[Dionysusigma]

http://www.valmet-weapons.com/Galil_Rifles.jpg

Well, my search for the perfect rifle for me has brought me to another stepping-stone: Galils. AK-based action, 5.56 or 7.62x39 or 7.62x51, 50-rd mags, carry handle, bipod, long (compared to the AK) sight radius, and just plain cool. However, that's the extent of my knowledge on them.

Who makes new Galils? Building one myself is not an option as I don't have the tools or time. The only place I've ever found new production ones are from *flame suit on* Vulcan Armament (http://www.vulcanarmament.com/cgistore/store.cgi?page=/new/catalog.html&setup=1&ida=86&idp=0&his=0&cart_id=7920837.4892), and most (if not all) of us know their reputation for putting out junk. Does anyone else make a new one?

And, of course, the usual questions... accuracy/ reliability/ availability of spare parts/ availability of spare mags/ etc. How they compare to both the AK and AR, and that sort of thing.

Thanks in advance... :)

[Number 6]

I have no experience with Galils, but I do know that Ohio Rapid Fire makes a clone that is supposed to be pretty good.

http://rapidfire.targetweb.net/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi/agora.cgi?cart_id=4303768.17838*kF4XQ5&p_id=01944&xm=on&ppinc=big

[jobu07]

I agree with you, they are just plain cool. I'd love to have one too.

[akviper]

I have a 16 inch 5.56 AR version. It is very accurate with Federal 55 grain Tactical rounds. It will shoot inside 1 1/2 inches with open sights if you do your part. The only draw back is the weight. Due to the milled receiver and heavy duty construction it weighs a lot. Many years ago the Alaska State Troopers did a cold weather test that involved pouring water through various types of rifles and setting them out in -30 degree weather. The Galils and AK types sailed through the cold weather testing without a hitch. The assumption was made that the Israelis had already performed the hot climate testing. The test team was sold on the Galil but the administrators bought Colts instead. The Colts did poorly in the freeze testing. Go figure. The folding stock is a superior design and very rigid and supportive when extended. With the shorter barrels the folder is very compact. Gunwriters did some pretty crazy stuff to the Galil when it became available back in the 80s. If my memory is correct, Ken Hackathorn parked his Volkswagon tire on top of his test Galil to see what would happen. The answer, nothing, the rifle even kept it's zero when he fired it afterward. If you plan to slog through the jungle or desert infantry style you would probably want a lighter rifle. If you want a rugged, accurate, rifle that will go bang every time get the Galil. Spare mags are available and the price came down after the ban. I use both the steel factory mags and the orlite mags. The orlites can be found for around $20 and fuction great. M-16 magazine adapters can be found occasionally and allow you to use any M-16 type magazine if you so desire. Parts are not as readily available but can be found. There isn't much to go wrong on the gun anyway.

[jobu07]

How much do you have into yours, if you don't mind my asking, viper?

[natedog]

Again, very heavy. You can get a similar rifle from Krebs Custom for about $1.3k that will be new, lighter, and have standard AK parts. They sell guns with M-16 peep sights, top cover rails, stamped recievers, forward rail systems, and Galil thumb safeties. Galils are getting rarer and more expensive- if I wanted a rifle that was going to be used a lot, I'd go with a Krebs. www.krebscustom.com

[Chris Rhines]

Galils are fine rifles, but have nothing to recommend them over more commonly available AKs and ARs.

- Chris

[Wildalaska]

Heavy AK....


WildgimmeanarAlaska

[NMshooter]

They aren't anything special (including the .308s).

Good luck finding magazines, too.

[bad LT]

there is something very special: a bottle opener on the rifle :)

[444]

I have fired a couple of the real ones that were dealer samples.
To me, they seemed heavy and clunky. Not ergonomic at all. Sharp edges.
I didn't like them at all. I can see why Israel doesn't issue them as their standard issue rifle.

[Preacherman]

The Galil (which I used on occasion in its South African licence-manufactured form, the R4 or the shorty R5) is an excellent weapon, probably one of the best assault rifles on the market, with one notable exception - it's heavy! It's ultra-reliable, accurate enough, versatile, and easy to use. People moan about the weight, with reason (it's almost twice as heavy as an M4, for example), but this is the only criticism I'd make.

[MrMurphy]

Friend of mine carries one in the IDF, he's a tank commander (captain).

Most of the officers carry M4's or CAR-15s but being a tanker, he doesn't do road marches with it, he just carries it around on duty, so he doesn't mind the weight, as he said, reliability is the big thing for him.


Artillery units over there and some armor units use the Galil, it's heavy enough regular infantry and other use the M16.

The Krebs KTR-03 will do most of what a Galil will.

[Malamute]

Galils are a copy of the Finnish Valmet rifles, many of the Galil "improvements" over standard AK's are direct copies of Valmet designs. Parts are even interchangable. Try looking at valmet-weapons.com they have a lot of Galil, and of course Valmet info. There is a copy of the article that the Alaska troopers did in testing guns in cold environments. Good read for everyone, no matter what your gun of choice is. It helped me decide.

I built a Valmet clone on a milled Bulgarian AK in 7.62x39. Used a Galil parts kit for some of the parts. I used an original Valmet M-62 reciever top cover/rear sight. it's step graduated out to 600 meters, has built in night sights, and the night and regular sights adjust independantly. The night sights fold up (and thus are invisible to prying eyes) when not needed. It will shoot 2 1/2" @ 100 yards with cheap ball ammo. The Valmet/Galil mag release is quicker and easier to use than a regular AK, I don't care for the Galil left side selector, and didn't use that on my gun, they are awkward. The standard AK safety when used with the trigger finger is fast and simple to operate.

Valmet m-76's .223's are available for about $1200 to $1400 if you look. 7.62x39 versions are about double that. Outstanding rifles, and about the cost of a copy. The sights I've seen on copies are not as good as Galil's and Valmets. I think Valmet rear sights are the best of the type. Galil folding stocks can be fitted to Valmets.The Galil folding stock may be the one true improvement over the basic Valmet design. The Sako M-92 and M-95's are probably the best of the AK type rifles, but none ever made it in-country. Look at them on the Valmet site.

I agree that Galils, particularly the ones with the bipods attached, feel clunky. With a regular forend, they aren't bad. Those bipod forends are hideous.

[444]

You very well may be on to something there. The ones I fired both had the bipod and it was the main thing that I didn't like about it. It was in the way, it looked like it was ready to pinch your fingers........................................

Although I did get prone and fire a whole mag on full auto into a steel plate in a continuous burst. If that was all you were going to do with it, it was great.

[MrMurphy]

Most Galils don't have that fore-end just for that reason. :)