Lethal Weapon
December 29, 2002
By DEAN ROBINSON
Colt, Kalashnikov, Winchester, Gatling, Luger, Ruger,
Glock, Smith & Wesson. They made the guns, and the guns
made their names. Say this for Uzi Gal: he tried to keep
his name off the 9-millimeter submachine gun he invented
for the Israeli Army in the 1950's. But the manufacturer,
Israeli Military Industries, insisted, and you can't fault
its marketing impulse: in Hebrew, Gal's first name, Uziel,
means ''God is my might.'' After its successful appearance
in battle in 1956 and '67 -- the nine-pound gun fired 10
rounds a second, rarely jammed and, thanks to its slight
recoil, could be fired one-handed -- the Uzi was adopted by
armies and security services around the world. By the end
of the 90's, it had generated $2 billion in sales. Not bad.
Even if it does fall short of the combined box-office take
of all the movies in which the Uzi played a starring role.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/29/magazine/29GAL.html?ex=1042184385&ei=1&en=e1b5ad01c0766baa
