The Galil is a family of Israeli made automatic rifles designed by Yisrael Galil and Yaacov Lior in the late 1960s, and produced by Israel Military Industries (IMI)(now called Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)). The design is basically a clone of the Valmet Rk 62, which is itself a copy of the Soviet AK-47. “In fact, the first Galils were manufactured using Valmet Rk 62 receivers.”Most Galils are chambered for either the 5.56×45mm NATOor 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. The Galil series of weapons is in use with military and police forces in over 25 countries.

The Israeli army used the 5.56×45mm NATO caliber Galil in three basic configurations. The Automatic Rifle Machine-gun (ARM)with a bi-pod, wire-cutter and carrying handle would become the standard service rifle issued to front line infantry troops. This is the version that famously features a bottle opener in the front handguard.The Automatic Rifle (AR)without the bi-pod, wire-cutter and carrying handle was issued to support troops and military police units. The Short Automatic Rifle (SAR), with a shortened barrel, was issued to vehicle crews, army staff and specialty troops.