.

No I haven't, but I'm keeping it on there despite the fact and I put a couple coats of lacquer over it just so it'll wear longer.

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

Nice work John.

Looks great...

 

[John A.]

Thank you very much. I'm quite impressed with the gun.

 

[tcecil88]

As usual, quality work, John, and very well executed. The new Uzi looks great.

 

[John A.]

Thank you for the compliment.

I just enjoy doing it.

 

[John A.]

Was able to take it out again for another 160 rounds this evening, and it's still going strong. That's pretty close to 400 rounds through it in total so far. Still haven't cleaned it, or even applied any lube to it yet. It's been taken straight out of the box and gunning.

The wood buttstock was SOOOO much better than the folder. It is a comfortable cheekweld now, rather than merely a place to put your jaw bone when you're firing the gun.

I had also mentioned before that it was out of elevation adjustment on the front sight, and this evening, I took my battery powered dremel with me while I was there and was able to grind the top of the front post now so that the gun is now shooting point of aim (rather than about 4 inches low as it was doing the last time I took it out).

Once it was shooting where I wanted, I backed up to 75 yards and could ring the 2/3rd USPSA torso target effortlessly, so it's now dialed in and ready for service.

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

Nice!

Glad to see you were able to get it dialed in...

 

[John A.]

Me too. I just had to use the little grinder/abrasive wheel and take a little of the front post off at a time and fire for effect, grind some more, until it was where I was wanting them.

I think it took all of 3 or 4 attempts, at about 8-10 seconds each time. Not much at all to get the POA/POI jiving together.

Afterwards, I put some yellow testors on the raw metal at the top of the post, pulled its' hair and slapped it and called it good

 

[oli700]

I'm so glad it turned out to be a solid shooter. Nice work mounting the stock, I sure like the folder though.....I just picture it without anything, you need two for that.....double wielding UZI's

 

[John A.]

Dual wielding uzi's.

Hmmm.

That would make me feel like I was playing Dueling Banjo's by myself.

The folder is not comfortable at all. If you like the way underfolder AK's and collapsible MP5 stocks feel sawing on your jawbone, you'd like the uzi stock doing the same.

If you like a good, solid cheekweld...look to something else.