IMI Galil thoughts/opinions out there

[piper266]

Over the past couple months, I've been doing a little reading on the cost/comparison of the IMI Galil and the M-4. Lately I've been leaning toward the purchase of a Galil due to AK reliability with the benefit of the 5.56 round. Anyone out there own one or have a good bit of experience with one or both to shed some light on the cost/benefit of one or the other?

[Caster]

You're gonna cough up some bucks for an Israeli made one....if you can find it. Your alternative is a Century. I bought one, sent it back three times for excessive headspace. YMMV but of the 8 or 10 Century built rifles i have owned, I have learned one thing: They are doo doo.

The whole AR reliability thing is absurd. So you can't submerge an AR in a mud slurry and get it to cycle. I don't know about you guys, but I AIN"T DUNKING MY AR IN THE MUD! So an AR won't go 3 thousand rounds without cleaning. I don't know about you guys but I DON"T WANT A DIRTY GUN, so I don't mind cleaning it.

Seriously guy, I ain't jumpin on ya, but buy/build a good AR and never look back.

BTW, When I finally got the Galil troubles sorted, accuracy wouldn't touch an AR on ANY level.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Caster

[Magiccarpetrides]

I did have a century golani/galil and it seemed to actually be very well built, I would still choose an m4/ar over it....if your spending anywhere near $1000 I prefer the msar 556 over either of your choices...just make sure to spend the extra $25 for a neu-trigger.

[Guest coldblackwind]

I've got a century galani galil, 3 ar-15's, AND an msar. All of them are good, the ar is probably the most versatile, but the galil is definitely fun, as well as being the first assault rifle I picked up. Shoots good, reliable, and accurate, the idea the israelis had when they designed the original was to combine the best parts of both the AK and the AR platforms, so it ended up a good design. Only problem I have is that mine WILL NOT shoot steel case ammo, which rules out wolf, but it runs perfect with brass case. As for the MSAR, its a bullpup so its mainly a matter of whether you like bullpups. Also there's the price tag, the galil can be had for around $550 with a bit of looking, the AR is gonna start around $600, and the MSAR...well...think $1100+. Oh, and as for an IMI...just go out and buy a galani, an msar, and a good AR, you'll come out ahead of the game probably unless the price has dropped substantially since the last time I ran across one.

If you're real confused on them, stop by and I'll let you run a few rounds through all 3 and see how they feel, I'm about 30 minutes from murfreesboro.

[dlm37015]

i too have an imi galil its class3 and a century galani both work very well wish i could find more mags though

[1gewehr]

I've got a Galil I built on an Ohio Ordnance receiver. The receiver was fine, and I used an excellent condition parts kit. It runs perfectly.

Here are issues with the Galil:

It's HEAVY for a 5.56mm.

Not nearly as ergonomic as an AR15/M16. (But better than an AK)

Magazines are expensive and heavy.

Sights are better than AK sights, not nearly as good as AR15/M16 sights.

Balance is not as good as an AR15/M16.

Get you spare parts now. They are hard to find and won't get easier.

Don't waste your money on an 'issue-type' Galil scope mount. Get the one which replaces the gas tube cover and use a red-dot or scout scope.

From prone, you will not be getting close to the ground. Likewise when shooting behind cover, careful of the magazine length.

[Guest Revelator]

You could also consider a Saiga 223 if you're looking for something inexpensive. Saigas are fine rifles, probably the only true Russian-made AK variant out there these days, and still very reasonably priced. You just have to convert them from their sporterized configuration, and maybe install a bullet guide for magazines.

[Magiccarpetrides]

You could also consider a Saiga 223 if you're looking for something inexpensive. Saigas are fine rifles, probably the only true Russian-made AK variant out there these days, and still very reasonably priced. You just have to convert them from their sporterized configuration, and maybe install a bullet guide for magazines.

What he said

[Guest Revelator]

Now having said that, I have a Saiga 223 that I converted myself, but if I could do it over again I probably would just get an AR. Don't be seduced by the $350 price online for Saigas. After transfer fee, shipping, the conversion, the magazines, you're getting into mid-level AR country. I'd recommend a Saiga only if you want an AK variant from the Motherland, along with the pride and satisfaction of making it yours through the conversion process. I've been giving a lot of thought toward my next politically incorrect rifle (pistol grip, detachable 30-round magazine) and I'm leaning toward just building my own AR.

[Moped]

Got a Saiga .223. Picked mine up from a member here. Did the conversion myself. Total cost was $525. I got 7 35 round mags in the initial purchase. Then I started figuring out the configuration I wanted. Once I did that, I started looking online for the USA made parts that I needed. That took a week or two, too figure out where I could find them the cheapest. Then I ordered and started the conversion. It took me two evenings to finish the conversion and I've never done this type of thing before. I followed some videos I found on Youtube. They could have been better, but the base knowledge was there. I'm every happy with the outcome. So far after several hundred rounds I've had zero malfunctions and the accuracy is as good as any of the M16's I used the in the army, back in the day. The AK is a super simple weapon!

[poak]

The Galil is pretty rad in the Micro configuration, but other than that, for what you want you'd be much better served going with an Arsenal 106FR or doing a Saiga conversion...

OR just stick with the AR platform.

[Jon_L]

A few years back I was obsessed with getting my hands on a Micro Galil. It's just so sleek!