The Galil series of rifles are selective fire weapons operated by a Kalashnikov-pattern gas-driven piston system with no regulator which fire from a closed bolt position. The weapon is locked with a rotary bolt with two locking lugs that lock into recesses milled into the receiver.
Features
The Galil is hammer-fired and has a trigger mechanism patterned after the trigger used in the American M1 Garand.[1] The rifle's fire selector lever on the right side of the receiver is similar in design to the one used in the AK and is simultaneously the manual safety that ensures the weapon is not discharged accidentally, The top position, marked "S" ("safe") disables the trigger and covers the cocking handle slot, inhibiting the ingress of environmental debris into the receiver, but allowing the bolt to be retracted enough to check the chamber. Unlike the AK47 the Galil also includes a selector switch on the receiver's left side — above the pistol grip — intended to be manipulated by the thumb of the shooting hand. This switch has three positions: "R" (British terminology for "repetition" or semi-automatic fire); the middle position, "A", produces fully automatic fire; and pushing the lever fully forward will activate the safety.
The Galil is fed from a curved, steel box magazine with a 35-round capacity (SAR and AR versions), a 50-round capacity (ARM model) or a special color-coded 12-round magazine blocked for use exclusively with ballistite (blank) cartridges, used to launch rifle grenades. An optional magazine adapter enables the use of STANAG-compliant 20 and 30-round magazines from the M16 series.[1] The magazine is inserted front end first in a similar manner to the AK47 family.
Early production models were supplied with barrels that had six right-hand grooves and a 305 mm (1:12 in) rifling twist rate (designed for use with M193 ammunition), while recent production models feature a 178 mm (1:7 in) twist barrel with six right-hand grooves (used to stabilize the heavier SS109/M855 bullets). The barrel has a slotted flash suppressor with 6 ports and can be used to launch rifle grenades or support a bayonet lug attachment (it will accept the M7 bayonet).[1]
The L-shaped rear sight has two apertures set for firing at 0–300 m and 300–500 m respectively (the rear sight can only be adjusted for elevation). The front post is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation zero and is enclosed in a protective hood. Low-light flip-up foresight and rearsight elements have three self-luminous tritium dots (betalights) preset for 100 m. When the rear tritium sight is flipped up for use, the rear aperture sights must be placed in an offset position intermediate between the two apertures. Certain variants have a receiver-mounted dovetail adapter that is used to mount various optical sights.
The rifle can also be used with a sound suppressor.
Firing Mechanics
An
Estonian soldier on patrol in
Iraq with the compact Galil SAR in 5.56x45mm.
A
Nepalese peacekeeper with a 7.62mm Galil SAR.
Peruvian Marines break contact following a simulated ambush by an enemy sniper. Seen here using the 7.62mm Galil AR.
When fired, a portion of the propellant gases are evacuated into the gas cylinder through a 1.8 mm (0.07 in) port, drilled at a 30° angle in the barrel, and a channel in the gas block. The high-pressure gases drive the piston rod (which is attached to the bolt carrier) rearward. During this rearward movement, a cam slot machined into the bolt carrier engages a cam pin on the bolt and rotates the bolt, unlocking the action. The arrangement of parts on the bolt carrier assembly provides for a degree of free travel, allowing gas pressure in the barrel to drop to a safe level before unlocking. To the immediate rear of the chrome-plated piston head is a notched ring which provides a reduced bearing surface and alleviates excess gas build-up. As the bolt carrier travels back, it compresses the return spring guided in a hollowed section of the bolt carrier and the spring's return energy drives the moving assembly back forward, stripping a new round from the magazine and locking the action. The cocking handle is reciprocating, attached to the bolt carrier and located on the right side of the receiver; the handle is bent upwards allowing for operation with the left hand while the right remains on the pistol grip.
Variants
AR
The standard rifle version which is fitted with a high-impact plastic handguard and pistol grip, a side-folding (folds to the right side) tubular metal skeleton stock as fitted to all variants except the Galil Sniper.
ARM
The ARM light machine gun variant is additionally equipped with a carrying handle, folding bipod and a larger wooden handguard. The wooden handguard remains cooler during sustained automatic fire and has grooves for bipod storage. When folded, the bipod's legs form a speed chute for rapid magazine insertion; the bipod will also form a wire cutter and the rear handguard ferrule, which retains the bipod legs, can be used to open beer bottles by design, in order to prevent soldiers using magazine lips for this purpose which damaged them.[1]
MAR
The most recent addition to the Galil family of weapons is the MAR compact carbine, which retains the internal features of the original Galil with a completely new frame, operating system and an even shorter barrel. Introduced to the public at the 2nd International Defence Industry Exhibition in Poland in 1994, the weapon was developed for use with the army and police special units, vehicle crews, army staff, special operations personnel and airborne infantry.
The MAR, also called the Micro Galil, is a reduced-size version of the Galil SAR (706 mm stock extended / 465 mm folded), weighing 2.98 kg empty. Compared to the original carbine, the MAR has a shortened barrel (210 mm), receiver, piston, gas tube and foregrip. The firearm is fed from 35 or 50-round steel magazines and the 35-round magazines can be clipped together to increase reload speed. An optional magazine adapter inserted inside the magazine well allows the use of standard 20 and 30-round M16 magazines. The lever safety and fire selector (located on both sides of the receiver) has four settings: "S"—weapon is safe, "A"—automatic fire, "B"—3-round burst, "R"—semi-automatic mode. The barrel has a multifunction muzzle device. The MAR is equipped with a folding tubular metal stock and a flip aperture sight with two settings: 0-300 m and beyond 300 m. The MAR can also be equipped with a night vision device (attached through an adapter mounted to the left side of the receiver), a daytime optical sight (mounted via a receiver cover adapter), low-light sights with tritium illuminated dots, a vertical forward grip with integrated laser pointer, silencer and a nylon sling. Upon request, the weapon can be supplied with a bolt catch, plastic magazines weighing 0.164 kg or an enlarged trigger guard for use with gloves.
7.62mm Variants
The 7.62 mm Galil is derived from the 5.56 mm base version. The rifle retains the general design layout and method of operation of the 5.56 mm variant. In 7.62mm the Galil is available in several different configurations including a SAR carbine, full size AR rifle and ARM light machine gun. These weapons are fed from 25-round box magazines (previously 20-rounds). The barrel has four right-hand grooves with a 305 mm (1:12 in) rifling twist rate.
The 7.62 mm Galil Sniper (Galil Tzalafim, or Galatz) is a derivative of the ARM that is used with high quality 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition for consistent accuracy.
The precision rifle is a semi-automatic-only rifle with a similar operating system to other Galil variants, but optimised for accuracy. The rifle is fed from a 25-round box magazine. It uses a heavy profile match barrel that is heavier than that used on other variants. It is fitted with a multi-functional muzzle device, which acts as a flash suppressor and a muzzle brake. It can be replaced with a sound suppressor which requires the use of subsonic ammunition for maximum effectiveness.
The weapon was modified with a two-stage trigger mechanism with an adjustable pull force, a wooden buttstock that folds to the right side of the weapon and a heavy-duty bipod, mounted to the forward base of the receiver housing that folds beneath the handguard when not in use. The buttstock is fully adjustable in length and height and features a variable height cheek riser. The rifle comes with mechanical iron sights and an adapter used to mount a telescopic day sight (Nimrod 6x40) or a night sight. The mount is quick-detachable and capable of retaining zero after remounting. The precision rifle is stored in a rugged transport case that also comes with an optical sight, mount, filters, two slings (for carrying and firing) and a cleaning kit. Recent production models feature synthetic plastic furniture and a skeletonized metal stock.
Other Variants
Other variants are:
- Magal: A law enforcement carbine variant of the Galil MAR chambered in .30 Carbine.
- SR-99: A Modernized version of the Galil Sniper.
Israel
