IWI Galil ACE

The IWI Galil ACE, also marketed as the IWI ACE is a series of assault rifles and battle rifles developed and manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), produced in 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO calibres.

Design details

The IWI Galil ACE series is based upon the original design of the Galil, but instead utilises a modern design to increase its accuracy and lower its weight, while maintaining the original Galil's ergonomics, ease of maintenance and reliability under battle conditions. In the design, emphasis was particularly placed on increasing the reliability and accuracy under adverse battlefield conditions.

Weight reduction

The original Galil was built with a machined solid steel billet action in order to increase the structural integrity and survivability of the rifle. Unfortunately this resulted in a weight of up to , depending on its variant, which was one of the primary criticisms from the Israel Defense Forces.

The Galil ACE has solved this issue by significantly reducing it's weight. IWI was able to achieve this by redesigning the action to integrate the steel with polymer, which is much lighter than the fully steel receiver of the original Galil. While the upper receiver is machined steel and the receiver top features a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, polymer has been introduced to the lower receiver of the rifle to reduce the gun's weight.

Accuracy

According to ''American Rifleman'': "Although this rifle is clearly based on the AK design, it demonstrated a superior level of accuracy potential compared to several of its cousins. The best single group of rounds at 100 yardsof 0.83″ and five-group average of 0.98″ was produced using the Federal Premium 123- gr. [] Power-Shok soft-point load" (testing done using 7.62×39mm 16-inch barrelled variant).

Trigger

The Galil ACE adopts the IMI Galil#Galatz, Galil Sniper trigger instead of the original Galil trigger, in order to improve accuracy compared to the standard Galil. This is a two-stage trigger, which IWI have modelled on the two-stage trigger of the M1 Garand.

According to ''American Rifleman'', the two-stage trigger is "clean and smooth with a 4 lb. 13 oz. [] trigger pull according to a Lyman digital trigger gauge".

Gas tube

The gas tube, unlike the AK-47 system, is mounted on the rifle via a dovetailed slide machined on the receiver upper-front block. This avoids any movement of the gas block influencing barrel vibration, which would degrade accuracy.

Long-stroke piston system

The rifle uses the Galil's long-stroke piston system. The long-stroke system is found in the M1 Garand, AK-47 (upon which the Galil's internal mechanism design borrowed heavily) and more recently in the IWI Tavor.

Barrel

The barrel is chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged, with a 1:7″ twist for 5.56×45mm NATO, 1:7.5″ for 5.45×39mm, 1:9.5″ for 7.62×39mm, and 1:12″ for 7.62×51mm NATO.

Sights

The Galil ACE has a fully adjustable iron sights with tritium front post and two dot tritium rear aperture. It also features a Picatinny rail for mounting various optical sight.

Stock

The standard buttstock found on the Galil ACE is a six-position telescopic stock that can be fitted with an optional cheek-piece to improve the sighting of the weapon when using an optical sight. An optional right folding version of the standard buttstock is also available.

The forearm consists of MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails on the bottom and both sides for mounting accessories such as aiming optics. The side forearm rails have central grooves to provide routing channels for electric wiring used by pressure switch activated accessories. The forearm comes with quick detachable polymer covering panels that can be mounted to protect the rails when a side or bottom rail has no accessories mounted to it. The gas tube above the barrel also has a Picatinny rail mounted on top that is aligned with the rail mounted on the cover over the receiver.

Last round bolt catch

Another addition by IWI to the original Galil is the last round bolt catch (for variants of the ACE in 5.56×45mm NATO only). The bolt hold-open feature is a common request of military customers, to reduce reloading times during combat.

Variants

ACE 21

The Galil ACE 21 is chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge, and is compatible with the 35- and 50-round Galil magazines. It features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of , an empty weight of , and a cyclic rate of fire of 680–880 rounds/min.

ACE-N 21

The Galil ACE-N 21 is a variant of the ACE 21 compatible with STANAG magazines and with an empty weight of .

ACE 22

The Galil ACE 22 is similar to the ACE 21 but features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of and with an empty weight of .

ACE-N 22

The Galil ACE-N 22 is a variant of the ACE 22 compatible with STANAG magazines and with an empty weight of .

ACE 23

The Galil ACE 23 is similar to the ACE 21 and ACE 22 but features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of and with an empty weight of .

ACE 31

The Galil ACE 31 is similar to the ACE 21 but is chambered in 7.62×39mm cartridge, and is compatible with the AK-47/ AKM magazines. It features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of and a similar empty weight of .

ACE 32

The Galil ACE 32 is similar to the ACE 31 but features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of and with an empty weight of .

ACE 52

The Galil ACE 52 is a battle rifle variant chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, and is compatible with the 25-round Galil Sniper magazines. It features a barrel length with a muzzle velocity of , an empty weight of , and cyclic rate of fire of 620–680 rounds/min.

ACE-N 52

The Galil ACE-N 52 is a variant of the ACE 52 compatible with SR-25 pattern magazines and with a similar empty weight of .

ACE 53

The Galil ACE 53 is similar to the ACE 52 but features a with a muzzle velocity of and with an empty weight of .

Civilian variants

IWI US offers a semi-automatic only variant of the Galil ACE, intended for the American civilian market.

In October 2020, IWI US began production of an "extremely limited edition" 5.45×39mm variant of the Galil ACE. It was available in either a or barrel configuration, producing a total of 545 units in each barrel length and uses AK-74-pattern magazines.

As of 2023, IWI USA has discontinued their first generation Galil ACE semi-automatic only variants in favour for the Gen II line.

Galil ACE Gen II

In March 2023, IWI US introduced the Galil ACE Gen II. It is offered in four different calibres; 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.45×39mm, 7.62×39mm, 7.62×51mm NATO. The main improvements includes a free-floating M-LOK handguard and M4-style compatible buttstock.

Foreign variants

Galil Córdova

The Córdova is a Colombian Galil ACE variant produced under license via an agreement between Indumil and IWI.

Chile adoption

The FAMAE has been producing licensed Galil ACE variants since 2014 as the Chilean Armed Forces' service rifle.

Peru adoption

The Peruvian government has plans to produce the ACE under license, establishing a factory to produce up to 2,000 rifles per month.

Ukraine adoption

The RPC Fort has been producing licensed Galil ACE variants since 2014: Fort-227 (ACE 22), Fort-228 (ACE 31) and Fort-229 (ACE 52).

Vietnam adoption

The IWI has established a $100 million factory in Vietnam via the Z111 Factory, to produce an unspecified number of Galil ACE assault rifles for the PAVN.

The Vietnamese industry has also developed multiple assault rifle designs based on the Galil ACE, having acquired the technologies and production right:

The Galil ACE 31 and Galil ACE 32 were both adopted as the STV-215 and STV-380, respectively. It is chambered in 7.62×39mm cartridge, it has the charging handle located at the right-side of the rifle, the Galil ACE handguard is replaced with the traditional Galil-style handguards with Picatinny rail on top, the buttstock is also replaced with the FN-FAL Paratrooper stocks with modifications for simpler production and ease of use, the original fire selector was replaced with an AK-style fire selector.

* GK1 and GK3: testing configurations and technology demonstrators based on the Galil ACE with influences from the Kalashnikov rifles and AR-15–style rifles. Did not enter mainline service.
* STL-5,56VN: a resemblance of the IWI US Galil Ace Gen II. Chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO, it features a M-LOK handguard, AK-style charging handle just like the STVs, and an adjustable folding stock similar to the Orsis T-5000's one.
* SHMT-M1: amphibious rifle utilising the Galil ACE design platform and chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO.

Users

* : In service with Battalion d'intervention rapide.
*
* : Selected as the Chilean Army's new 5.56 mm standard-issue rifle. In 2014, the ACE began to be deployed in the Chilean Army.
* : Manufactured by an agreement between Indumil and IWI.
*
* : 3,000 ACE 31s used by the Guatemalan Police.
* : Adopted by the Haitian National Police. Seen used sparsely by Haitian Army troops.
*
* : Laos received Vietnamese-made Galil ACEs in January 2019.
*
* : Used by the Federal Police.
*
* : The Peruvian government has plans to produce the ACE under license, establishing a factory to produce up to 2,000 rifles per month.
* : The Philippine National Police uses the ACE 22N as one of its major assault rifles as of 2018. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency use both the ACE-21N and ACE-22N. The Philippine Coast Guard received more than 4,000 units of ACE 21N in March 2020.
* : Used by the South Sudanese Armed Forces. Chambered in 7.62×39mm.
* : Royal Thai Army & Royal Thai Police.
* : Used by the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment.
* : Galil ACE chambered in 7.62×39mm.
* :
** ACEs used by Ukrainian troops training in the UK under British troops.
** Produced under license since August 2014 by RPC Fort; ACE 22: designated as the "Fort-227", ACE 31: designated as the "Fort-228", and ACE 52: designated as the "Fort-229".
* : ACE 31: designated as the "STV-215" and ACE 32: designated as the "STV-380", the number indicating its respective barrel length, were both selected as the standard-issue service rifles in the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) to gradually replace their current AK-47-derived rifles.
* : Used by the Zambian Army.

See also

* IWI Tavor X95

References

External links

Official website

Galil, el Israelita más Colombiano
(Indumil website, in Spanish)

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5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
7.62×39mm assault rifles
7.62×51mm NATO battle rifles
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2008
Kalashnikov derivatives
Assault rifles of Israel