IWI Galil ACE

Assault Rifle / Assault Carbine / Battle Rifle

Israel | 2008

"The IWI Galil ACE is a further evolution of the well-established Israeli Galil assault rifle series and represents a modernized version of the classic gun."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Image from official IWI marketing material.

The original Israeli military IMI "Galil" rifle of 1972 was a modified form of the Finnish RK-62 which itself was a local creation of the Polish copy of the famous Soviet Kalashnikov AK-47. A stout weapon, the Galil proved itself across the many regional conflicts involving Israel and went on to form the basis for several other related automatic weapons born from the original - these including a carbine, Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) forms.

However, as good as the gun was there were critiques that followed the weapon after a period of practical in-the-field use. Chiefly, as a frontline standard infantryman assault weapon, the rifle proved heavy at just under 10 pounds and several internal design qualities threatened reliability under harsh battlefield conditions. With that in mind, Israel Military Industries (IMI) engineers (now Israel Weapon Industries - IWI) engineers went to work on fleshing out a modernized version of the storied rifle and this has become the Gaili "ACE".

The ACE marks a family of automatic weapons based on the reworked Galil concept - to include a full-length assault rifle form, a shortened carbine model and a sturdy Battle Rifle (to fulfill the sniping / Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) role). The overall appearance of the weapon remains faithful to the Galil but certainly has been reworked with accessory rails support and liberal use of lightweight polymers. A "last-round" bolt catch has been implemented and the gas operation system relies on a proven long-stroke piston action with the gas cylinder affixed over the barrel assembly. An adjustable shoulder stock gives the operator some customizability and the barrel is finished with chrome-lining and is hammer-forged for robustness.

The resulting weapon is a lighter, more reliable and accurate frontline service rifle able to adopt to various battlefield roles - a plethora of variants are available which feature varying operational weights, barrel lengths and feed systems (operating from Kalashnikov, original Galil or NATO magazines) with slightly different performance specifications. Chamberings range from the widely-accepted 5.56x45mm NATO intermediate rifle cartridge to the 7.62x39mm and 7.62x51mm rifle cartridges depending on model in question.

The ACE has become the standard-issue service rifle of the armies of Colombia (with local production by Indumil), Chile (FAME) and Vietnam (Z111 Factory). Peru is also working up local production of the gun family. The weapon is known locally in Ukraine as the "Fort 227" and joins the "Fort-228" and "Fort-229" models produced by RPC Fort. Beyond its obvious military value, some global police forces have also adopted the type - as is the case in Haiti, Mexico, Philippines and Guatemala.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the IWI Galil ACE. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

Gas-Operated, Rotating Bolt
Action

5.56x45mm NATO; 7.62x39mm; 7.62x51mm NATO
Caliber(s)

20-, 25-, 30- or 35-round detachable box magazine.
Feed

Iron Front and Rear; Optional Optics
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the IWI Galil ACE. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,650 ft
502.9 m | 550.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range

700
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

2,500 ft/sec
762 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the IWI Galil ACE Assault Rifle / Assault Carbine / Battle Rifle family line.

ACE - Base Series Designation

ACE 21 - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; Galil magazine; 2.95kg weight.

ACE 21N - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; NATO magazine; 3.19kg weight.

ACE 22 - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; Galil magazine; 3.25kg weight.

ACE 22N - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; NATO magazine; 3.35kg weight.

ACE 23 - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; Galil magazine; 3.4kg weight.

ACE 23N - Chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO; NATO magazine; 3.45kg weight.

ACE 31 - Chambered for 7.62x39mm; AK magazine; 3kg weight.

ACE 32 - Chambered for 7.62x39mm; AK magazine; 3.4kg weight.

ACE 52 - Chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO; 25-round magazine; 3.6kg weight.

ACE 52L - Chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO; 25-round magazine; 3.7kg weight.

ACE 53 - Chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO; 25-round magazine; 3.8kg weight.

Fort-227 - Ukraine local production model

Fort-228 - Ukraine local production model

Fort-229 - Ukraine local production model

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the IWI Galil ACE. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) (fmr Israeli Military Industries (IMI)) - Israel / Indumil - Colombia / RPC Fort - Ukraine / FAME - Chile / Z111 Factory - Vietnam

[ Colombia; Chile; Haiti; Mexico; Peru; Guatemala; El Salvador; Honduras; Israel; Philippines; South Sudan; Vietnam; Ukaine ]

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Image from official IWI marketing material.

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

AUTOMATIC FUNCTION

ASSAULT RIFLE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Going Further...
The IWI Galil ACE Assault Rifle / Assault Carbine / Battle Rifle appears in the following collections:

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