designer of the UZI dies

alan · September 9, 2002, 11:06 PM

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Middle East - AP

Inventor of Uzi Submachine Gun Dies
Mon Sep 9, 3:24 PM ET
By JACK KATZENELL, Associated Press Writer

Uzi Gal, inventor of Israel's most famous contribution to the arms industry — the Uzi submachine gun — has died at age 79.

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Relatives said Gal died Saturday in Philadelphia. He will be buried Thursday in Kibbutz Yagur, a collective farm near Haifa where he lived for many years.

The 9-mm weapon has became a mainstay of armies and secret services from Jerusalem to Washington. It has also proven popular among criminals in many countries and has appeared in many action movies.

Over 1.5 million Uzis have been manufactured, and exports of the weapon has earned Israel billions of dollars — though the modest, retiring Gal never received anything for it beyond his Israel Military Industries salary.

Born Uziel Gal in Germany in 1923, he fled with his family to England when Hitler came to power. The family immigrated to British Mandatory Palestine in 1936, when he was 13, and settled in Kibbutz Yagur.

From an early age he showed technical talent. At age 15, he developed a bow that could fire arrows automatically.

In 1943, he was caught by the British with a firearm in his possession and was sentenced to seven years in jail. But he received a pardon and was released in 1946, when he went to work in the metal workshop at Yagur, secretly producing arms for the pre-state Jewish underground.

In 1948, when the first Arab-Israeli war broke out, he was ordered to develop a submachine gun for the Israeli army. The Uzi was not delivered to the army until 1954, but in the 1956 Sinai campaign against Egypt it proved its deadly effectiveness and reliability.

Gal was strongly opposed to the gun being named after him but the management of IMI insisted.

In 1976 he retired from IMI and went to live in Philadelphia, where he continued to develop weapons, including versions of the Uzi specially adapted for the American market. Among the models produced were the Uzi Pistol a machine pistol slightly larger than a regular handgun, the Micro-Uzi, which is larger still and the Uzi Carbine, which has a longer barrel.

The Uzi is also the most copied weapon in the world, Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported Monday. Copies were made in China and several eastern European countries.

Gal is survived by a son, who lives in Philadelphia, and a brother.

September 9, 2002, 11:06 PM	#1
alan Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Posts: 3,307	designer of the UZI dies News Front Page 9/11 Special Coverage Top Stories World Middle East Europe Latin America Africa Asia Canada Australia/Antarctica Business Entertainment Sports Technology Politics Science Health Oddly Enough Op/Ed Lifestyle Local Comics News Photos Weather Most Popular Audio/Video Full Coverage Lottery Crosswords News Resources Providers AP Middle East - AP Inventor of Uzi Submachine Gun Dies Mon Sep 9, 3:24 PM ET By JACK KATZENELL, Associated Press Writer Uzi Gal, inventor of Israel's most famous contribution to the arms industry — the Uzi submachine gun — has died at age 79. AP Photo 9/11 Special Coverage News, features, photos and more. Go there now. Relatives said Gal died Saturday in Philadelphia. He will be buried Thursday in Kibbutz Yagur, a collective farm near Haifa where he lived for many years. The 9-mm weapon has became a mainstay of armies and secret services from Jerusalem to Washington. It has also proven popular among criminals in many countries and has appeared in many action movies. Over 1.5 million Uzis have been manufactured, and exports of the weapon has earned Israel billions of dollars — though the modest, retiring Gal never received anything for it beyond his Israel Military Industries salary. Born Uziel Gal in Germany in 1923, he fled with his family to England when Hitler came to power. The family immigrated to British Mandatory Palestine in 1936, when he was 13, and settled in Kibbutz Yagur. From an early age he showed technical talent. At age 15, he developed a bow that could fire arrows automatically. In 1943, he was caught by the British with a firearm in his possession and was sentenced to seven years in jail. But he received a pardon and was released in 1946, when he went to work in the metal workshop at Yagur, secretly producing arms for the pre-state Jewish underground. In 1948, when the first Arab-Israeli war broke out, he was ordered to develop a submachine gun for the Israeli army. The Uzi was not delivered to the army until 1954, but in the 1956 Sinai campaign against Egypt it proved its deadly effectiveness and reliability. Gal was strongly opposed to the gun being named after him but the management of IMI insisted. In 1976 he retired from IMI and went to live in Philadelphia, where he continued to develop weapons, including versions of the Uzi specially adapted for the American market. Among the models produced were the Uzi Pistol a machine pistol slightly larger than a regular handgun, the Micro-Uzi, which is larger still and the Uzi Carbine, which has a longer barrel. The Uzi is also the most copied weapon in the world, Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported Monday. Copies were made in China and several eastern European countries. Gal is survived by a son, who lives in Philadelphia, and a brother.