Galil (AR and ARM)

Technical description.
Basically, the Galil assault rifle can be described as a modified Kalashnikov AK-47 design. The key differences between the Galil and the AK-47 are;

• the Galil featured a machined steel receivers of the original AK-47 rifles, but of slightly different shape.
• The AK-47-style safety - selector switch at the right side of the gun is complemented by the additional smaller switch at the left side of the receiver, above the pistol handle.
• The cocking handle is bent upward, so it can be operated with either hand.
• The sights of the Galil featured a front hooded post, mounted on the gas block, with the rear diopter sight, mounted on the receiver top cover. Rear sight is of the flip-up type, with settings for 300 and 500 meters.
• Additional folding night sights with luminous inserts can be raised into position, which allows to aim the gun in the low light conditions at the ranges of up to 100 meters.
• The barrel and the flash hider can be used to launch the rifle grenades from the barrel, using the blanc or live cartridges (depending on the rifle grenade type).
• The Galil ARM also features a folding detachable bipods and a carrying handle.
• The bipod base incorporates a bottle opener and a wire cutter.
• The standard folding buttstock is patterned after FN FAL Para, folds to the right to save the space.
• Some of the late production Micro-Galil (MAR) rifles also are fitted with the Picatinny-type rail, which allows to mount various sighting devices.
• Standard AR and ARM rifles can be fitted with scope mounting rail on the left side of the receiver.
• All 5.56mm Galil rifles are fed using proprietary 35 or 50 rounds curved box magazines with AK-47 style locking.
• M16-type magazines can be used via the special adapter.
• 7.62mm Galil rifles are fed using proprietary 25 rounds box magazines.
• Civilian semi-automatic Galil variants sometimes are fitted with 10 rounds magazines to comply with local firearms laws.

    After experience with the FN Fal during the Six-Day War in the year 1967, it seems that this standard rifle was a poor performer in high sand and dust environment. Israel Galili, designer for Israeli Militairy Industries (IMI) started with the developing of a new assault rifle, he took the useful parts from the AK-47 but Galil's most immediate predecessor was the Finnish Valmet M62 rifle infact the first prototypes were fabricated using M-62 receivers made in Finland, other parts were used from the FN FAL and the Hungarian version of the AK-47.