This article was probably the introduction to many readers in the west to the Galil. Just a fun piece of history to revisit :)

Hope you enjoy!

Interesting,  but the classifieds are hilarious.

Every time I want a Galil, I just to to a gun show and pick one up....I'll stick with my AKMS.

It’s amazing the contortions the old timers went through to justify random guns when they already had ARs.

Awesome post. Made my Friday.

Strange how I cannot find much about Ya’akov Lior on the web. He is referenced though when you google Galili. I bet they would have awesome stories to tell from the 1940s during the war for independence. Very tough men.

40yrs ago I was in their office, and saw their 'nut file' of letters they would not publish. They certainly had filters.

But the best part was the generic office park numbered doorway with a green sticker welcome mat, "we are against the use of any and all force and are completely unable to defend ourselves".

As a student in the area I took an abnormal psych class elective and had to do a class presentation on something most people would consider... Bill Guthrie accepted my call and expected a long hair screaming at him.

I admit I am a Galil guy.  Recently shot my AA AR .223 along with a Valmet M76 .223 and a Meridian Defense Volk in 7.62x39.  Its a tight race between the Galil and Valmet but the folder wins for me.  Both shoot great.  I understand the love affair this country has with the AR and that platform has come a long long why since I first held one, but if I needed to make a desert island choice its probably going to be a Galil.  All AK types go bang but there is something about the refined guns in the US caliber with better sights and tighter tolerances which sets them apart.  My $0.02 based on experience.

Lots and lots of people were convinced that ARs were garbage, because of the problems encountered in VN, or rather the perception of them.

Frankly a lot of that persisted until after the 2004 AW ban sunset, when ARs were popular and a whole new generation of shooters were introduced to them.

I don't remember ever seeing that wood stock configuration of the Galil.

Agree 100%. I think people need to remember the explosion in M4 carbine/AR-15 development that occurred just before, during and after 9/11, around 1999-2004. The AR platform definitely had a bad reputation due in part to the Vietnam experience and the perception that the AK platform, M1 Garand, M-14 and bolt action rifles were far more reliable and useful than a mouse gun caliber AR-15 (that is what I was taught in gun shop lore, WWII/Vietnam vets at the local American Legion growing up in the 80s and early 90s unfortunately....).  

I joined this site around 2000-01 or so, and I remember when your choices were rather limited (Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Armalite, DPMS, OlyArms....KAC if you could actually find one). From my experience, Colt acted like HK at the time and tended to ignore the commercial market. You had to find a good dealer that also sold to LEOs to get parts and uppers, etc. The Brady Bill made this difficult to say the least. Likewise, the concept of a "mil spec" AR was foreign to most. You can thank many people on ARFCOM during that time period who spread the knowledge of what is a good "mil spec" AR and how to maintain it/lubricate it appropriately. I learned a hell of a lot from this website when I joined, and I am eternally grateful for that.

After 9/11, we started seeing a flood of accessories and new entries to the market place. By the end of the decade, we had BCM, DD, and other playing in the market place. We have more reliable AR systems as well, with mid-length gas systems (or at least carbine length gas systems configured correctly), Crane spec extractor O rings, use of the appropriate steel for the bolt, M4 feed ramps, "free floated barrels", staked gas keys, different buffer weights and springs, better triggers, etc. Also don't forget what the development of military match grade ammunition did for this platform (not just hand loaded rounds for Camp Perry shooters). 77 grain Sierra Match King arguably has given 5.56 NATO the boost it needed for accuracy and lethality at distance. Now we have bonded rounds and solid copper bullets. 5.56 is not going anywhere.

Fast forward to 2024, and take a look at the offerings from Geissele, Centurion Arms or Daniel Defense. Who would pass up on a Geissele URGI with a HUXWRX suppressor? 1-1.25 MOA with match ammo, super reliable? Why use anything else?  If IWI comes out with a long stroke gas piston rifle that does what a Geissele Mod 1 can do, sign me up just for the coolness factor. At the end of the day though, the DI system will always be lighter in weight and handier than any piston driven gun due to less reciprocating mass. Eugene Stoner hit the nail on the head with the DI design compared to short stroke or long stroke pistons when running unsuppressed. Now with these new flow through cans, the playing field has leveled off between piston and DI guns running suppressed, even compared to two years ago. I still prefer my SCARs running normal baffled cans for obvious reasons over DI system, but now with the new suppressors made through 3D printing, the concept of excessive "back pressure" is going the way side.

Anyhow, now I need to find myself a Galil darn it

This was by far the funnest parts kit build I have done!

The US barrel that came with it had the gas port already drilled.  Of course that was in the wrong position.  I had to machine material from the shoulder on the barrel to thread it further into the receiver to clock the port.  Of course that threw off the head space.  I rented a chamber reamer to correct that.

Then I decided to machine a gas piston from scratch for 922r compliance.  I did that on a flimsy little Atlas lathe in my shed.  I'm not a machinist or gunsmith lol.  

There's a thread in the archives from around 2007 or so.  

Great post on the evolution in this thread.  I dont think a lot of people understand that prior to the 90s, the AR was stagnant and with Colt doing the whole large hole / small hole nonsense and sear block PC crap, it was very easy to look at what other platforms were doing.  In the 80s IMI, Valmet, FN, HK, Steyr etc. all made great rifles which got imported that shot .223 round. HK had these modular rifles where you could easily change out handguards, stocks, trigger groups, lowers / grips and other stuff without tools.  Remember most ARs came with clunky built in carry handles at that time.  

For ARs, I bought Bushmaster, a stripped / virgin lower from a company in PA called RGM (I think -  something that -  still have it somewhere) and then KAC.  KAC is the company that forced everyone to changed how ARs are viewed IMHO. I threw a RIS on a Bushy M4 and it went from there.  KAC is still setting the standard as far as I am concerned but I agree that there are a ton of others as mentioned which have and continue to do great things.  That said, I like my Galils for that they are.  I am not that big on gadgets I guess and I think it is important to be able to shoot out to 100 yds with irons.  Most people are very surprised on how accurate / comfortable a Galil is when they first shoot one.

@Eli75

Attached File


What receiver did you use? Any pictures of your gas piston? What's going on with the handguard retainer?

Attached File