IWI Galil: Israel's Legendary Fighting Rifle

by
posted on September 21, 2022
Galil

On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. One day later, its neighboring nations invaded. That 1948 Arab-Israeli War ended in an armistice in 1949, although many other conflicts followed, and peace in the region remains painfully elusive to this day.

Defending the State of Israel—the nation’s official name—is a challenge. There’s not much room for strategic retreat, since the entire country is smaller in size than the state of New Jersey. In the beginning, military stockpiles were meager as well, domestic manufacturing barely existed, and supplies were scarce. Things have improved dramatically, but the fact that the militaries fielded by bordering countries still greatly outnumber those fighting under the Star of David is inescapable reality.

Fighting smarter and maximizing performance of available resources are two of the assets leaders in Jerusalem rely on to survive. That approach has served the nation well, particularly when it comes to the small arms issued to its troops.

The list of innovative and high-performance guns developed by Israel is a long one. The Galil, introduced by Israel Military Industries (IMI) in 1972, is among them. It was the low maintenance requirements to keep the AK-47 running caught the attention of the Israeli military after the Six-Day War in 1967.

Procuring any volume of the Communist Bloc’s standard-issue rifle was not possible, though, so Yisrael Galil and Yakov Lior designed the first Galils using Finish-made Valmet RK62 receivers—that country’s version of the AK-47. Because the United States was growing to become the nation’s primary ally, the gun was chambered in 5.56 mm NATO.

The gun would have been issued almost immediately, were it not for 1973’s Yom Kippur War. The firearm was fielded shortly after and served well until around 1994, when M16s and derivatives replaced it.  

In 2005, IMI—which was established 1933 and solely owned by reigning governments until this point—became an independently owned, commercial company. The new name is Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). Demand stateside for its products was heavy, and in 2013 IWI-US opened operations in the United States.

Factory-fresh Galils in their original configuration are no longer available but, thankfully, the company currently offers three semi-auto models of its Galil Ace chambered in 7.62 NATO. Each are based on the same time-tested long-stroke-piston, rotating bolt gas-operated system of operation. They come with 11.8", chrome-lined barrels with 1:12" RH-twist rifling.

Modern upgrades include the use of high-tech polymers to reduce weight and the addition of a Picatinny rail for optic mounting. The reciprocating charging handle is on the left side and they ship with adjustable tritium sights for low-light use. A single dot up front gets on target fast, while the pair of dots at the rear ensure proper sight alignment.

The Galil Ace SBR model has an MSRP of $2,099, overall length of 30.25" inches and it weighs 6 lbs., 11.2 ozs. (empty). There’s also a pair of pistol versions, one with a stabilizing brace, the other without one. MSRPs come in at $2,049 and $1,949, respectively, with weights of 6 lbs., 8 ozs. and 6 lbs. Overall lengths are 31.625" and 22.5".  

Latest

KelTec PR57
KelTec PR57

KelTec’s PR57: Thinking Outside The (Detachable) Box

KelTec has brought the stripper clip back with the thoroughly unconventional PR57—a carry pistol with an uncommon chambering, an unusual action and no box magazine.

The Armed Citizen® June 9, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

More Western States Opening Large Shooting Ranges

A number of states in the western U.S. have opened or are planning to open large, versatile ranges to serve the growing need for publicly accessible shooting spaces.

Preview: Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster

More than just a fresh look made using handcrafted leather, the Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster has been redesigned to accommodate extra ammunition in addition to a concealed firearm.

New For 2025: Rost Martin RM1S & RM1C Comped

Two new models joined the Rost Martin handgun lineup in 2025, one with subcompact dimensions and another with a built-in compensator that promises to reduce recoil substantially.

CMP Resumes M1911 Pistol Sales

As of January 2025, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) had resumed sales of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistols to qualified U.S. citizens.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.