JRA Gallant Rifle, 5.56 NATO, Semi-Auto, 18" Barrel W/ Compensator, Battle Worn Model, Original Wood Handguards, 30 Rd Mag, S.F. Stock, No Bayonet Lug

What an amazing rifle and one of our proudest achievements to date. Classic Firearms has partnered on this rifle with our good friends at James River Armory to offer one of the most impressive and high-quality Galil platform rifles ever to hit the U.S. Market. These rifles started out as select-fire Galil rifles straight out of the Israeli arsenals. They were then carefully disassembled and rebuilt into a U.S. legal semi-auto rifle that we think may possibly be even better than the original.
This new "Gallant Rifle" features the new Gen II U.S.-made billet steel receiver from James River Armory along with a brand new U.S.-made 1 in 7 twist rate barrel. These rifles are being sold as "Battle Worn" and will retain their original, untouched finish on many of the original parts but in all cases will retain at least 80% of the original cosmetic finish ( Bluing ) on the minor parts, with 100% new blue and the barrel and receiver. Frankly, we think they look great.

Careful attention to detail has been taken with both the internal dimensions and the external appearance of the receiver and the receiver markings pay homage to the Israeli battle rifle it represents with a beautiful logo celebrating its heritage. The receiver also features the original select-fire markings ( although it is semi-auto ), and the original scope mounting port has been meticulously replicated. James River Armory built these rifles and they have done a fantastic job of capturing the essence of the original Galil rifle in a semi-auto form, while also incorporating an improvement that we feel has resulted in a rifle that is even better. 

For all practical purposes, our Gallant rifle looks and performs like its original Galil predecessor however the Gallant features a unique upgrade over the original. The original Galil rifle utilizes a free-floating firing pin within the bolt body which is typically fine for military purposes when using hard primer ammunition but could create a problem with soft primer commercial ammo. The Gallant rifle has addressed that potential issue by modifying the bolt to house a spring-loaded firing pin. These have worked great in extensive test firing sessions and substantially reduce the risk of any unintended slam fire. All rifles feature the traditional Galil-style side-folding butt stocks and receiver-mounted safety levers. Rifles also feature a brand new U.S.-made 1 in 7 twist 18" barrel. This is the correct twist rate for this barrel weight and length and these rifles have shown tremendous accuracy while being able to handle a wide variety of bullet weights effectively. The Gallant barrel also incorporates the original muzzle brake/compensator to reduce recoil and upward muzzle climb. All rifles incorporate an ergonomically enhanced pistol grip by Phoenix Technologies which makes this rifle extremely comfortable to shoot. 

More about the Gallant Rifle - Just like the original Galil our Gallant rifles are chambered in 5.56 Nato ( 5.56 x 45 ). They feature the original, untouched all-steel side-folding buttstock that locks up tight in both the folded and the extended position. Rifles also feature the original long-stroke ( AK style ) piston-driven gas system which is full-auto rated and has proven to be one of the most reliable operating systems in the world. The receivers are made from a very high-quality 4140 tool steel billet which is properly heat-treated, polished, and then meticulously parkerized. These receivers are dimensionally identical to the original Galil receivers and even incorporate the slot for the Israeli side rail scope mount which has been milled into the forward left-hand side of the receiver. Each Gallant receiver also features a beautiful and unique Sword Through Star Of David emblem that pays homage to the great heritage that these fine rifles represent. The Gallant utilizes the original Galil safety lever on the right side of the receiver as well as the safety thumb selector switch that sits above the pistol grip on the left, and both safety selectors are functional. All Gallant rifles incorporate the original Galil sight system which consists of a post front sight and a selectable dual aperture rear peep sight. All rifles will accept the original Galil bipods but they do not come with the bipod. Also, depending on the kit that the rifle was built from the rifle may or may not feature a bayonet lug. We offer options both with and without the lug. If the rifle has the bayonet lug it will accept the U.S. M16 style M7 bayonet just like the original Galil. We could go on and on but in a nutshell, the Gallant rifle is the most faithful reproduction of a classic military rifle that we have ever seen and we are proud to be able to offer it into the market. 

Each Gallant rifle ships with one original Tapco brand 30-round Galil magazine. Rifles carry a one-year warranty for function from James River Armory. 

Note - With the exception of the receiver and barrel, all of the metal components on the Gallant rifle are in original condition. The stocks and original furniture sets are as used and will show some carry wear and character on the wood. The wood forend furniture was more easily carved and whittled on by Israeli soldiers in the field so you can expect typical dings and digs and possibly even some occasional trench art in the forends of this model. In addition to this, since releasing the rifles for sale we have had a few questions regarding the fact that there is some amount of side to side play in the handguards. It is certainly not a function issue, and no one has claimed it as such,  but folks want to know if this is normal. The answer is yes. Galil military rifles in their original state were prone to a certain amount of play in the lower forearm. This is due to the retaining method that both locks the forearm into place around the barrel ( a retaining lever ) and the fact that the forearm is held in place by retention springs that simply provide back pressure against the retainer. While the amount of side-to-side play varies from rifle to rifle most have very little movement and none have been to such an extent that it would negatively impact the function or accuracy of the rifle when firing. Still, please know that a certain amount of " play " in the forearm is normal in this rifle, so please consider this when ordering.  

About the Original Galil Rifle - The Galil rifle represents a perfect combination of AK and AR platforms. Imagine an AK that has the advantage of being chambered in the western standard 5.56 NATO but with an accurized barrel and enhanced features.  One of the significant military benefits of the Galil's lightweight 5.56 NATO round is that it could nearly double the number of rounds that a soldier could comfortably carry.  The AK's long-stroke gas system is legendary for reliable operation in all environments, and the Galil inherited this same operating system. As would be expected, the Galil proved to be very tolerant of the sandy conditions of the Middle East. On top of this, the Galil features a side folding stock for mechanized soldiers, or anyone needing a compact rifle. 

Note 1 - Israeli military Galil rifles were made both with and without bayonet lugs. Depending on the year of manufacture on the original rifles, or the military division they were produced for, the parts kit from that rifle may or may not have had a mounting point for a bayonet. Therefore some of our Gallant rifles will have bayonet lugs and some will not. Also, while all models will accept the original bipods, we are not currently offering a model with the attached bipod. Other than that, there are absolutely no other differences in the base rifle. 

Note 2 - About The Finish On Folding Buttstocks. The buttstocks on these rifles are the original Galil stocks. They are manufactured with a combination of components including plastic, aluminum, and steel. Because of this combination of materials, the stocks cannot be traditionally blued. The originals were all painted and most had a lot of the finish worn off when they came to us in kit form. In fact, you can tell by looking at the originals that they were spray-painted multiple times, most likely during a barracks cleaning, and of course, any harsh bore solvent will remove paint. As part of the build process, J.R.A. does an extensive cleaning. They cannot bake on a finish or process with bluing salts as that would destroy the plastic. Plus it would not be true to the original. In purchasing these please know that the side folding stock does have a painted finish and handle it accordingly when cleaning. 

Note 3 - About The Sights. We get questions about the sights from time to time and even had one gentleman telling us that his rear sight was frozen in place and would not move. Well, that is inherent to the Galils. The rear sights are stationary and all adjustments for both windage and elevation are done by adjusting the front sight pin. The front sight can be adjusted up and down for elevation or drifted side to side for windage. It is also important to note that while some of these rifles may or may not have had flip-up night sight inserts originally, it does not mean that they were on the rifle when it was de-milled into parts. These builds will have whatever parts came with the kit which may or may not include the original night sights. If it is any consolation any luminescent properties that may have been in the night sights have long since expired anyway.  

Note 4 - Correct Caliber or Cartridge- Like the original Galil rifle, our Gallant rifles are chambered for the 5.56 Nato military round. The rifle was designed to fire mil-spec 5.56 Nato ammunition, and that is our recommended load for the rifle.  5.56 ONLY!!!