In the world of modern rifles, there are countless options on the market. Whether it’s a bullpup, AR15, or other type of rifle, there’s a wide variety of options in the semi-auto rifle market. In the past, I’ve looked at the AKM platform and prefer the ergonomics of the AR15. There are plenty of options on the market that mix the two systems together. I recently saw some of the IWI Galils chambered in 7.62X39 and decided to try them since I have almost no experience with them. Over the last few months, I’ve had time to shoot and experience the Galil ACE. Let’s take a closer look at the IWI Galil ACE Gen II.

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Specs

Spec List

Range Time

So far at the time of writing this article, I have had the IWI Galil ACE II for about four months and during that time I’ve fired roughly 950 rounds through the rifle. Throughout my testing of the Galil ACE, I have used every type of magazine from steel AK surplus magazines, Magpul magazines, Tapco as well as Circle 10 magazines.

The Circle 10 magazines are rather tight but once in the gun everything does run reliably and all were flawless with feeding. I’ve heard various people say it’s a modernized AK and if I’m being honest, I think the Galil ACE is a definite improvement from the AK platform. IWI put certain features on the rifle that stand out compared to other options on the market. The safety selector for example is situated on the left side of the pistol grip and a slide motion either front or back allows you to put the rifle on safe or fire. It’s one of the easier systems I have used and allows the shooter to switch the rifle to fire effortlessly.

Other features like the left side charging handle with a closed rotating bolt system allow a sealed system as well as a very soft shooting rifle. Combine that with the Magpul CTR and cheek riser make for a very comfortable and stable shooting experience. The Gen II also comes with a flatter face-style trigger which when firing has a smooth take up to a defined wall with a crisp break and audible reset allowing for fast follow-up shots if you’re shooting drills at the range.

Accuracy and Reliability

When it comes to accuracy, the Galil ACE Gen II does hold its own. For accuracy testing, I used mainly Wolf Steel case ammunition as well as Tula. To Test the accuracy of the Galil ACE with brass-cased ammunition, I used Federal 123gr Power Shok ammunition and fired 3 groups of three rounds with each ammunition. For the steel-cased Wolf and Tula ammunition, there was an average group size of 2.2-2.5″ at 100 yards with the federal coming in with an average of 1.68″. As far as being a good AK alternative, my Aresneal SLR107R is capable of grouping anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5″ with the same ammunition. The Galil ACE Gen 2 is one of the more accurate firearms I’ve tested that’s chambered in 7.62×39 to date which I don’t think should be ignored.

Reliability with the Galil ACE Gen 2 has been 100% with both steel-cased and brass-cased ammunition. When first receiving the firearm, I didn’t do an initial cleaning or any type of lubricating because I wanted to see exactly how well the gun performed compared to a standard AKM platform rifle. With improved ergonomics and accuracy while maintaining bulletproof reliability offers a good alternative and improved rifle to the AKM platform.

A Good AR-15 Alternative?

The big question I often get when talking about the Galil ACE is whether or not it’s a good alternative to the AR15 rifle system. The AR15 truly is America’s rifle and that makes it difficult for any other system to take it by storm. How I look at it, if you are a die-hard AKM guy and have thousands upon thousands of rounds lying around in 7.62×39 and want something more modern, then this rifle is a great offering.

The ammo is the biggest challenge since most of the surplus steel-cased ammo is rapidly becoming harder to find due to global conflicts and import restrictions. For AK guys who want to move away from a 7.62×39 to a 5.56 option, the Galil ACE is a good option with similar bolt charging and magazine changes. I don’t think it’s a replacement for the AR15 but rather a gateway for AK users to get into the 5.56 caliber without changing the ergonomics of what they know already.

Overall Thoughts

Throughout my time with the IWI Galil ACE Gen II, it has been a positive experience with surprising results when it comes to accuracy in the 7.62×39 platform. If you’re looking for a high-quality AKM alternative, the Galil ACE is a fantastic option with features that are more ergonomic than a traditional AK and the ability to customize the rifle with different rails and attach M-LOK features is a huge plus. Overall, I would be confident recommending this rifle to people who are interested and I’m even contemplating picking up the 5.56 variant to directly compare the two rifles.

What do you guys think of the IWI Galil ACE Gen II rifles? Have you had similar experiences with them or do you think they are niche rifles? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have questions about the Galil ACE or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you in the next review.