Ancient history

Galil and R4 (Israel/South Africa)

Features


Galil 7.62mm ARM

Caliber :7.62 mm.
Length :I 080 mm.
Barrel length :533 mm.
Weight of the loaded weapon :4.670 kg.
Magger capacity :30 rounds.
Rate of fire :650 rounds/min.
Initial speed :850 m/s.

The exact origin of the Galil assault rifle remains mysterious. It has been said to be the result of purely Israeli research, but the Galil has obvious similarities to the Finnish Valmet, which was produced in many versions of different calibers. But the Valmet itself is closely inspired by the Soviet AK-47. It does not follow, however, that the Galil is a simple replica of the latter, despite certain similarities in operation (for example, the usual rotary breech) and in general appearance - but this characterizes both other types of weapons.
The Galil assault rifle comes in two calibers:5.56 and 7.62 mm; it is one of the weapons most used by the Israeli army. There are three versions:the Galil ARM, which is a weapon for general use, equipped with a carrying handle
and a bipod (which can be used as a wire cutter), two accessories which the Galil AR and the Galil SAR do not have; the latter has a shorter barrel. All three versions, on the other hand, were fitted with a bottle opener to prevent soldiers from using other parts of the rifle (such as the magazine lips) for this purpose. A device installed above the muzzle acts as a grenade launcher.
The Galil ARM can be used as a light machine gun, with 35 and 50 round magazines; some, with 10 rounds, contain the special cartridges which allow the throwing of grenades. It is, of course, perfectly possible to install a bayonet.
The Galil has proven itself in operation and has aroused great interest abroad. Some copies were exported, and copies were also made — this is quite evident in the case of the Swedish FFV 890C, caliber 5.56. South Africa is one of the nations to have manufactured the Galil under license, under the name of R4, which is now the regulation weapon of the combat units of the South African forces. The R4 is 5.56 caliber; it has some differences in detail compared to the original.


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