When talking about modern sporting rifles the two categories most likely to be talked about are the Armalites and the AKs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of both. The real concern that I have with AKs is that in a lot of instances you just don’t know what you’re getting between various import kits and final build quality. There are some very reputable AK manufacturers out there but between availability and provenness there’s still a lot of unknowns.
Then there is the Galil family. The original models were available in 5.56 and 7.62 NATO offerings and while big heavy guns made some improvements to the AK platform. Borrowing heavily from the Finnish Valmet RK 62 rifle, original Galils are highly collectible and are immediately recognizable in a lineup.
Not that long ago Israeli Weapon Industries brought the Galil back with the “ACE” series, an improvement over an improvement that’s been forty years in the making. Where other companies and countries have attempted to improve and refine the old AK workhorse I remain quite impressed with the work which has gone into the ACE. Available as pistols or rifles in 5.56, 7.62×39, and 7.62×51, these are the Cadillacs of AKs. This month I’m going to be reviewing the .308 model, an AK on steroids.
There’s no denying that any semi-automatic .308 is going to be something of a beast. Inside out the .308 ACE looks like the AK it’s based off of but upscaled. Feeding from SR-25 pattern magazines, this rifle tames the head-turning recoil with a dual chamber muzzle brake and a soft rubber recoil pad and both do a great job of helping tame the cartridge.
From the factory the Galil ACE rifles have right side folding collapsible stocks which operate like AR-15 carbine stocks but utilize a proprietary shape for the extension. Unfortunately, only stocks made for the ACE will fit unless an AR stock conversion is installed. Formed into the left of the heavy steel hinge is a sling attachment point, conveniently placed and out of the way.
The Galils have always had ambi fire selectors and this has been carried over to the ACE, featuring a very instinctive and easily operated thumb switch on the left and a truncated AK style selector on the right. An even bigger change is that the reciprocating charging handle has been moved fully to the left and paired with a hinged dust cover which helps to keep the system sealed even while in operation.
All of the ACE firearms feature a polymer magazine housing but in the case of the NATO chambered rifles this also holds the mag release buttons which are also ambidextrous. The .308’s releases are a little stiff but they keep the mag held securely. While the ACE ships with proven Magpul PMags it will accept many other types of magazines, I had tested several metal bodied mags as well.
Lancer L-7’s appear to work but I have not put rounds through one yet. One point to note is that this rifle can be hard on mag followers, some of the metal mags have soft polymer followers and the backs of them tend to get pretty chewed up. Unsurprisingly, these mags are also the least reliable.
From the factory they come equipped with tri-rail handguards which make use of single piece sliding Picatinny rail covers. They’re pretty short but I like the more traditional appearance which it gives these guns. They are a little wide, though my biggest complaint here is that every model I have ever held the right rail cover always has some play in it, drives me crazy. Still, it works. There’s always the option of swapping out the rail cover or using an aftermarket handguard, too.
The barrels are cold hammer forged and chrome lined, nice features to have and something which most AK fans specifically look for. All rifles come with 16.5″ barrels.
Up top both the dust cover and gas tube each have a section of Picatinny rail which gets wedged together for a seamless looking mounting surface. Mounting a rail to the dust cover might seem like a bad idea but on the Galils they lock down TIGHT, like “I need a rubber mallet to reassemble” tight. Inside is a rubber gasket to seal against debris ingress and the “hook” for the dust cover is extended like the original Galil to keep things nicely pinned together.
While this seems to be a rigid platform one must keep in mind that these two pieces will need to hinge slightly for disassembly, an optic cannot occupy both sections at the same time and two accessories cannot be mounted too closely together.
Another change with the gas tube is that it is no longer torqued down with a lever. Instead it slides right into place and is held firm by the dust cover itself. This might seem a bit awkward at first but both the Valmet and the original Galil also used this method and I have to admit it’s quite neat. It may require a bit more finesse for reassembly but I’ve come to prefer this approach compared to the traditional AK way.
The iron sights have been given a huge upgrade for the ACE series. In back is an AR-style dual aperture ghost ring, one with dual tritium inserts. The rear sight is windage adjustable with a sight tool and can be removed if you want to mount a scope instead. Up front is a curiously tall front sight post which also has a tritium insert and another sling attachment as part of the sight tower. If you wish to make elevation adjustments the same sight tool is required. Once the desired height is dialed in this tool also helps you to re-center the tritium vial to preserve low light use. If you’re familiar with AR iron sights then you’ll feel comfortable behind a Galil ACE.
This said, if you’re an AR shooter then the ACE’s trigger will be a change of pace. These definitely have more duty-oriented two-stage triggers with a fairly heavy pull, some overtravel, and a somewhat long but very positive and audible reset. It’s a smooth pull all the way through but this is nowhere near what the AR crew would be expecting. That said, having fired some AKs which have less than stellar triggers and some with atrocious trigger slap, the Galil ACE is very good to use on the range. While the 7.62×39 version does have some aftermarket trigger options I do not believe that any are currently offered for the NATO specimens.
Being that these are long stroke gas pistons, shooting a .308 chambered AK is quite the experience. It’s fairly jarring, it’ll rattle you, the bipod will jump off of the bench, but the brake and recoil pad really do help to calm things down. If you’ve ever gotten a feeling of satisfaction racking the bolt on an AK then the .308 ACE turns it up to eleven with all of the expected mechanical clunking and the left side placement, it’s fantastic. I downloaded the mags just so I had more excuses to charge it!
The .308 in particular is a big heavy gun coming in at 8.7 pounds empty but I can’t fault it considering what gets thrown down the pipe. Thirty caliber rifles are serious business and you know that as soon as you pick one of them up. That said, it is more of a niche firearm for the civilian market. Most shooters who want a .308 are looking for long range accuracy and would be better served by an AR-10 for the money. The flipside is reliability, AKs are already solid performers and the updated design and mechanics of the ACE should make them even better at running in adverse conditions. The Galil isn’t precision oriented, it’s here to get the job done. This system has seen plenty of service use in some tough conditions so it has strong pedigree.
Complaints are limited, starting with the aforementioned loose rail cover and adding in the kind of a heavy trigger and a non-replaceable (although nicely contoured) rear grip. It also would have been really nice to have standard AR stock compatibility right from the factory. Still, my biggest beef with this rifle is that it lacks a last shot bolt hold open. The 5.56 has one and I see no reason for the .308 to not. The 7.62×39 not having one makes sense as AK mags were never built with such functionality in mind.
The ACE series is seeing some aftermarket support, however the 7.62×39 seems to be the star of the series with less being offered for the NATO variants. Fortunately, both the stock assembly and handguards can be swapped out if desired.
Big, brash, unapologetically AK and incredibly fun for slinging some heavier slabs of lead. The Galil ACE in .308 is an excellent option for anyone wanting more from the platform and for anyone wanting a tough, proven rifle which can tackle just about any situation without complaint. Controls are simple and intuitive, magazines are affordable and easy to find, and you just can’t go wrong with having a semi-auto .308 around.
