Uzi Carbine and Pistol Tee

The Uzi is back on the grid (literally).

Featuring a faithful recreation of Action Arms’ 1984 promotional image, these screen-printed tees commemorate the most prolific gun poster of all time — capturing just about everything that made the 80s great. Want to make a gun look futuristic? Slap it on a neon-blue, laser-grid background, and give it a font suitable for a space opera.

The story of the Uzi basically is one — complete with an unassuming protagonist, multiple wars, attempted assassination, dramatic betrayal, and the most important part of any science-fiction story: trade negotiations.

(Brochure Cover by Action Arms)

State Wars: Episode I

Our story opens in the distant future of 1948 with a nation, a man, and a gun. It is a period of war. The State of Israel had been established in May, immediately escalating into the First Arab–Israeli War. That same year, Uziel Gal, a German-born Israeli, designed a new weapon — a new submachine gun that would be adopted by the Israeli military in 1951 — the Uzi. Uziel didn’t want the weapon to share his nickname, but because it was so friggen’ fun to say, nobody could be convinced otherwise.

(IMI Uzi factory, 1950s)

Lost in Space

While the Uzi saw use in the Suez Crisis of 1956, there was little outside interest in the weapon at the time. It remained anonymous — lost in the vacuum of these regional conflicts. The Uzi didn’t make much progress overseas until the Vietnam War, when the CIA began looking for quality submachine guns that couldn't be linked to America. This saw around 3,000 Uzis pressed into covert warfare — manufactured under license by FN Herstal and distributed by Browning. The Uzi eventually spread to the US Secret Service, including the Presidential Security Detail in 1968, but despite these inroads, it was still a niche weapon with no commercial market. Then Uzi came to America...

(An American Vietnam veteran hired as a security guard in Rhodesia by ranchers poses with his Uzi)

The 1970s: An Arms Race Odyssey

Uziel Gal relocated to Philadelphia in 1976 seeking better medical treatment for an ailing family member. This saw him join Action Arms, a gun manufacturing company led by Harry Stern, who quickly began pestering Uzi for a semi-automatic (commercial) version of his design. Uzi was reluctant to embrace this idea, so Stern went around him and had Israel Military Industries (IMI) draft one instead. The result was so half-assed and easily convertible to full-auto that the ATF promptly shut it down. Realizing his design was going to be adjusted with or without his consent, Uziel relented and successfully made a semi-auto carbine version of the weapon (the Model A), securing only 5% royalties on its sales — far below the average for the time.

(President Reagan’s Secret Service, 1981)

A New Scope

The 1980 unveiling of this model was a larger success than could be anticipated, with 7,000 selling at the show itself. Public interest was further propelled by the 1981 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, whose Secret Service agents were famously publicized as drawing Uzis to protect the President (pictured above). Over 30,000 semi-auto Uzis would sell in the first three years, propelled by the fame of this incident. Action Arms further embarked on an extensive marketing campaign through brochures, posters, and print advertisements. The iconic 1984 graphic on our shirts marked the release of the pistol version (Mini Uzi) and the Uzi Model B. The Model B added firing pin safety, and revised its sights for accuracy — adding windage and elevation adjustments.

(Renowned Cover by Action Arms)

Negotiations Are Cut Short

After selling over 70,000 models from 1980–1989, the reign of the Uzi was cut short by the the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Since manufacturing had been done by the IMI in Israel, the AWB's import bans effectively cut off Action Arms’ inventory. The company slumped, unable to recover from this blow.

However, fate had one final twist in store — a grand betrayal. The climax of this story saw a showdown between Uziel and Action Arms' Stern, who had reneged on his promise to pay Uzi’s royalties for the last nine years, leaving him almost destitute. This led to a four-year battle until a court order finally intervened. Uzi  was granted 10% royalties on every prior sale, plus additional punitive fees.

With that, the story of the Uzi came to a close. All the characters involved are now fading into the past, but the gun has a legacy of its own. In popular culture, in war zones, and in the hands of private collectors all over the US... 

Specs

• 100% cotton
• Mid weight 4.3 ounce fabric
• Rib-Knit Crew Neck
• Double needle sleeves and hem

Sizing

These tees have fairly standard sizing. In general, you should be able to go with the size you normally wear. Compare with one of your favorite shirts to verify the fit.