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Posted: 3/19/2025 7:47:16 PM EDT
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For no good reason I seem to want a Galil (not the ACE), can't figure out why! Anyone have one and what is your experience with them? Anyone run one suppressed? If so what did you add to make it run if anything? Classic Firearms has them for $950. 
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The smoothest firearm I ever shot was a real factory galil, imported by action arms back in the 80s or 90s. If I had a spare $6k kicking around, I'd own one. These days, there are a number of companies building essentially parts kits. JRA and ATI are probably the most popular cheap ones. They had some quality issues in the beginning. Current ones are OK. I have a JRA that goes bang every time. I think I got mine from classic firearms. It is "battlefield worn", which really just means they put it together and didn't refinish anything. IKON was doing them. That dude did some shady shit and last I heard was in a bigass law suit from ripping off palmetto state and went out of business. Southern tactical occasionally does runs. They are a very small and very new company. They had some teething problems, but are active on the forums and engaging with customers. They seem to stand behind what they put out. Pretty much none of the above companies are using CHF/CL barrels. They are bastard parts kits of varying condition. If you want a nice parts kit build, hillbilly firearms is the go to guy for galils. They are top notch, but take a while. You can source a CHF barrel with your parts kit if you want, or go with a nitride. I have a hillbilly one built from a kit from atlantic firearms on a tortort receiver. You can also get an ACE and dress it up to look old-ish. They accept the old galil stocks. There are wood handguards and grips available aftermarket. That'll be a brand new factory fun with a CHF/CL barrel and better quality than any parts kit from any company. |
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Originally Posted By DuneShoot: Good info thanks. Was looking at the JRA. It works fine. Its on the "probably overgassed" end of the spectrum. The finish is ugly. You may or may not get all the parts in your "flip up iron sights". Mine did not come with the springs and pins for the flip up sights. The grip they use is pretty cheap. Mine is cut for a scope rail. That sits pretty high. The base of the scope rings sits above the irons. I think its worth $900. No issues with function. For comparison, heres my JRA and my hillbilly build. The hillbilly one cost twice as much, and its more than twice as nice.    
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Mine was a build from a kit, on an Ohio Ordnance Works received, and using a US made barrel. I put in the barrel, then drilled the gas port and the pins for the gas block. Riveted in the parts, pinned the stock, 5.56 and I love it. It’s just heavy. Probably WAY over gassed, brass flies a good 15-25 feet. 😬😁 |
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Make it "Idiot Proof", along comes a better idiot.
Official Site Nickname, given by NorCal - "Smack"
| Solid feeling gun. I've built a few, they are heavy but balance okay. 5.56 out of a milled receiver is smooth. I should have picked up a few more kits when they were cheaper - they are great guns. you won't see guns like this made in the future - everyone is going to AR platforms it seems. Heavy all steel 5.56 guns are a thing of the past- get one or more! |
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Here are my two. A Galil MAR with Hillbilly firearms receiver. I have a FAB defense rail installed now for optics and night vision goodies. I've run my Saker 5.56 on it for a while. It requires a buffer or it beats itself up, even with a smaller than spec gas port with the can. I will switch to my LBP when I get back home to help with the backpressure. The barrel is an Evocatus and really nice. One of my favorite rifles I own and it's seen a few local AK matches and goes to the range with me almost every time. I shoot it more than my AKS-74U which was my previous rifle that always went to the range. It is a bit heavy. It's not completely finished as the receiver is as I received it. I wanted to make sure it worked before I make the receiver match the kit. The FAB defense rail requires you to get a SAR gas tube and cut it down to size as the original tube has a pic rail on it. The Galil AR is another kit build from Apex from a long time ago. It has an AWO receiver that seems to be decent. I know they were sometimes hit or miss. The barrel is a Green Mountain. Trigger is a modified Tapco G2. I just cold blued the receiver as it looked fairly close to the rest of the kit. I think it's been together for about 8 or 9 years.  
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Originally Posted By DuneShoot: For no good reason I seem to want a Galil (not the ACE), can't figure out why! Anyone have one and what is your experience with them? Anyone run one suppressed? If so what did you add to make it run if anything? Classic Firearms has them for $950. https://cdn.classicfirearms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800x600/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/w/o/wood_gallant_bayonet_lug_no_bipod_1_web_1.png I’ve got that one from Classic for $900 and the Southern Tactical from Atlantic. I cut the barrel down to 16” on the Classic one. Both run great. |
I built mine from an Atlantic firearms Galil SAR parts kit and tortort receiver. I got the barrel from Atlantic also along with the receiver and extended muzzle brake. Reached out to Jeff at Hillbilly firearms for some advice on headspacing and hand fitting the bolt. Super nice guy and very knowledgeable on the Galil rifle. They are a bit more involved than a stamped AK, but doable with the right tools and knowledge. 
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I got my Galil ARM parts kit from Apex. Unfortunately, the pic on their website showed a gas block with bayonet lug. The gas block in my kit has no bayonet lug. I reached out to them to see if they have one that I can exchange it for. It's dumb, but that's what I collect. Guns with bayonets. |
| I am running a Hillbilly Classic AR model and to say it is smooth is an understatement. I went "full tilt" on this one and with a fully nitrided finish and a custom 1/9" barrel it is a sewing machine. |
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