Picked up a new to me ORF Galil. It's beautiful and appears unfired.

I bought 5 magazines (steel) and none of them fit. They insert, but don't lock in all the way, leaving the mag catch in the forward position, then I have to hit the back of the mag to break it free.

After further inspection, the magazine catch appears to be damaged, it's cracked and appears to be sitting cock-eyed.

After seeing these issues I looked up ORF Galils and found that low serial # receivers had issues. This is a 3-digit serial number.

Any advice on how I should tackle this?

Replace the magazine catch?

Pics

post some pics of the front of the mag inserted in the receiver (side view)  and top view (so you can see the bullet guide and the mag)..you may need to remove some of the receiver in the front.  The cracked mag catch should be replaced at some point..or welded, but I think your mag well is the issue and more than likely just a little material needs to go..

I agree.  I just pulled out my Action Arms Import and unless my eyes are playing tricks (its hard to tell from the pics), while the crack is not great and for some reason the mag catch appears to be a little off kilt, unless the gap between the rivet plate and the mag catch is so affected by the cant of the mag catch so as to not allow for the clearance of the rear lug, then I think that the receiver must be out of spec in some way - either at the front as was noted or at the rear.  

Fun fact:  Any 7.62 AK mag will lock up into a galil no problem which is weird if you think about it considering how IMI tried to make the rifle kind of soldier proof -  probably because the galil is derived from the 7.62 Valmet 62 - however, when the Finns made .223 guns in the 70s for export, they actually redesigned the mag and the mag well so an AK mag is a no go in the Valmet M76.  Alas I digress.

Make sure the front tab of the mag will slide in the notch of the rifle. My ATI  was too tight wouldn't engage and wouldn't let the mag lock in the catch. I filed the top of the front lug on the mags until it would slide in.

There was I time I would have modified each mag to fit, but today I have a general rule when it come to Galil clones....Do not modify IMI parts...modify the out of spec US part.  It was hard at firsts, because I am mainly talking about the receiver and most US receivers are ridiculously over priced for the amount of issues they have.  In the long run you will be happier knowing you brought the out of spec part into a working spec and any IMI part will fit moving forward.

@tomelroy1

Hmm - how much clearance is there for the rear lug of the mag without a mag in place?

0.185" from bottom of receiver to top of the mag catch.

The rear lug measure 0.100" at it's thinnest to 0.150" at it's thickest.

the mag well opening on a IMI receiver is ~2.595 and a metal IMI mag ~is 2.555. (a tapco mag is 2.570) These receiver measurements were taken from two IMI stubs with intact mag wells.  With the IMI receiver I can push the metal  mag back towards the catch and fit a .035 feeler gauge in between the bottom of the front tab on the mag and the receiver normally they touch) or put the same feeler gauge in between the back of the mag and the receiver..(with the gun field stripped, from the top).

I would measure your mag well opening and see were it is compared to  2.595 or double check that it is .030 to .040 larger than your mags..  If it is less than .040, I would probably remove about .010 of material from the front edge of the mag well (mill is best, but dremel or even a file will work), test fit...then take more if needed.  Just make sure you also have clearance were the front lug on the mag fit in the receiver as well.

If you mag well is already .040 larger than your IMI metal mag, it is likely your mag catch was riveted on to far forward..I have seen this on a few clones...

Looking at your top view, I can see your mag follower as well as part of the front lug, on the IMI receivers i was measuring the tip of the bullet would just clear the bullet guide as it feed up the mag and more of the front of the mag is hidden under the bullet guide.

I will post some pic shortly..

but measure the mag well and post up your measurements.

2.585" for the mag well opening.

Heres a pic with rounds in the mag from the top.

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Some of the IMI's use a shorter bullet guide and if it is installed it is not inline with the locking lugs, but basically the tip of the bullets should be inline with the locking lugs.  Normally the visible portion of the front tab on the mag is touching the receiver,  I had to push the mag back to get it to fit the .035 feeler gauge.  I would double check to see where  the front of your mag is touching the receiver and take of .010 and see how it fits.

I'll be taking it to the mill at work on Monday. The mag jams up with zero gap in the front. Completely stuck. I have to smack them to get them out. The only mag that kind-of-almost works is much older and worn down.