GALIL
GALIL
In the
late 1950s, the Israel Defense Forces adopted
the FN FAL battle rifle chambered
for the 7.62×51mm cartridge. Two models were
fielded: the "Aleph" individual weapon and the "Beth" squad automatic weapon. The FAL first saw
major combat with the Israelis during the Six-Day War in
1967. Although Israel won decisive victories, the FAL showed its limitations in
IDF service; the common complaint was that the sand and dusty conditions caused
the weapon's malfunction, but this was later attributed to the lack of
maintenance given by IDF conscripts. Furthermore, it was a long and bulky
weapon. Its length and malfunctions became so much of an issue that during the
1973 Yom Kippur War, some soldiers armed themselves
with an Uzisubmachine
gun with an extended barrel.
Galil is a family
of Israeli small arms designed by Yisrael Galil and
Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s and produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI) (IMI
privatized their small arms division, now called IWI) of Ramat HaSharon.
The rifle design borrows heavily from the RK-62 and has a
modified gas diversion system similar to the RK-62 to reduce the recoil of the
rifle making it easier to fire especially in automatic mode.[2] The
weapon system consists of a line chambered for the intermediate 5.56×45mm
NATO caliber with either the M193 or SS109 ball cartridge and
several models designed for use with the 7.62×51mm
NATO rifle round.
It is named after one of its inventors, Yisrael Galil. The Galil series of
weapons is in use with military and police forces in over 25 countries.There
are four basic configurations of the Galil: the standard-length rifle, a carbine variant
known as the SAR, a
compact MARversion, and
an ARM light machine
gun.A modernized version of the Galil is currently in production in
multiple calibers, called the Galil ACE.
In the
late 1950s, the Israel Defense Forces adopted
the FN FAL battle rifle chambered
for the 7.62×51mm cartridge. Two models were
fielded: the "Aleph" individual weapon and the "Beth" squad automatic weapon. The FAL first saw
major combat with the Israelis during the Six-Day War in
1967. Although Israel won decisive victories, the FAL showed its limitations in
IDF service; the common complaint was that the sand and dusty conditions caused
the weapon's malfunction, but this was later attributed to the lack of
maintenance given by IDF conscripts. Furthermore, it was a long and bulky
weapon. Its length and malfunctions became so much of an issue that during the
1973 Yom Kippur War, some soldiers armed themselves
with an Uzisubmachine
gun with an extended barrel.
During the Six-Day
War, the Israelis captured thousands of AK-47 assault rifles
and evaluated them. The rifle proved far more reliable and controllable than
the FAL, and the required maintenance was low enough so that the conscripted
troops would not require more stringent regulations of the weapon's care.
Because of this, the IDF began the process of procuring a new automatic rifle
that would offer the same benefits of low-maintenance as the AK-47 but with the
accuracy of the M16 and FAL. Several weapons were submitted for the lucrative
deal of becoming the Israeli Army's standard-issue assault rifle; America offered
the M16A1 and Stoner 63 series
and Germany offered the HK 33. The AK-47 design was also considered, but difficulty in
procurement limited its viability. One indigenous design was offered by Uziel Gal,
creator of the Uzi submachine gun, but was ultimately found too complex and
unreliable for adoption.
The
Galil series of rifles are selective
fire weapons operated by a Kalashnikov-pattern gas-driven piston system with no
regulator. The weapon is locked with a rotary bolt with
two locking lugs that lock into recesses milled into the receiver.
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 return energy
contained in the spring drives the moving assembly back forward, stripping a
new round from the magazine and locking the action. The cocking handle is
attached to the bolt carrier on the right side of the receiver and reciprocates
with each shot; the handle is bent upwards allowing for operation with the left
hand while the shooting hand remains on the pistol grip.
The ejection of
spent cases from the Galil is sometimes a violent action. Cases can be dented
by the ejector and be thrown as much as 40 ft away from the rifle in some
cases, depending on position.
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