What year did Marushin start making the UZI?

*** Originally posted by banjoe ***

I have had to different models and noticed a big difference in the two. Does the older fire the newer cartridges? It seems the barrel and bolt on my older model was steel. If it was not steel it must have been a hard zinc?

*** Originally posted by mark ***

I think, but I am not quite sure that Marushin started to manufacture the Uzi in 1977-78. The first Uzi modelguns where set up to fire the paper caps. These early models had stamped steel lower grip housings instead of the later fragile ABS plastic housings. The older models did feature far harder zinc alloys as the Japanese government hadn't gotten involved quite yet into regulating the modelgun industries at the time. So, your early bolt/barrel is probably a little harder than most of the later parts. Besides the modelguns at the time that the early Marushin Uzis where being made where over built compared to the later mostly plastic modelguns.

*** Originally posted by banjoe ***

Thanks Mark. It seems from what I have seen they do not have much value maybe $300.00 max. You would think these old ones would be more valuable. Were the older models a reliable firing model? I had a newer version at one time that never would fire more than 2 or 3 without jamming.

*** Originally posted by mark ***

The early Marushin Uzis really are't all that much better than the newer versions. In fact, the best part of the earlier version is the stamped steel magazine housing. The earlier version has some "bogus" features that don't look right like the screw-on rear sight assy (4 exposed small slotted screws) and a different bolt etc.

The Marushin MP40/Uzi cartridges are a source of the problems that the Uzi experiances due to the lack of lubrication and the poor gas seal that the Marushin cartridges have at their screw on bottoms. The Marushin Uzi's bolt is a heavy mass of zinc that requires alot of retained gas pressure to blow it back and a somewhat heavy recoil spring to return it to battery. These work against the smooth operation of the Marushin Uzi...