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Zeke Uzi Metal Body


Jett

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It’s finally arrived! A large (but light - more later) brown box with my address on it!

All the way from Japan via Oswestry, the Zeke metal-body kit for the TM Uzi has been on my wish-list for nearly a year and after an age of searching I finally have one, brand new, never seen before by my eyes, right in front of me and ready to go.

 

Long since discontinued the Zeke Uzi kit isn’t even for sale at Airsoft giants like guns-n-guys, Redwolf or WGC, however, Model Gun Collector finally came through and after a week of frantic waiting it arrived...

 

First Impressions

 

BoxA.jpg

BoxB.jpg

 

The kit comes in two parts; the receiver and the pistol grip. However, due to the way the Uzi utilizes the Version 5 gearbox, the receiver is split into two halves which wrap around the internal components, technically meaning the kit itself comes in three pieces.

 

Appearance

 

The first thing I noticed upon taking the pieces from their packaging was the colour. On the TM Uzi the body and furniture are jet black, but the Zeke kit is a dark gunmetal colour, more akin to that of the bodies on ICS M4’s. I was a little suprised at this as I had expected it to be the same as Marui, however, having never really seen a brand new real-steel Uzi I’m not sure if the gunmetal is more realistic or not. It certainly doesn’t detract from the overall appearance of the weapon but it does give it a two-tone look which some may find odd. Of course it can always be painted which is something I may consider further down the line.

 

ZekeWhole.jpg

 

The Zeke body also features more accuracy markings. The TM version states very clearly on the left side that it is an ‘S.M.G. UZ 9mm Japan Marui’, while on the right side it reads ‘TOKYO MARUI CO. LTD. Made in Japan. 097628 ASGK’

 

The Zeke kit is stamped with ‘SMG UZI 9mm 109329 IMI - ISRAEL’ on the right and ‘ACTION ARMS. LTD Phila. Pa.’ on the left. The Zeke pistol grip section is still stamped with A R S as with the Marui version.

 

Weight

 

The Zeke kit is much lighter than I expected too (compared with an G&P AK body at least) but I suspect this is due to the unique build and type of metal used in its construction (which I have as yet been unable to identify).

 

 

Installation Guide

 

Part I - Stripping the TM Uzi

 

The first step was to strip the TM Uzi and remove the original body. This task is relatively simple and takes roughly twenty minutes (accounting for tracking down torx-head screwdriver). It can be done in a few simple steps:

 

1) Remove the fore grips by taking out the two screws that run through them, beneath the fore end of the weapon.

 

2) Take off the pistol grip section by pushing out the single body pin and levering it

downwards, hinging at the front.

 

3) Unscrew the barrel lug at the front of the weapon and remove the barrel.

(Remember to depress the small latch above the barrel!)

 

4) Remove topcover and stock. Remember, you need two of the same sized allen keys to take the stock off as one needs to be loosened while the opposite side’s is held tight.

 

5) On the Uzi the front and rear sights hide some important screws that need to be

removed in order to split the body halves. First off undo and remove the foresight pin and washer with the tool provided in the box (or a flat-head screwdriver). This will reveal two very small crosshead screws that also need to be removed.

 

6) The rear sight is removed by undoing the bolt that runs through the flip-up section and taking out all of the bits, including the spring that holds the topcover catch on, this reveals a single cross-head screw which you should now remove. The stock-mount should now slide easily off towards the rear of the weapon revealing the motor.

 

7) Now you need to look at the underside of the weapon and remove the single

cross-head screw that’s beneath the fuse. Note: not all the screws here need to be

taken out, look for the one that joins the two halves of the body together.

 

ZekeScrewstoRemove.jpg

 

8) The final screw is the torx-head one that’s beneath the main body next to the body pin hole. After this has been taken out, with a bit of care, the two halves of the body will split and pull apart. There are a few very small interlocking pins here so be careful!

 

TMBreakdown2.jpg

 

That’s it! old body removed!

 

 

 

Part II - Fitting the Zeke Body

 

There are a few things to transfer from the Marui body over to the Zeke body but these are relatively simple.

 

1) Unscrew the sling loop from the Marui body and simply fit it to the Zeke one. The loop itself has to be lined up correctly so the screw passes between the gap but this is simply a matter of a straight swap.

 

2) The spring and barrel lug catch have to be swapped over. This again is very simple; just take the catch out (the springs are attacthed so you needn't worry about them flying everywhere) and just slot it into the exact same space on the Zeke body.

 

3) You may also want to swap the HOP sticker over but I didn’t as I’m fairly familiar with the Uzi by now.

 

4) Okay, now for the fun part. The two halves of the Uzi body can now be joined.

Take your time! The metal does not flex so make sure everything’s in the right place, especially the wires and motor. All the holes are in the right place and you shouldn’t have too much trouble pressing the two parts together snugly. The metal won’t mesh up exactly but if you tighten the torx-head screw first, you can then slowly maneuver the rest together. The screw at the front (by the fuse) can be done next and then you can add the stock mount, this will be a much tighter fit now though so take care not to cut any of the wires!

 

5) Now is probably a good time to test the gearbox too, just to make sure everything works before the rest of the screws go back in.

 

5) Okay, now it’s taking shape again! The rest is pretty much the reverse of what you did to take the weapon apart in the first place. The front and rear sights go back together just as they came apart although again they’ll be a bit of a tighter fit than before. The foregrip is the same, the long screws that hold it on will need to be screwed all the way through, takes a looong time, but eventually they bite and the grips will close very solidly.

 

And you’re done!

 

 

Part III - Stripping & Fitting the Zeke Pistol Grip

 

Okay, the final part of the project is to swap the mechanisms from the TM pistol grip across into the Zeke one. Here’s where some time and care is required as these bits control the whole function of the weapon and must be swapped EXACTLY as they are found in the TM to the Zeke. This is a little complicated too but I’ll try and make it as easy to follow as I can.

 

Okay, first off set the selector to ‘safe’ and take a look inside. Remember (or better yet, photograph) where the parts are so you know where they go. Even better yet is to have another Uzi to look at, with the parts already correctly assembled, so you can simply build up what you can see in the untouched weapon. Below is a numbered part list so you can follow what goes where and in what order.

 

Trigger Group Part List

TriggerParts.jpg

 

1) Grip Safety

2) Fat Pin (note the notch!)

3) Thin Pin (note the notch!)

4) Grip Spring

5) Selector Plate

6) Screw

7) Grip Screws

8) Trigger Assembly

9) Flat Spring

10) Trigger Spring

11) Fire Selector Lever

 

 

Fitting Trigger Group

 

1) Insert the Grip Safety, attatch the Grip Spring and then slide in the Fat Pin with the notch facing downwards. Slide this pin in from the right hand side of the weapon. The front end of the Grip Safety will slide into the notch and allow the ‘safety trigger’ to be depressed as you grip the weapon.

 

2) Next drop in the Trigger Assembly and use the Screw to lock it in pposition

 

3) Next slide in the Thin Pin (again from the right hand side) and thread it through the Trigger Spring so that there’sresistancee on the trigger when it’s squeezed. Don’t slide it all the way in through yet.

 

4) Drop the Flat Spring into ppositionin the grooves cut for it. This will allow the

selector to ‘click’ between fire modes. Note the three notches cut into the Selector

Plate, it is these that the point on the Flat Spring will ‘click’ over.

 

5) Now place the Selector Plate in the gap between the Trigger Assembly and the left edge of the body, making sure the point on the Flat Spring lines up with the grooves in the plate itself. Also, make sure the small lip on the front end of the Selector Plate is under the trigger rail, this is what locks it on ‘safe’. It should be easy enough as it will only fit together snugly if this lip is in the right place.

 

5) Okay, now as you lower the Selector Plate into place, make sure you slide on the Fire Selector Lever from the outside of the body.

 

6) Push the Thin Pin through until it fills the hole on the left side of the body, holding everything into place. Notice the notch on the right-side end of this pin. This needs to be facing downwards (as with the Fat Pin) to allow the Grip Safety to slide forwards and backwards. PS: Make sure the little flip-up pin (on the right of the TriggerAssemnblyy) is set in the ‘up’ position before you attatch the lower and upper parts or it won’t change between fire modes!

 

7) Carefully, shift the weapon between fire modes, depressing the Grip Safety and

making sure the trigger moves properly on each setting. The Fire Selector Lever

should ‘click’ with each move, if not, then the Selector Plate grooves are not lined up with the point on the Flat Spring.

 

TMTriggerGroup.jpg

 

Okay, now all that needs to be done is to swap the magazine release catch over.

 

8) This is another very fiddly bit but it’s simple to see what needs to be done. Use a small allen key to push out the pin. Swap the parts over to the Zeke grip and then re-thread the pin through the holes and spring. Check it with a magazine afterwards to make sure it locks in okay.

 

9) Okay, now just re-attatch the plastic grips with the two Grip Screws and you’re done!

 

 

Final Assembly

 

Okay, now you may be thinking at this point “damn, that’s easy!” well up until now I’d agree with you. However, getting the pistol grip to fit with the main body is little short of a nightmare. There is serious filing to be done, on both parts. You have to take it very slowly and try and identify which part is jarring on which, what bit it blocking what and where the scraping noises are coming from. Even now, my pistol grip needs to be tapped gently into place with a hammer. The main body pin will NOT fit through the holes unaided and you may need to file down the insides of the guide holes so it slides through. However, in reality the fit between the two parts is so tight the pin probably isn’t necessary.

 

The topcover too is very tight and will quite happily stay firmly fixed to the receiver even with the catch held back and the whole thing shaking upside down. Again, filing is the answer but it’s not too bad here. The battery, a snug fit anyway, is now even tighter but on the plus side, this thing simply WILL NOT rattle. It’s as solid as carrying a brick around.

 

Overall it’s a fairly straightforward build, mainly due to Marui and Zeke’s skill in casting and craftsmanship. I’m extremely happy with the result and with my Uzi now weighing close to 3kgs it’s far more realistic in terms of heft. I’ll wait and see what the opinions amongst you guys are about the two-tone colour as I haven’t quite decided whether I like it or not.

 

Finished.jpg

ZekeBarrel.jpg

ZekeStock.jpg

 

Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope this may help someone sometime. Please PM me if you need any help or have any questions.

 

And big thanks to Arnie and the Admin team for the opportunity to share this.

 

Jett

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M635C, how long ago was that? I had no idea some of the kits came with replacement gearboxes.

 

In persuit of the ultimate Uzi: can anyone else shed any light? FarEast maybe?

 

 

Bought mine used off ebay back last summer.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi there. 4 months on and the Uzi is still working

which is always a good sign ;)

 

Used it at Fireball a good few times now and has

eleven kills so far. You should see their faces when

Gucci-kitted Delta guys realise they've been hit by

an Uzi! Makes it all worth while... :D

 

Anyway, the extra weight the Zeke kit added is

hardly noticeable now, at least not compared to

my Guarder AK-74 which is my alternative weapon

of choice. The Uzi is still easy to bring to bare but

it does flap around a lot when slung so I'm going

to try and find some more secure way of carrying it.

 

I've spent a bit more time filing the grip section and

top cover to make for easier access and now it's pretty

much as smooth as the original. Also I've decided to

leave the two-tone paint job as it helps single it out

amongst the mound of doner Uzi's in my gun bag.

 

The next project is a MM Uzi RIS System but I'll be

putting that on a standard TM Uzi as there's no way

I'm gonna wreck this Zeke baby.

 

Right then, bye for now!

 

Jett

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