The IMI Galil is a family of Israeli automatic rifles developed in the 1960’s. Designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior, they were produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI). Based on the Valmet Rk 62, which itself is an improved version of the AK-47. Many Galils use 5.56 x 45 mm NATO or 7.62 x 51 mm NATO cartridges and are currently in use with military and police forces in over 25 countries.
The design of the Galil was based off of thousands of AK-47s captured during the Six-Day War. The Israelis found they were more reliable and controllable than the FAL they were using at the time. The Israel Defense Forces then set out to build an automatic rifle that had the benefits of the AK-47 with the accuracy of the M16 and FAL. Gas-operated with a rotating bolt, the Galil is a selective fire weapon that is operated by a Kalashnikov-pattern gas-driven piston system. By 2000, they were phased out in favor of the M4 and M16 variants yet are still manufactured in Colombia.
