I recently got a 5.56 NATO Galil Ace, Gen 2, and I am thoroughly impressed!
When I got it home from the FFL, I immediately tore it down to scrub away residual storage lubricant and work Frog Lube into the pores. Takedown is pretty standard AK, with the exception of the gas tube, which simply slides out to the rear from under the M-LOK rail. The top cover is a bit harder to remove because IWI stiffened it and designed it to fit VERY tightly into its slot at the rear of the receiver to ensure consistent positioning of optics and rear iron sights on the full-length piccatinni rail. I had to use a nylon mallet to gently tap up on the rear corners of the top cover, alternating each side as I went to avoid a risk of slightly deforming anything.
Structurally, the bolt carrier and piston are pure AK, although the exterior shape of the carrier is a bit different--it also has the charging handle on the left side. The bolt also looks a lot like the AK bolt. The charging handle rides through a slot in the top cover on the left side, and there is a dust cover, which slides down and back up on a pair of internal springs as the charging handle moves the length of that slot.
Where the front trunnion of an AK normally is, there is no separate bullet guide because the Galil Ace uses a milled, forged receiver. The barrel is also cold hammer forged. The thing is built like a tank!
Controls-wise, there is a thumb safety in easy reach on the left, which moves forward and backwards. One the right side where the standard AK safety would be, there is a smaller, more substantial safety lever, which can be easily operated with the trigger finger without shifting the grip.
The magazine release is ambidextrous and operates the same as an AR mag release.
Looking at the rifle when I first got it, I had no idea if it had a bolt hold-open function, but I discovered that it did when I emptied my first five-rounds while beginning to zero the backup iron sights I installed. I then discovered that on the right side of the receiver, just forward of and above the trigger guard, there is a round nub, which is an extension of the bolt release lever inside the receiver. You can conveniently move that nub up to engage the bolt catch or press it down to release the bolt with your trigger finger. Locking the bolt open by pulling the charging handle with your left hand, while simultaneously using your right index finger on the bolt catch is much better with the Galil Ace than it is with the AR.
The Galil Ace comes with a 30-round P-Mag, which I didn't use because I wanted to test it with metal magazines. While zeroing from a bench, I used my 10-round stainless AR-Stoner magazines, and it functioned flawlessly with them. Likewise, it functioned with the 30-round stainless AR-Stoner magazines and the aluminum GI magazines. The results with the 30-round magazines were unsurprising, but the results with the 10-round magazines were pleasantly surprising, given reports that it won't seat 20-round GI magazines.
When I shot it, I found the trigger to have been light and smooth, although without a scale to measure it, I can only guesstimate the weight at around five pounds. There is a good bit of take-up like you would expect from a two-stage trigger, but the wall before it breaks is not as perceptible as you would notice with an AR or AK. The reset is also a bit longer. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant trigger.
I won't talk about groups because when I zeroed the backup iron sights, I only had time to do a 50yd zero, and I foolishly forgot to put those highly visible adhesive 6" Dirty Birds in my range bag, leaving me only with B-29 targets to shoot. At 50yds, the rings aren't exactly visible, so consistently identifying the dead center of the target is a bit of a challenge, resulting in five round strings with a few closely-spaced rounds and a couple of fliers an inch or two away.
After I zeroed it, though, I went ahead and fired a 20-round box of PMC Bronze .223 ammo at a fresh B-29 target, standing, unsupported. All but 2 or 3 of the rounds were in the black, with the majority of those being within at least the 9-ring. It wasn't a deliberate slow fire but was, instead, a string of rounds delivered shortly after bringing the trigger back out to the reset point each time. I also kept the rifle on the target for the entire 20 rounds, without lowering it to rest my eyes. Such 50yd results under those conditions were more than satisfactory.
The rifle does not come with backup iron sights, so I purchased a set at the FFL where I took delivery of the rifle, and the guy was nice enough to install them right there.
They are standard AR-height sights, so they stick up high enough that I had to use the included cheek piece for the AR-style adjustable-length folding stock. I would recommend that anyone buying one of these get the low-profile irons so that you can do without the cheek piece, which is wide enough that it keeps the stock from folding perfectly flat against the receiver, although that is a very minor shortcoming. Quite frankly, I was at an advantage using the AR-height irons because they co-witness very nicely with the Sig Romeo 2 red dot sight I bought for $69.99 from PSA, and that sight is on a mount set for AR-height use. In fact, I very quickly aligned the red dot with the irons using the zeroing knobs so that I can have it close to its final zero before I even get back out to the range with the red dot.
If you are looking for a new rifle, the Galil Ace is really a nice choice. đź‘Ś
I don't think my AR is going to be seeing much use in the future by anyone other than my wife. I also don't see my AKs getting much use because I can get all of the advantages of both types of rifles rolled into one improved package.
I'll post pictures of the noteworthy features in a bit.
When I got it home from the FFL, I immediately tore it down to scrub away residual storage lubricant and work Frog Lube into the pores. Takedown is pretty standard AK, with the exception of the gas tube, which simply slides out to the rear from under the M-LOK rail. The top cover is a bit harder to remove because IWI stiffened it and designed it to fit VERY tightly into its slot at the rear of the receiver to ensure consistent positioning of optics and rear iron sights on the full-length piccatinni rail. I had to use a nylon mallet to gently tap up on the rear corners of the top cover, alternating each side as I went to avoid a risk of slightly deforming anything.
Structurally, the bolt carrier and piston are pure AK, although the exterior shape of the carrier is a bit different--it also has the charging handle on the left side. The bolt also looks a lot like the AK bolt. The charging handle rides through a slot in the top cover on the left side, and there is a dust cover, which slides down and back up on a pair of internal springs as the charging handle moves the length of that slot.
Where the front trunnion of an AK normally is, there is no separate bullet guide because the Galil Ace uses a milled, forged receiver. The barrel is also cold hammer forged. The thing is built like a tank!
Controls-wise, there is a thumb safety in easy reach on the left, which moves forward and backwards. One the right side where the standard AK safety would be, there is a smaller, more substantial safety lever, which can be easily operated with the trigger finger without shifting the grip.
The magazine release is ambidextrous and operates the same as an AR mag release.
Looking at the rifle when I first got it, I had no idea if it had a bolt hold-open function, but I discovered that it did when I emptied my first five-rounds while beginning to zero the backup iron sights I installed. I then discovered that on the right side of the receiver, just forward of and above the trigger guard, there is a round nub, which is an extension of the bolt release lever inside the receiver. You can conveniently move that nub up to engage the bolt catch or press it down to release the bolt with your trigger finger. Locking the bolt open by pulling the charging handle with your left hand, while simultaneously using your right index finger on the bolt catch is much better with the Galil Ace than it is with the AR.
The Galil Ace comes with a 30-round P-Mag, which I didn't use because I wanted to test it with metal magazines. While zeroing from a bench, I used my 10-round stainless AR-Stoner magazines, and it functioned flawlessly with them. Likewise, it functioned with the 30-round stainless AR-Stoner magazines and the aluminum GI magazines. The results with the 30-round magazines were unsurprising, but the results with the 10-round magazines were pleasantly surprising, given reports that it won't seat 20-round GI magazines.
When I shot it, I found the trigger to have been light and smooth, although without a scale to measure it, I can only guesstimate the weight at around five pounds. There is a good bit of take-up like you would expect from a two-stage trigger, but the wall before it breaks is not as perceptible as you would notice with an AR or AK. The reset is also a bit longer. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant trigger.
I won't talk about groups because when I zeroed the backup iron sights, I only had time to do a 50yd zero, and I foolishly forgot to put those highly visible adhesive 6" Dirty Birds in my range bag, leaving me only with B-29 targets to shoot. At 50yds, the rings aren't exactly visible, so consistently identifying the dead center of the target is a bit of a challenge, resulting in five round strings with a few closely-spaced rounds and a couple of fliers an inch or two away.
After I zeroed it, though, I went ahead and fired a 20-round box of PMC Bronze .223 ammo at a fresh B-29 target, standing, unsupported. All but 2 or 3 of the rounds were in the black, with the majority of those being within at least the 9-ring. It wasn't a deliberate slow fire but was, instead, a string of rounds delivered shortly after bringing the trigger back out to the reset point each time. I also kept the rifle on the target for the entire 20 rounds, without lowering it to rest my eyes. Such 50yd results under those conditions were more than satisfactory.
The rifle does not come with backup iron sights, so I purchased a set at the FFL where I took delivery of the rifle, and the guy was nice enough to install them right there.
They are standard AR-height sights, so they stick up high enough that I had to use the included cheek piece for the AR-style adjustable-length folding stock. I would recommend that anyone buying one of these get the low-profile irons so that you can do without the cheek piece, which is wide enough that it keeps the stock from folding perfectly flat against the receiver, although that is a very minor shortcoming. Quite frankly, I was at an advantage using the AR-height irons because they co-witness very nicely with the Sig Romeo 2 red dot sight I bought for $69.99 from PSA, and that sight is on a mount set for AR-height use. In fact, I very quickly aligned the red dot with the irons using the zeroing knobs so that I can have it close to its final zero before I even get back out to the range with the red dot.
If you are looking for a new rifle, the Galil Ace is really a nice choice. đź‘Ś
I don't think my AR is going to be seeing much use in the future by anyone other than my wife. I also don't see my AKs getting much use because I can get all of the advantages of both types of rifles rolled into one improved package.
I'll post pictures of the noteworthy features in a bit.
