Meet the IWI Galil Ace

So, you want to get that mean looking Galil Ace you keep seeing online eh? Well, who could blame you? I mean, John Wick didn’t even have good enough taste to grab one over a 9mm Handgun in what - 4 movies? Well, Mr. Wick aside, I bet we could convince you that the Galil is still pretty epic. The Galil Ace is an incredibly special weapon’s platform! Ready to find out why? Let’s go!

Photo Credit:  The Firearm Blog

History of the Galil Ace

Some might say that the creation of the Galil Ace came about because of the Six Day War. In 1967, Israel launched a preemptive attack against Egypt and found themselves under attack by a number of Arab states. Under seemingly insurmountable odds, Israel came out on top in this conflict but during the conflict they realized that their small arms were not as reliable as their opponents’.

At the time Israeli Army forces were carrying the FN FAL, while the AK47 was the main rifle of Arab Nations, mainly the Maadi, also known as a Maadi Factory 54 - an Egyptian AKM/AK47. The Israeli Military noticed their FN FALs were constantly getting bogged down by sand.

An Israeli military commander named Yisrael Galil recognized that the AK47’s had some downsides, and so began building a version called the “Balashnikov.” (His last name was originally Balashnikov before changing it to Galil.) The Balashnikov rifle was still very similar to an AK47 but had many upgrades to it - including ergonomics. All of this leads into the Galil ACE. It’s important to note that Uziel Gal (creator of the Uzi, liked Galil’s design so much that he worked on versions in 7.62 variants and 5.56 NATO). The original IMI Galil also borrowed some design elements from the Finnish Valmet RK 62. The Valmet RK 62 was the standard infantry weapon of the Finnish Defense Forces.

IWI Galil ARM

The first mass-produced version of the Galil Ace was known as Galil Arm (Assault Rifle Machine Gun) and first made its way into Israeli Military Forces ranks in the early seventies.

IMI Galil ARM - Note - integrated bipod folds into foregrip. Photo Credit:  Firearm Central


Is the Galil ACE an AK?

Remembering that the IMI Galil became the Galil Ace,and that IMI Galil was based upon an AK, it’s easy to see why the Galil Ace is considered to be an AK platform - it is. The operating system is exceptionally similar and every gun guy will tell us the same but it’s actually a highly refined and modern version.

Is the Galil better than the AK?

Despite the AK47 being one of the most reliable and influential weapon’s platforms of all-time, there are still upgrades that can be made! Some may find an IWI Galil Ace to be far more ergonomic because of its ambidextrous mag releases and safeties, a left-side charging handle and a full-length top rail for mounting accessories.

The IWI Galil Ace also features built-in ironsights, a very useful dust cover and is much lighter than original Galil variants, whilst including a folding stock. Another nice touch? IWI’s Galil Ace utilizes polymer parts on the lower receiver for weight savings.

Galil Ace 5.56 Rifle. Photo Credit: Aim Surplus

Is the Galil Ace reliable?

When you consider that Galil’s design was essentially based on what many consider to be one of the most reliable weapon systems ever created, it’s no surprise to discover that the IWI Galil Ace is exceptionally reliable as well. I’ve personally put thousands of rounds through my Galil Ace rifles and pistols. They have gone through plenty of dirt and mud in training classes and I’ve had no issues with any of them. Part of that is likely due to it being a piston driven platform.

A tricked out Galil Ace 7.62. Photo Credit:  Dissident Arms

Galil Ace for Home Defense

While hefting a full-size rifle isn’t really conducive or ideal for most Home defense scenarios there is no reason to worry! A Galil Ace pistol is available in an 8.3” or an 11.8” barrel length option depending on your desired chambering. 5.56 NATO or 7.62x39 are both excellent choices for close quarters work and a Galil Ace pistol has all the real estate needed for necessary attachments like red dot optics and weapon lights.

Heavily customized Galil Ace Pistol in 7.62. Photo Credit:  Tatargets

Galil ACE Chamberings

One of the best things about the Galil Ace is the variety of calibers it’s available in! More flavors are always great, right? Let’s take a look at the individual calibers below:

• IWI Galil Ace 7.62 x 39mm - Original and best known chambering for the AK47, cheap and plentiful (usually)
• IWI Galil Ace 308/7.62x54mm NATO - An excellent choice for longer ranges
• IWI Galil Ace 5.45 x3 9mm- Newest Russian military round, not as easy to find currently, but what a round!
• IWI Galil Ace 5.56 x 45mm NATO/.223 Remington - A terrific option, with cheap and plentiful ammo readily available.

As we can see, there’s something for just about every need that can be had with a Galil Ace pistol or rifle!

Galil ACE Features

The Galil Ace boasts an impressive feature set for even the most discerning shooter and while not quite as modular as an AR platform gun, it still has a good amount of upgradable parts available on the market today. It’s also important to mention that the Galil Ace Gen 2 now comes with a MLOK rail from Midwest industries. While some pistols do still include a covered up picatinny tri-rail, many Galil Ace Gen 2models will include an MLOK rail, which is far more convenient. Some other features worth noting include:

• Closed rotating bolt, long stroke gas piston operating system
• Folding stock
• Chrome lined, cold hammer forged barrels available in 8.3”, 11.8” and 16” lengths in 1:7 twist
• Tritium adjustable front and rear sights
• Picatinny tri-rail or MLok handguard
• Full length Picatinny top rail
• Reciprocating charging handle

Galil Ace Pistol. Photo Credit:  AR15.com

Outfit your Galil ACE with accessories from 5D Tactical!

Ready to take the plunge on a Galil Ace or thinking it would be better to stick to a tricked-out AR15? (link HERE) We hope this brief rundown helped shed some insight on a great weapon platform! Thanks for spending some time with us here at 5D Tactical! Don’t forget when you get that Galil Ace, we carry a bunch of great accessories to help prepare it for any mission! Until next time!