Do gangsters really use UZIs in real life?

[Golden Hound]

I just watched "Gran Torino." Like most of Eastwood's recent movies, it was depressing and demoralizing. But I did notice that at least one of the gangsters in it had a fully-automatic Uzi submachine gun.

Now, I realize that full-auto weapons are hardly ever used by real-life gangsters, but the Uzi in particular strikes me as particularly outlandish. Doesn't one of these things cost like nine thousand dollars? It has to be imported from Israel and it has to be full-auto to begin with instead of something that was converted to full-auto illegally. I can't imagine that any gangster would even be able to afford one, even on the black market.

Am I correct?

 

[Treo]

I don't know there's a lot of profit in crack

 

[seale]

I just watched "Gran Torino." Like most of Eastwood's recent movies, it was depressing and demoralizing. But I did notice that at least one of the gangsters in it had a fully-automatic Uzi submachine gun.

In that scene, it's a full auto M11 "mac," not an uzi

To answer the question of the thread, yes but not much. Back when uzis and their copies were actually available, of course some bad guys bought a few. The bigger issue here is how the media and hollywood lie through their teeth about uzi equaling full auto. UZIs have been next to impossible to convert to full auto for a long long time.

 

[hankdatank1362]

And yes... they have MACs. Lots of them.

 

[Frog48]

In reality, "gangsters" use whatever they can get their hands on. They're not too picky, particularly when the guns are free (aka stolen).

 

[rocpyro]

Like ANYONE on this forum actually knows what gangsters use for weapons. Well, nevermind, there are some cops on here.


PS, don't look to hollywood for accuracy on anything related to firearms.

 

[Golden Hound]

It's definitely an Uzi, although a Mac is shown later in another scene.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Let's see what the USDOJ has to say on the subject.

Many people here could tell you, based on empirical evidence and personal experience, what types of firearms both wannabe's and true gangbangers prefer.

MACs and TECs are always a favorite, but they're probably more likely to be semi-automatic. Why? they're cheap, plentiful (easily stolen), and look like a real "gangsta gun!" Doens't matter that they're jamo-o-matics.

Also favored are the Lorcin-Jennings-jiminez "ring of fire" pot metal guns (cheap and plentiful), as well as GLOCKS (especially the nines and the fotays) and rugers (cheap, fairly plentiful.)

 

[ZombieHunter]

you can still buy semi macs/tecs?

 

[Golden Hound]

Manufac- Number
Rank turer Model Caliber Type traced

1 Lorcin P25 .25 Pistol 3,223
2 Davis
Indus-
tries P380 .38 Pistol 2,454
3 Raven
Arms MP25 .25 Pistol 2,107
4 Lorcin L25 .25 Pistol 1,258
5 Mossburg 500 12G Shotgun 1,015
6 Phoenix
Arms Raven .25 Pistol 959
7 Jennings J22 .22 Pistol 929
8 Ruger P89 9 mm Pistol 895
9 Glock 12 9 mm Pistol 843
10 Bryco 38 .38 Pistol 820

Hahaha!!! My favorite guns.

In the 1991 BJS Survey of State <**>Inmates, about
8% of the inmates reported that they had owned a
military-type weapon, such as an Uzi, AK-47,
AR-15, or M-16. Less than 1% said that they
carried such a weapon when they committed the
incident for which they were incarcerated.

...

Two studies indicate higher proportions of
juvenile offenders reporting possession and use of
assault rifles. The Virginia inmate survey also
covered 192 juvenile offenders. About 20%
reported that they had possessed an assault rifle
and 1% said that they had carried it at the scene
of a crime.

...

In the Sheley and Wright
study, 35% of the juvenile inmates reported that
they had owned a military-style automatic or
semi-automatic rifle just prior to confinement.

Can you say, "lying little bastards?" The younger they get, the more of them have owned assault rifles? Right. More like, the younger they get, the more likely they are to just lie about it to try to sound badass.

 

[expvideo]

you can still buy semi macs/tecs?

Absolutely. In fact, they're pretty cheap. But would you really want one? The only thing they're good for is street-cred and looking like a badass. That being said, they do look pretty cool. Maybe I'll buy one.

 

[Golden Hound]

I think they look kind of cheap, and for the amount of money one of them would cost, there are a lot better guns you could buy.

 

[JImbothefiveth]

Glock 12

I've never heard of a glock 12. Maybe they mean 17?

 

[Just Jim]

The real gangster in the country are useing pens, paper and computors to rob us.:banghead: but we voted them in

jj

 

[John828]

UZIs are pretty dang heavy. Maybe that's why the pants are around their knees.

 

[novaDAK]

Doesn't one of these things cost like nine thousand dollars? It has to be imported from Israel and it has to be full-auto to begin with instead of something that was converted to full-auto illegally. I can't imagine that any gangster would even be able to afford one, even on the black market.

They cost many thousands of dollars to those willing to abide by the law (aka, us, the law abiding gun owners). Why would a thug/criminal think twice about stealing one? Or converting one to full auto?

If you steal enough from people's homes and cars, or sell enough crack, you'd be able to afford a full-auto uzi (illegally).

 

[Justin]

I'm pretty sure gangsters in real life use Uzi's all the time. I saw it in the movies, after all.

 

[natecade1]

I am not sure what kind of weapons were used, but I do know that when I was shot at in a drive by shooting last year two out of the three guns used were full auto.
I didn't take the time to look to identify the weapons, I just ran/dove for cover. I do know that all the casings picked up by police were 9 mm though.

So if that helps, then I can assure that at least some gansters use full auto.

 

[Just Jim]

Uzis are too heavy and have too slow of cycle rate. Criminals are lazy to begin with so they are not apt to carry heavy guns.

jj

 

[Titan6]

According to the ATF "Assault Weapons" of which the MAC and Uzi belong according to the ATF are used in approximately 4% of crime in the US. Certainly gangsters account for part of that 4%.

 

[Grassman]

A lot of this is perpetuated by rap music of the late 80's and early to mid 90's. Which was all about image and not much fact.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have read that many Uzis recovered from drug crimes in Florida came from the middle east via the same blackmarket routes as the drugs. Trafficking in stolen, bribed or diverted military and police weapons is an international crime problem. Uzis and AKs are an underworld currency.

There is another problem: any crime scene with multiple 9mm empties becomes an Uzi massacre in the press.

Uzis are used but they probably were not legally imported, purchased or owned. And not all "Uzis" in the news are Uzis in reality.

 

[seale]

It's definitely an Uzi, although a Mac is shown later in another scene.

No. There are no uzis in Gran Tourino. Watch it online if you need to (I have).

Like ANYONE on this forum actually knows what gangsters use for weapons.

Why? It's easy to figure out what the gangstas are using. The current gangsta culture (what they call music) is all about the Glock .40. Plus the fact that uzis, especially new ones, are almost nowhere in the marketplace, plus

 

[denfoote]

Gangsters use Uzi's only in Hollyweird and Gov. Terminator's gun ban wet dreams!!

 

[Gunnerpalace]

He is one I found

In 1980, when Miami's homicide rate was at an all-time high, less than 1% of all homicides involved machine guns. (Miami was supposedly a "machine gun Mecca" and drug trafficking capital of the U.S.) Although there are no national figures to compare to, machine gun deaths were probably lower elsewhere. Kleck cites several examples:

Thought I would throw that out there.