Franchi LF-821
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.45 kg
- Introduced
- 1992
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Franchi LF-821 is a 9x19mm blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun that fires from an open bolt. It is the Franchi-branded redesignation of the SOCIMI Type 821, a compact Uzi-pattern design that used aluminum alloy forgings for its receiver and trigger housing in place of stamped steel. A telescoping bolt wraps over the barrel to keep the weapon short, and it feeds from a 32-round detachable box magazine housed in the pistol grip. After the Milan firm SOCIMI went bankrupt in 1992, Luigi Franchi acquired the rights and re-marketed the weapon as the LF-821, though essentially no examples were produced or sold under the Franchi name.
Developed in Milan around 1982 as the SOCIMI Type 821, the design was a close Italian interpretation of the Israeli Uzi, differing chiefly in its use of machined aluminum alloy forgings rather than stamped steel. When SOCIMI collapsed in 1992, Luigi Franchi took over the design and relabeled it the LF-821, but the gun never found a market.
The LF-821 designation reflects Franchi's acquisition of the SOCIMI Type 821 rights following SOCIMI's 1992 bankruptcy; the gun saw no meaningful production under the Franchi brand. A special variant of the parent 821 design was developed to fire 9mm AUPO caseless ammunition.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Luigi Franchi S.p.A.
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Italy
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1992 to 1994
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 200 mm
- Overall length
- 600 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.45 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Open bolt
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 32
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 380 m/s
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Maximum range
- 200 m
- Rate of fire
- 550 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side folding stock
Telescoping bolt
Flip up rear sight
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 2.45 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 600 mm | 723 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 200 mm | 213 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 32 | 32 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Franchi LF-821
How much does the Franchi LF-821 weigh?
The Franchi LF-821 weighs 2.45 kg (5.40 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Franchi LF-821?
The Franchi LF-821 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Franchi LF-821 hold?
The Franchi LF-821 holds 32 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Franchi LF-821?
The Franchi LF-821 is 600 mm (23.6 in) long overall, with a 200 mm (7.87 in) barrel.
Who makes the Franchi LF-821?
The Franchi LF-821 is made by Luigi Franchi S.p.A. (Italy). It was designed by SOCIMI.
When was the Franchi LF-821 introduced?
The Franchi LF-821 was introduced in 1992 and discontinued in 1994.
How does the Franchi LF-821 operate?
The Franchi LF-821 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is open bolt.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/franchi-lf-821' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "franchi-lf-821", "name": "Franchi LF-821", "manufacturer": { "id": "franchi", "name": "Luigi Franchi S.p.A.", "countryCode": "IT", "foundedYear": 1868, "website": "https://www.franchiusa.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:49", "version": "a5e70b9adaae2d70e626c2f032df16c3d24c410fd519733f13f25ba8a4315ec6" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "IT", "year_introduced": 1992, "barrel_length_mm": 200, "weight_empty_g": 2450, "action_type": "blowback"}