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Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PICS>

nitesite

Average Guy
Moderator
"Philanthropist"
Yep, you read that correctly.

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s OF Mossberg was the American importer for the famous UZI carbine/machine pistol. And they sold the UZI line of GALIL rifles, and the UZI Eagle pistol (of which I own an example).

Here is a .pdf file of the 1998 OF Mossberg Law Enforcement Products Catalog featuring UZIs of all shapes and sizes, as well as full-on battle rifles and the 590A1 lineup of fine shotguns!

http://files.uzitalk.com/reference/lite ... merica.pdf

So this is a fragmentary mention about part of "The Past" of Mossberg which probably only a few of you recall, with pics and a casual review. My pistol is a full-size UZI Eagle 941R SKU 80102 chambered in 9mm Luger. You can see it in the above linked catalog on page 10 I believe.

I bought this pistol NIB from my favorite LGS on August 2, 2001. Being a huge fan of the CZ line of pistols, I immediately recognized this Israeli-made pistol as being an almost direct clone or copy of the fine CZ 9mm combat fighting pistol. No pistol, other than one based on the CZ-75, feels so comfortable and natural in my hand.

uzi_eagle_1.jpg


Research shows that the Israeli Military wanted a pistol for their Defense Forces that was made on their soil, and they determined that the CZ-75 pistol was as good as it gets for a fighting pistol. So it was copied almost down to the last detail, but with a couple "modifications" for their particular needs.

Unlike the sleeker and sexier slide and dustcover of the CZ-75 which more resembles a Browning Hi-Power, the Israeli UZI Eagle has a full length dust cover to help prevent sand and dirt getting into the internal rails.

uzi_eagle_3.jpg


And the barrel is hard chromed inside and out, with polygonal rifling instead of conventional rifling.

The UZI Eagle was dictated by the Israeli Defense Force to be carried with an empty chamber so the rear sight is very tall in order to positively cock the action by pushing the pistol down on a boot heel, belt or any protruding object if the weak hand is otherwise busy. It has a beefy extractor mounted to the outside of the slide, and is a de-cocker model. This allows the hammer to safely drop with the firing pin blocked from striking the primer. These features place this pistol in the DA/SA category of semi-auto pistols whereby the pistol can be carried with a chambered round with the hammer down and the first trigger pull is double action, followed by every other shot being single action (think SIG/Sauer).

uzi_eagle_2.jpg


This is an all-steel 17 shot pistol, with quite a lot of heft to it. It's big, equalling the size of a 5" Gov't 1911.

uzi_eagle_4.jpg


As you can see by the owners manual, this gun was an OF Mossberg item during those years!

uzi_eagle_brochure.jpg


Who would'a thought Mossberg was thinking outside the box way back then? In fact, I like that they took that marketing approach better than a lot of todays hideous monstrosities.

9mm_UZI_Eagle_1.jpg


9mm_UZI_Eagle_2.jpg


And this pistol, as comfortable and well made as it is, shoots more accurately than practically any other semi-auto pistol I have ever owned. Eats every single round ever encountered, and never fails me.

Thanks for your time.

Dave (nitesite)
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Thanks for sharing that !!

Worthy of rep
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

That's awesome nitesite!

Great info. I know the pistol as the IMI/IWI Jericho 941 "Baby Desert Eagle", but never knew that Mossberg imported them at one time or that they were co-branded "UZI Eagle". These older models are highly valued by those that own them and are increasingly difficult to come by these days. After acquiring Magnum Research, Kahr Arms resumed importation of the model last year...

http://www.magnumresearch.com/Browse.asp
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

That is cool
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

This is really really really cool and I like it and now I need one of these too!!!

Thank you for sharing this with us! ... One thing troubling me though. You only just now thought this worthy of posting on THE PREMIER Mossberg forum!!! :lol:

:D
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

That is awesome and something I never knew. Definitely a cool bit of info.

DroidX Tapatalk
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Rossignol said:
One thing troubling me though. You only just now thought this worthy of posting on THE PREMIER Mossberg forum!!! :lol:

:D

So you think I should have brought out ALL my best stuph right out of the gate and then be left to just "run silent run deep" after that, with absolutely nothing left in my torpedo tubes to fire into the forum? :lol:

I gots to pace mah-self, you impatient Yankee!!!!!! :D
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Trivia Question:

What kind of chunky rock/gravel/stuff/mineral/ore is pictured in my 1st and 5th pics? First to answer correctly wins a prize!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

nitesite said:
Trivia Question:

What kind of chunky rock/gravel/stuff/mineral/ore is pictured in my 1st and 5th pics? First to answer correctly wins a prize!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it haydite?
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

nitesite said:
Rossignol said:
One thing troubling me though. You only just now thought this worthy of posting on THE PREMIER Mossberg forum!!! :lol:

:D

So you think I should have brought out ALL my best stuph right out of the gate and then be left to just "run silent run deep" after that, with absolutely nothing left in my torpedo tubes to fire into the forum? :lol:

I gots to pace mah-self, you impatient Yankee!!!!!! :D

You have a very good point...

OH! We're only yankees in the south. Anywhere north and east, we're rednecks and hillbillies. Go figure. :D

ps I love Alabama! I once drove the 11 hours to Mobile for a bulldog!!! Left right after a full day of work, picked up my dog then turned and headed back!

pss I have no clue the gravel or mineral pictured.
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Great little tid bit.....

My guess is lava/river rock. But with a bunch of spent lead mixed in....
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

ripjack13 said:
Great little tid bit.....

My guess is lava/river rock. But with a bunch of spent lead mixed in....

DING -DING - DING - DING - DING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a winner!

That is almost 100% recovered bullets from a berm I mined at an abandoned range. Nary a rock or pebble in there!

You win a surprise, my friend. I just have to think up something fun and useful. I'll be in touch, dude.

Good eye. Rip!
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Rip----

Can I send you some Mahogany wood? I have some 2"x3"x60" planed boards of which I can send you a chunk! It's pretty nice wood, nice deep color.
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

nitesite said:
Rip----

Can I send you some Mahogany wood? I have some 2"x3"x60" planed boards of which I can send you a chunk! It's pretty nice wood, nice deep color.

Sweet! That worked out great!

Oh! I asked my LGS owner if he had seen the UZI Eagle. He hadnt, but is now on the look out! ;)
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Learn sumptin' new everyday...!!

Thanks nitesite !!
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Pm'd you.

I was lookin over the pix and saw some that were curled over...like a fired shot at steel or something...and then i remembered you saying you went to the range and recovered a ton of spent lead.... ;)
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

I had owned an IMI Uzi back in 82 when they first started importing them. It was a tad heavy for what it was and I traded it for a colt SP1 about a year and a half later.

When Mossberg was importing IMI's. It was the Mini Galil that caught my interest. It was only available to LEA's at the time.
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Mossberg made (in North Haven, CT) the Mini - UZI SMG pistols under contract from UZI, they weren't imported, they were all shipped to the NYPD....

I don't know about the Galil or the pistols
 
Re: Did you know OF Mossberg once imported UZI pistols? <PI

Mylastrook said:
I had owned an IMI Uzi back in 82 when they first started importing them.

Are you talking about the original model A uzi's?

I have a buddy who owned a 1978 model A full size uzi. I'm pretty sure it was imported by Action Arms ~1979 IIRC
 
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