Notable UZI influences were retained in the Italian design including the forward-mounted, over-receiver charging handle, large front (adjustable post) and rear (flip-type aperture) iron sights and grip safety. The stock was an in-house design and appeared as a single strut tube hinged at one end (under rear of the receiver, just aft of the pistol grip) and folded over the right side of the receiver when needing a more compact travel/handling form. Otherwise, the stock folded out into place in the usual fashion and could be set against the shoulder for a traditional three-point firing hold to include the supporting hand under the forend.
The Type 821 was noteworthy in its operation for it proved a well-balanced combination of weight and recoil effect, producing a very stable firing platform that could be operated with just one hand as a true "machine pistol". The action was of traditional blowback and a three-position fire selector switch was located along the left side of the receiver within easy reach of the primary hand's thumb. The weapon was chambered to fire the widely-accepted 9x19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge and this from a 32-round, spring-loaded detachable straight box magazine inserted into the bottom of the grip as in the UZI family. Effective range was under 200 meters with a listed rate-of-fire of 550 rounds-per-minute. Coupled with its compact form and unique balancing traits, the Type 821 was an excellent weapon for close-quarters combat.
SOCIMI trialed a micronized version of its Type 821-SMG though it appears that nothing came of this endeavor while the Type 821 Submachine Gun still sees a limited existence today (2013). No foreign sales of the product were completed.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
