Uzi.

Some weapons earn their reputation in battle; Others are celebrated for their on-screen fame. To be known for both is a rare thing indeed. The Uzi. An Israeli SMG that seems to turn up everywhere. So, what made it such a popular export? Why is it a weapon of choice for action films? And what sort of person wields it? The Middle East, 1948.

A new nation is born - and immediately flung into conflict.
The 1948 Arab-Israeli War was fought with equipment leftover from World War 2 - a melange of obsolescent arms; a desperate need to standardise on something new. Israel's new weapon was designed by Major Uziel Gal of the IDF - and despite a request that it should not bear his name; the new submachine gun was officially adopted in 1951 - as the Uzi.

Manufactured from sheet metal, it was designed to be low cost and easy to produce. Compared to earlier SMG designs, the Uzi is particularly compact: far shorter than either the earlier MP40 or Sten. This is because of the Uzi's telescoping bolt: the reciprocating part surrounds the barrel as it moves forward - a feature borrowed from a prototype Czech weapon, the ZK 476.

This allows for a more compact action, and makes the central position of the magazine possible: integral with the grip, and particularly well-balanced. This is an ergonomic configuration, with the user's hand naturally surrounding the magwell, for more intuitive reloading.

Its moderate fire rate of 600 rounds per minute is quite manageable too, so the Uzi's handling is favourable all-round. While the original is compact, some variants are even smaller: Introduced in 1980, the Mini-Uzi is 80 percent of the size - and fires at an elevated 950 rounds per minute; And the smaller-yet Micro-Uzi followed in 1986: firing an incredible 1,200 rounds per minute.

Cheap, abundant and a step up from World-War 2 era weapons: as military forces modernised in the middle of the 20th century, the Uzi was a compelling choice for many. With over 10 million made, it has proven a huge commercial success - and has seen post-war service in countries all around the world.

While weapons like the MP5 would eventually supplant it in service, the Uzi wasn't so eager to retire: instead, it took centre stage during the rise of the action film. On-screen firearms have to look the part - and for the emerging trend of urban present-day settings in cinema, a wooden wartime relic simply wouldn't do.

The Uzi's exterior was distinctive: its ability to rapidly dispense rounds perfect to punctuate an on-screen point. Best of all, it can be held one-handed: easier to point with, better for close-ups: and of course, you could even use two at once. Millions manufactured meant huge surplus, and ample supply made sure that the price was right.

So its modern appearance, high availability and low cost made it a very appealing choice for Hollywood armourers: today, the Uzi boasts a filmography that would make Schwarzenegger blush. Its presence harks to the golden era of gun-fighting action: a reckless one-handed reminder of such a time in Max Payne 3: with its analogue screen distortion evoking VHS bloodshed.

It's also the perfect fit for the Hollywood-inspired pace of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Compact and lightweight - it's always nimble, and normally shoots fast: A natural fit for frantic action. With its cinematic credentials, it is easy to forget that the Uzi is very much a proven design: Military, police, secret service, special task force - carried by all, and no stranger to conflict.

However, the very qualities that made it so popular - cost, automatic fire, and compact size - have also lent the weapon a more malevolent side. For all its official use, the Uzi boasts an undeniable criminal streak: It is the perfect choice for a drive-by shooting.

Under such circumstances marksmanship can go out the window - it's spray and pray tactics that are needed, and the high fire rate and one-handed grip are in tune with this demand. References to the weapon in this fashion are a fixture of gangsta rap - a ribbon of influence echoed throughout cinema, as well as in games like Grand Theft Auto.

No doubt, a weapon of broad experience and diverse operation. It defies any single role: freedom fighter, muscle-bound mercenary, drug baron - it has served them all. Neither particularly good nor evil, a weapon for all with the means to pay, one that straddles moral alignment: half criminal; half maverick; all mercenary - and total chaos.

A vanguard of post-war firepower: arguably the first modern SMG. A capable design whose success was ensured by mass production at a low cost. When its useful service expired, it found a new lease of life in Hollywood: and forged a legend anew. The Uzi: Classic subgun.