VIDEO
HISTORY
In the 1950s, Israel relied on whatever weapons it could find, largely depending on the long, bulky, and heavy .308 FN FAL. It did not hold up to the desert sand. By the late 1960s, Israel’s Yisrael Galil and Yakov Lior took the best from the Russian AK-47 combined with the Finnish Valmet RK 62 to complete a hybrid, the Galil. It combined the robust strength and accuracy of both rifles. Building it also eliminated the need for foreign deliveries and parts.
MY IMPRESSIONS
This is an impressive compact folding-stock carbine. I have never fired nor inspected one before, so this should be fun. I notice first the obvious similarity to the AK-47. The gas tube is on the top of the receiver and barrel, which absorbs kick and keeps the muzzle down during operation.
The safety and folding stock are ambidextrous. The operating handle is a large device on the receiver’s left side. There is no hold-open. The battle sights are primitive but effective. The rear sight flips up or down to allow for distance and is windage-adjustable. The front sight may be raised or lowered for elevation.
I notice the weight as I hold it. It is a battle rifle and feels more like a hammer than a target rifle! This is a modern Galil. It sports a full-length top receiver Picatinny rail and full forearm rails. The muzzle brake is ported on top to control muzzle flip.
The stock is adjustable for length of pull from 13 to 15 inches. It opens from a folded length of 27 to 36 inches with a solid click. The safety is unique. It is a lever on the right side and a push-pull thumb lever on the left side. I find it easy to learn and like the control of the nice pistol grip.
WHY THE 5.45x39?
My Galil is chambered in this unusual Russian cartridge. Developed in the 1970s for the AK-47 rifle, the Russian army needed a flatter-shooting round than the 7.62x39mm. It is like the well-known .223 round.
My test ammo today is Red Army Standard steel case lead core ammo pushing its 60-grain bullet at around 2,900 feet per second. I feel that it is smoking fast for the elongated streamlined bullet and should be flat-shooting down range. IWI is showing its versatility in chambering the Galil Ace in 5.45x39. I want to test it out!
SPECIFICATIONS
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Length: 36 inches unfolded; 27 inches folded
- Height: 8 inches at pistol grip
- Width: 2.5 inches
- Trigger: 6 pounds, 5 ounces; two-stage
- Sights: Folding rear adjustable for windage; front adjustable for elevation
- Barrel: 16 inches with flash hider/compensator
- Magazine: AK-47 compatible
- Capacity: 30 rounds
- Charging handle: Left side knob
- Hold-open: None
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MSRP: $1,979
RANGE TIME
My Area 51 range is primed and ready to test a battle rifle today! I have adjusted the length of pull to about 14 inches to fit me, and I loaded the Magpul 30-round magazine. It is necessary to rock it in place like an AK-47. The magazine release lever is easy to manipulate. There is nothing delicate about Galil. The sights are simple but allow me to hit the steel target well in center.
Kick? What kick? The recoil spring controls it well, and the muzzle brake does a good job. Although it hits a bit low at close range, this is to be expected with a low-mounted barrel. My confidence is high prior to taking out some root beer bottles.
My first two shots on the 2-liter jugs demonstrate the flat-shooting power of the solid jacketed bullets. They pass through the bottles so fast that they spin more than explode. That is high velocity.
I note that the 6-pound-plus trigger is two-stage and breaks cleanly after take-up, much like a Garand trigger. Its pull weight is not a limiting factor. I can hit with confidence. The remaining root beer bottles explode violently, squirting their contents as they foam spectacularly.
THE LONG & SHORT OF IT
What fun! To test the longer-range potential, I see a 2-liter bottle at around 70 yards. Careful aim, and I hit it with one shot. That surprises me, because this is not a target rifle, right? The next test is a mag dump of the remainder of the 30-rounder. The lack of kick and flip makes this easy. All rounds hit center of mass easily.
There is no hold-open on this design. I miss that feature. But there were no jams on the 30-round test, and the empty brass simply flew out of the right side of the receiver. I like that.
The stock folds onto the right side of the carbine, making it much shorter. I want to reload and test that feature. This time firing from the hip, I find the Galil to be controllable and instinctive in action. It is easy to hit a man-sized close-range boulder every time. Look at the rocks fly off that stone! I think this battle rifle would be comparable to my AR-15 for defending my turf at close range, too.
PROS & CONS
