South Carolina-based American Tactical has been making the Galeo for a couple of years, and we have been taking one for a spin. 

Based on the legendary old IMI Galil AR/ARM – and including most of the surplus parts of one – the ATI Galeo uses that rifle's reliable long-stroke gas piston system. Looking and feeling very AK, the gun looks and feels like a Kalashnikov but is a bit heavier, with a milled 4140 CDA steel receiver and stamped steel top cover. 
 

GALIL BACKGROUND

For those who are curious, the Galil was introduced in 1972 by the Israelis after having bad experiences in the deserts with their FN FALs while at the same time seeing how well captured AK-style guns handled in the sand and moondust of the Siani and Golan Heights. Borrowing from both Kalashnikov and Stoner's design philosophies and mixing a dash of FN to the stew, Israeli developers Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior blended the best of both worlds to deliver the finished product. The Israelis milled out a forged steel receiver, rather than the simple stamped sheet metal receivers of the Kalash family. 

Available in both 7.62 and 5.56 NATO variants, it was gas-operated with a piston, used a rotating bolt, and proved rugged and reliable, remaining in front line service until the year 2000 when it was replaced by U.S.-supplied M16s which, with their aluminum receivers, were lighter and more versatile, especially in later models. 

Still, the Galil proved popular enough to be license-produced in Italy by Bernardelli, South Africa by Vektor as the R4, and in Sweden as the FFV 890. Galil variants have been used by no less than 50 countries as diverse as Columbia, Portugal, and Nepal. Meanwhile, the only Israeli-produced Galil these days is the Galil Ace platform in three different calibers including 7.62x39mm. 
 

The Galil surprised some folks back in 1986 when it proved better than a lot of other rifles of the day in extreme cold weather testing by the Alaskan State Police. Beyond this, it became a staple in gun lore with on-screen appearances in "Heat" and "Delta Force." 
 

With IWI/IMI Galil sporters non-existent as imports after about 1993, this led to in-house "kit builds" made in the U.S. with new receivers and barrels coupled with surplus kits from overseas. The Century Arms Golani Sporter hit the market over a decade ago and then disappeared a few years ago. To fill this void are the often tough-to-find James River Armory Gallant and ATI's Galeo that appeared in 2019. 
 

THE ATI GALEO

One of the nation's top importers of firearms and firearm-related products, ATI relocated to Summerville, South Carolina, from Rochester, New York, in 2013. Now in its third year producing the Galeo, the company uses original IMI parts that have been harvested from surplus Galil ARMs. Several key American-made parts are added to this, including a new milled (not cast) steel receiver and 1:7 twist 4150 barrel with a 5.56 NATO chamber. Coupled with a domestic magazine, the Galeo is 18 USC 922r compliant. 

Interestingly, ATI had their demilled Galil parts kits imported in a siloed method that keeps all the components of a surplus ARM in the same group to ensure they are manufactured into the same Galeo. 

The build quality is exceptional and, if you are curious, Chris Bartocci with Small Arms Solutions went to ATI in South Carolina and watched how the magic happens, covering the birth of a Galeo in an in-depth 45-minute video that includes a metric ton of hand-fitting and attention to detail. 

While some early Galeos reportedly had issues locking in and using surplus IDF/SADF steel magazines – though it should be noted that these old military mags range wildly in material condition – we tried five different military mags that had been reconditioned by DSA and had zero problems locking them in our test Galeo. Again, keep in mind 922(r) compliance and, if you were to swap out enough vintage parts such as replacing the IMI ARM handguard or pistol grip with a U.S.-made variant or upgrading the trigger pack with an ALG, adding extra 922(r) parts, then using surplus Galil mags may be on the table. 
 

How does it shoot? So far, we have dropped a 100-round box of Winchester 5.56 NATO through it with zero issues using the included Tapco polymer mag. Accuracy at 100 yards is better than a typical AK pattern rifle and is closer to that of a Mini-14, averaging about 2.5 inches without much effort. Of course, this could tighten up with better ammo and concentration, which we plan to accommodate. 

Stay tuned for more as we push it to the 1K and 2K marks.