In memoriam.

• Author: Ezell, Virginia Hart
• Position: William B. Ruger, Uziel Gal and John N. Meloy - Brief Article - Obituary

The small arms world mourns the passing of two of the most renowned designers of the 20th century and one of its most loyal friends: William B. Ruger, Uziel Gal and John N. Meloy.

Ruger was the pragmatic "everyman's" firearms designer. He made it look easy. Many designs are often complicated by the number of moving parts and how those parts fit together. Ruger knew how to design a firearm with the production process as well as the functionality in mind. He contributed to the success of Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc., the company he opened with Alexander Sturm in 1948. His business acumen for the world of small arms and his Yankee toughness kept the company profitable for decades. It is one of the few gun companies that is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and consistently issues dividends.

Uziel Gal designed a submachine gun that bares his name: the Uzi. His life story reads like an adventure novel. Born in Germany in 1923, his family was one of the lucky ones that managed to emigrate to Palestine in 1936. He fought for Israeli independence as a young man, was imprisoned by the...