Val Forgett

Val J. Forgett, Jr., (July 31, 1930 – November 25, 2002) Founder of Navy Arms Company, Inc. (1956-present) and internationally recognized as the "father of the modern replica firearms business". Forgett created and designed over 100 different replica firearms models in his lifetime.[1][2] Forgett was President of the National Firearms Museum and Chairman of the United States International Muzzle Loading Team, leading the U.S. to five consecutive World Championships, a feat unmatched to this day.[3] An avid big-game hunter, Forgett was recognized by Safari Club International (SCI) as the first person in over 100 years to take all "Big Five" game species of Africa (lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo) with a muzzle-loading rifle.[4]

Obituaries

When Forgett died in 2002 from the effects of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood cancer, numerous firearms magazines published memorials of his life, including:

Refewrences

  1. Cumpston, Mike (2005). Percussion Pistols and Revolvers: History, Performance and Practical Use. iUniverse. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-595-35796-3.
  2. Page, Warren (December 1969). "Black Powder Smoke". Field & Stream 74 (9): 64–67. ISSN 8755-8599.
  3. Brown, Robert K. (2004). Soldier of Fortune (Boulder, Colorado: Omega Group, Limited) 29: 6 http://books.google.com/books?id=RHAjAQAAIAAJ. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Smith, Randy D. (1 January 2008). Hunting Modern South Africa with Powder and Ball: A Discussion of Muzzleloader Hunting Experiences and Tactics. Bitingduck Press LLC. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-1-932482-60-7.