Small Arms Division loses valued member.

• Position: Ndia News

Uzi Gal, 79, the inventor of the Uzi submachine gun, died this past September. He was a member of the National Defense Industrial Association's Small Arms Division.

"He is one of the master geniuses of all time in designing guns," said Russ Logan, a fellow member of the division. "It was beneficial to have him attend our meetings, because he knew more about guns than pretty much anyone else," Logan said.

More than 1.5 million Uzis have been manufactured. The weapon is the most copied in the world, according to the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot. Gal developed other weapons during his long career, including several different versions of the Uzi adapted for the American market.

The Washington Post said the gun has a compact design with a simple loading mechanism that minimizes jams. It often is...