American Tactical
Imports Galeo

If you asked AK enthusiasts to rate the varied models of the venerable Galil by their quality of manufacture and shootability, the Israeli Galil, and perhaps its older cousin the Finnish RK 62, would top the list. American Tactical Imports (ATI) now makes a semi-automatic version you can own, built from genuine military IMI parts and new American receivers and barrels. At the end of my day on the range with the ATI Galeo, I was imagining a future where I forsake all my other AKs and run off with this Israeli beauty to live happily ever after. Galeo can do that to you.

Home Cooking

Galeo rifles are built in-house at ATI’s South Carolina facility in small batches using the best of the original Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Galil parts kits imported from Israel last year. These are combined with the five American-made components needed to meet the compliance requirements of USC 922r — receiver, barrel, magazine body, magazine follower and magazine floorplate.

The single, nigh-invulnerable, TAPCO Intrafuse 30-round magazine the rifle ships with accounts for three of those parts. If you want to use original steel 35-round magazines, ATI has them for $24.99 but you will have to substitute three more American parts on the rifle to stay compliant.

To make their new receivers, ATI starts with solid billets of 4140 CDA (Cold Drawn Annealed) steel and mills them to final form on their own CNC machining centers before sending them out for expert heat treating. From a cosmetic standpoint, the receiver appears to differ from the original only in terms of markings and the lack of the lightening cut on the right side below the ejection port, and the unsightly, shallow cut and screw hole on the left side intended for an optics mount rarely used by the IDF.

The Galeo’s new American-built barrels come from the respected barrel makers at Bear Creek Arsenal. ATI reverse engineered the original IDF barrels with the same size gas port but improved them by adding nitrite treatment to increase wear and corrosion resistance. Rather than the original 1:12 rifling twist, ATI chose a 1:7 twist barrel to better stabilize 62-gr. and heavier bullets.

Banging It Out

The spacious facilities at the Knob Creek Shooting Range in West Point, Kentucky allowed me to test out the Galeo at targets out to 300 yards. The rifle’s ambidextrous controls, especially the right-hand, thumb-operated safety, relieve it of the traditional AK’s awkwardness of operation. The side-folding buttstock locks up solidly and doesn’t compromise accuracy for more compact stowage. I found it comfortable. It allowed me a solid cheek-weld where the old AK under-folders permitted only an unsteady “jaw-weld” at best.

The fully adjustable front sight uses opposing screws to adjust windage and lock it in place, using just an ordinary screwdriver. The Galeo also includes the original Galil’s integral, tritium, flip-up night sights though now exhausted of their glow. ATI has plans to import new replacements for them.

Accuracy

Standing, off-hand, it was a snap to hit gallon milk jugs out to 150 yards thanks to the aperture rear sight and the rifle’s nice, 4.75-lb. trigger pull. From the inside, the fire-control-group looks like a normal double-hook AK type with the exception of a separate trigger return spring. However, the travel before let-off is noticeably shorter than a standard AK trigger which means less time between squeeze and bang, with better accuracy overall.

For accuracy evaluation, I fired five-shot groups at 100 yards with iron sights from a prone, rested position. After testing six different loads with 55-gr. and 62-gr. bullet weights, the rifle definitely favored the heavier projectile. Accuracy was impressive — my tightest group being only 1.25″. The best and fastest velocity load was Black Hills Ammunition 62-gr. Barnes TSX JHP that averaged 1.81″ and 2,932 feet per second. Federal’s Fusion MSR 62-gr. JSP hunting loads averaged 2.25″ while Hornady Black 62-gr. FMJ averaged 2.79″.

Mild Yet Wild

Recoil in this heavy rifle was mild, but the action in all Galils is noticeably and typically violent. The cases I was able to recover were deeply dented on the side. Most of the cases simply went up and were never seen again, presumably caught in low Earth orbit.

If you want to shoot the Galeo suppressed as anything other than a single-shot rifle, you need to replace the stock fixed gas piston with an adjustable one from KNS Precision. This upgrade allows you to easily fine tune the gas flow in the field with no tools. Even if you don’t want a suppressor, the KNS adjustable piston lets you tame down the action speed and reduce wear and tear on the gun. Adding the American-made KNS piston also counts as another U.S. part toward USC 922r compliance if your goal is to use original magazines.

Labor Of Love

ATI did a great job of recreating the classic Galil with the Galeo, making it a fitting homage to one of the great assault rifles of the Cold War. Company VP and COO Robert Bartl described the Galeo project as a “labor-of-love” and explained they were building up the rifles in small runs to maintain quality control. Quality was evident in the tight fit of the rifle, its impressive range performance, and naturally reflected in the $1,299 MSRP.

If you aren’t carrying it all day, every day, on the battlefield, I doubt its shooting qualities will ever lose their charm. From my point of view, beautiful workmanship and extreme durability in an AK variant are worth the extra ounces and dollars.

www.americantactical.us

www.knsprecisioninc.com

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