Hey guys,
Did some swapping and picked up a Gen 2 Ace. Mainly I did it because I am buying anything imported these days. I had a Gen 1 and although I liked it, I sold it a buddy a few years back. I was excited to pick it up because 7.62x39 is RELATIVELY cheap ($7.99 for 20) to pick up right now so shooting 100 rounds is expensive, but basically what I was spending to shoot my AR pistol a year or so ago.
Spoiler alert: there is no reason to buy this gun if you have a Gen 1. I think almost everything about this gun is an improvement, but nothing earth-shattering.
Galil Ace 2 first outing by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
PRO
1. RAIL. It's nice. The old handguard was a bit portly and plasticky. The new one is much more comfortable. I think in full auto the original hand guard might have been more comfortable but in semi-auto the rail won't get warm enough to make a big difference. So basically, you have a nice place to put your hand. ALSO, the rail seems to be very solid so you actually might consider mounting your optic further forward and not have to worry about return to zero. Also, you have excellent sling options thanks to the sling swivel mounting holes.
2. Safety. Supposedly this is much better than the old one. They have shortened the throw but they have increased the leverage needed. I believe this is why they put the ledge on the right (AK) side. I think they increased the leverage needed so they wanted to put a bigger shelf. Honestly, it's ok, but nothing amazing.
3. They trimmed back the plastic around the mag well. I didn't believe it would be, but it is an improvement. It allows very easy mag changes. The old one acted as a sort of guide but the Galil has the best rock and lock system I have ever experienced (WAY, WAY, WAY better than any AK including my Saiga, Arsenal, Zastava, you name it).
4. They swapped to a non-proprietary brace/ AR buffer tube. See "con" below.
5. Trigger is fantastic. The ALG on my Saiga is a bit better but not worth changing. Frankly, it may be no better after I get more than 120 rounds down range.
6. VERY HIGH quality. Everything about it screams top-quality military construction. Nothing about this gun feels dinky. I have played with $1700 DD guns that had furniture that made me wince. This gun feels like it means business. The parts are all clean, well finished and well fit. IWI is not ripping folks off, this is a top-tier gun. Anyone that pays $1200 for a Zastava without brace and won't pay $1600 for this is smoking crack.
Galil Ace 2 Album by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
Galil Ace 2 Album by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
Galil Ace 2 Album by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
Galil Ace 2 Album by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
CON.
1. No irons. The old irons weren't great but they had tritium. The front sight was built in so you never had to worry about it. The rear was a solid bolt on unit but it was still mounted on the top cover which is lame. I ended up spending over $100 putting some low profile magpul sights on the gun.
2. The brace isn't really adjustable. The stock is on a non-proprietary tube but it won't adjust. You basically have to keep it in short mode if you want it to lock. I guess this is a concession to the unwritten LOP rule that ATF is playing around with. However, if this rule doesn't end up being a thing you can easily swap it out. Also, the current brace is shorter than the old brace
3. They have simplified the machining in the lower a bit. I notice that the listening cuts that disappeared in the 545 model are now gone for the 762x39 (see picture)
The gun was very easy to zero. I threw on a lightweight holosun circle-dot. I think any top cover optic needs to be light. after about 9 rounds I was able to zero the sights to the optic and get on with it. I am going to clean it tonight and then see how the zero is next week. I am mix of red army standard and tula. I shot about 3.5 moa. Before you laugh I need to note this is what I shoot with the ammo from my Arsenal and Saiga. That's about as good as I get with AK's shooting cheap ammo.
I noticed no ""over-gassing." I need to admit I like shooting HK-91s but honestly it recoils like an AK pistol with better ergos.
Who should buy this gun ? Gun aficionados. No question this gun at $1600 makes little sense in a world awash with cheap ARs. But if you are an AK guy come hell or high water I can't think of a better AK except for one thing. I WISH there was a way to mount an optic on a side rail. RSREGULATE figure this out. I just don't trust top cover optics.
over time.
Galil Ace 2 first outing by
stoiclawyer, on Flickr
Ghetto Slo-mo.
https://youtu.be/A-OYy8yJ4NY
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Originally Posted by 19852+
