From The Manufacturer/Wikipedia/People Smarter Than Us:
The UZI sub-machine gun (SMG) was designed and patented by Uziel Gal who, in turn, gave the production rights to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. After initial testing by the IDF, the Ordnance Corps ordered 8,000 units and the love affair with the world’s most iconic pistol continues today. Since 1963, the renowned UZI brand has had sales of over 2 million units worldwide.