IWI Galil
Israeli battle rifle family based on the Finnish RK 62.
The IWI Galil, also called the IDF-defender, is a family of Israeli automatic rifles that fire 5.56×45mm NATO or 7.62×51mm NATO rounds. Designed in the late 1960s by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior, it was first made by the state-owned Israel Military Industries and later exported by the privatized Israel Weapon Industries. The Galil’s design borrows heavily from the Finnish RK 62, itself a version of the AK-47, and early models used RK 62 receivers.
The Israeli Defense Forces initially adopted the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle in the late 1950s, chambered for 7.62×51mm. But the FAL had problems: it was long and bulky, and sand and dust often caused it to jam—though this was later blamed on poor maintenance. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, some soldiers switched to the much smaller Uzi. After the Six-Day War, Israel captured thousands of Egyptian AK-47s, which proved reliable and easy to maintain, even with less strict care. When the IDF looked for a new automatic rifle, the AK-47 was considered but was hard to procure. So the military wanted a weapon with the AK-47’s low maintenance but the accuracy of the M16 and FN FAL. The would-be standard rifle was first called the Balashnikov, after designer Yisrael Galili, whose last name happened to sound like Kalashnikov before he changed it to the more Hebrew-sounding Galili. Several designs were submitted, including the M16A1 and Stoner 63 from the US, and the HK33 from West Germany. Uziel Gal, creator of the Uzi, offered his own design, but it was complex and unreliable. The winning design came from Galili and Lior, based on the 7.62×39mm Valmet RK 62. At the time, the US was replacing France as Israel’s main ally and arms supplier, so the Galil was chambered for the US 5.56×45mm round (originally the M193 55-grain version). Tests from the late 1960s to early 1970s picked Galili’s rifle, but the Yom Kippur War delayed its issue.
The Israeli army first used the 5.56mm Galil in three versions: the ARM (Automatic Rifle Machine-gun) with a bipod, wire-cutter, and carrying handle—this became the standard front-line rifle and famously had a bottle opener in the handguard; the AR (Automatic Rifle) without those extras, issued to support troops and military police; and the SAR (Short Automatic Rifle) with a shorter barrel, for vehicle crews, staff, and specialty troops.
Quick Facts
- Range
- 410 meters (Galil ARM)
- Velocity
- SAR: 900 m/s / AR, ARM: 950 m/s
- Rate
- 650 rounds/min
- Action
- Gas-operated, rotating bolt
- Cartridge
- 5.56×45mm NATO / 7.62×51mm NATO / .30 carbine (Magal variant)
- Part Length
- SAR: 332 mm / AR, ARM: 460 mm
- Length
- SAR : 850 mm stock extended / 614 mm stock folded
- Weight
- SAR: 3.75 kg / AR: 3.95 kg / ARM: 4.35 kg
- Production Date
- 1972–1998
- Manufacturer
- Manufactured by: / Israel Military Industries / Licensed to: / Bernardelli / Indumil / Ka Pa Sa State Factories (Myanmar) / Denel Land Systems / PLR Systems, India / Z111 Factory (Vietnam)
- Designer
- Yisrael Galili / Yakov Lior
- Service
- 1972–present
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Galil was developed after the Israeli Defense Forces sought a replacement for the FN FAL, which had limitations in sandy conditions and was considered long and bulky. During the Six-Day War, captured Egyptian AK-47s impressed Israeli troops with their reliability and low maintenance, but procurement difficulties prevented their adoption. The IDF therefore specified a weapon combining the AK-47's ruggedness with the accuracy of the M16 and FN FAL. Several designs were tendered, including the M16A1, Stoner 63, HK33, and an indigenous design by Uziel Gal, but the winning entry came from Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior, based on the 7.62×39mm Valmet RK 62. The Galil was chambered for the US 5.56×45mm round, reflecting the shift toward the US as Israel's main weapons supplier. Tests from the late 1960s to early 1970s selected the Galil, but issuance was delayed by the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
The Galil was initially deployed in three 5.56×45mm NATO configurations: the Automatic Rifle Machine-gun (ARM) with bipod, wire-cutter, carrying handle, and a bottle opener in the front handguard; the Automatic Rifle (AR) without those accessories; and the Short Automatic Rifle (SAR) with a shortened barrel. The ARM became the standard service rifle for front-line infantry, while the AR went to support troops and military police, and the SAR to vehicle crews and specialty troops. The operating mechanism is a Kalashnikov-pattern gas-driven long-stroke piston with a rotary bolt. The cocking handle reciprocates with each shot and is bent upward for left-hand operation. The ejection of spent cases can be violent, sometimes throwing cases up to 40 feet. The fire selector has three positions (S-A-R) with a dual thumb-selector on the left side above the pistol grip. Early prototypes used stamped sheet metal receivers, but production models used heavy milled steel forgings, contributing to the rifle's weight.
Reader's Guide
Although the Galil was the official service rifle of Israel from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, it was never the principal rifle in terms of numbers. Around 1975, 60,000 M16A1s from the U.S. Military Aid Program began arriving and were quickly integrated, as the cost of producing the Galil for all forces was very expensive. Israel continued to purchase M16s and later M4s with military credit, and many Galils were replaced. Israeli troops generally preferred the M16 for its lighter weight and accuracy, though the Galil was considered more rugged and reliable. The M4's short length, light weight, and versatility with optics and accessories made it even more attractive, and the M16 and M4 were better suited for grenade launching with the M203 launcher. By 2000, the Galil ARM and AR were phased out from standard issue, replaced by M4 and M16 variants; the SAR remained in some rear-line services until around 2004. The Galil was briefly licensed to NWM De Kruithoorn N.V. for sales to a NATO country. Currently, Galil rifles are manufactured in Colombia by Indumil, alongside the Galil Ace and the Galil Córdova. A modernized version, the Galil ACE, has been produced since 2008.
Did You Know?
- The Galil's original name was Balashnikov, after designer Yisrael Galili, whose last name was coincidentally similar to Kalashnikov.
- The ARM variant famously features a bottle opener in the front handguard.
- 400 Galil rifles were purchased through the Antiguan government for the Medellín cartel.
- The Galil's trigger mechanism is patterned after the American M1 Garand.
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