| IWI ACE | |
|---|---|
 A left-side view of the ACE-N 22 (5.56×45mm NATO) | |
| Type |
Assault rifle Battle rifle Designated Marksman Rifle |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2008–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars |
Colombian conflict Mexican Drug War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Israel Military Industries |
| Manufacturer |
Israel Weapon Industries |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge |
|
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire |
|
| Muzzle velocity | 600 to 915 m/s (1,970 to 3,000 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 300 to 500 m (330 to 550 yd) |
| Feed system |
Detachable box magazines
|
| Sights | Tritium front post and rear diopter iron sights, and Picatinny rail for various optical sights |
The IWI ACE (formerly IMI Galil ACE) is a family of rifles developed and originally manufactured by an Israeli firearm manufacturer, Israel Military Industries (IMI) of Ramat HaSharon, though it is now produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) (IMI privatized their small arms division, called IWI), and also produced under license by Indumil,[1] FAMAE,[2] RPC Fort[3] and Z111 Factory.[4] It is produced in three different calibers; 5.56×45mm NATO, 7.62×39mm and 7.62×51mm NATO.
The ACE family is based upon the mechanism of the IMI Galil, but using a modernized design and materials to increase its accuracy and lower its weight, while maintaining the Galil's ergonomics, ease of maintenance and reliability under battle conditions.[5] Emphasis was placed in particular in increasing its reliability and accuracy under adverse or battlefield conditions.
It is the main standard-issue assault rifle of the Chilean Army, of the People's Army of Vietnam and of the Colombian Army and Colombian Police.
Design details[]
Weight reduction[]
The original Galil had weighed up to 9.6 lb (4.4 kg), depending on its variant, and this weight was criticized by the Israel Defense Forces. The heavy weight was a result of IMI having built the Galil rifle from a machined all-solid steel billet action in order to increase the structural integrity and survivability of the weapon.
The ACE has a significantly reduced weight. IWI redesigned the action to integrate the steel with polymer, which is much lighter than the fully steel receiver of the original Galil.[5] While the upper receiver is machined steel and the receiver top features a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, polymer has been introduced to the lower receiver of the weapon to reduce the gun's weight.[6]
Port sealing[]
IWI have sealed the internal mechanism of the gun, by the addition of a sliding vertical cover. As a result, the internal mechanism of the ACE is sealed and protected from the accumulation of dirt or sand.[6]
Accuracy[]
According to American Rifleman: “Although this rifle is clearly based on the AK design, it demonstrated a superior level of accuracy potential compared to several of its cousins. The best single group of [5 rounds at 100 yards] of 0.83″ and five-group average of 0.98″ was produced using the Federal Premium 123-gr. [8.0 g] Power-Shok soft-point load” (testing done using 7.62×39mm 16-inch barreled variant).[7]
Gas tube[]
The gas tube, unlike the AK-47 system, is mounted on the rifle via a dovetailed slide machined on the receiver upper-front block. This avoids any movement of the gas block influencing barrel vibration, which would degrade accuracy.[5]
Long-stroke piston system[]
The rifle uses the Galil's long-stroke piston system. The long-stroke system is found in the M1 Garand, AK-47 (upon which the Galil's internal mechanism design borrowed heavily) and more recently in the IWI Tavor.
Barrel[]
The barrel is chrome-lined, cold hammer-forged, with a 1:7″ twist for 5.56×45mm NATO, 1:9.5″ for 7.62×39mm and 1:12″ for 7.62×51mm NATO.
Trigger[]
The ACE adopts the Galil Sniper trigger instead of the original Galil trigger, in order to improve accuracy compared to the standard Galil.[8] This is a two-stage trigger,[6] which IWI have modeled on the two-stage trigger of the M1 Garand.[9]
According to American Rifleman, the two-stage trigger is “clean and smooth with a 4 lb. 13 oz. [4.8 lbf, 21.4 N] trigger pull according to a Lyman digital trigger gauge”.[7]
Last round bolt catch[]
Another addition by IWI to the original Galil is the last round bolt catch (for variants of the ACE in 5.56×45mm NATO only). The bolt hold-open feature is a common request of military customers, to reduce reloading times during combat.[10]
Sights[]
The ACE has a fully adjustable iron sights with tritium front post and two dot tritium rear aperture. It also features a Picatinny rail for mounting various optical sight.
Stock[]
The standard buttstock found on the ACE is a six-position telescopic stock that can be fitted with an optional cheek-piece to improve the sighting of the weapon when using an optical sight. An optional right folding version of the standard buttstock is also available.
The forearm consists of MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails on all 4 sides for mounting accessories such as aiming optics. The side forearm rails have central grooves to provide routing channels for electric wiring used by pressure switch activated accessories. The forearm comes with quick detachable polymer covering panels that can be mounted to protect the rails when a side or bottom rail has no accessories mounted to it.
Variants[]
The ACE is available in three calibers with multiple barrel lengths for each type:[11]
| Model | Caliber | Barrel length | Length (extended) | Length (retracted) | Weight (unloaded) | Feed system | Muzzle velocity | Range | Rate of Fire (rounds per minute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE 21 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 216 mm (8.5 in) | 730 mm (29 in) | 650 mm (26 in) | 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) | 35-round Galil magazine | 710 m/s (2,300 ft/s) | 300 m (330 yd) | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE-N 21 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 216 mm (8.5 in) | 730 mm (29 in) | 650 mm (26 in) | 3.05 kg (6.7 lb) | 30-round NATO magazine | 710 m/s (2,300 ft/s) | 300 m (330 yd) | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE 22 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 335 mm (13.2 in) | 847 mm (33.3 in) | 767 mm (30.2 in) | 3.40 kg (7.5 lb) | 35-round Galil magazine | 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) | — | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE-N 22 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 335 mm (13.2 in) | 847 mm (33.3 in) | 767 mm (30.2 in) | 3.45 kg (7.6 lb) | 30-round NATO magazine | 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) | — | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE 23 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 463 mm (18.2 in) | 976 mm (38.4 in) | 896 mm (35.3 in) | 3.60 kg (7.9 lb) | 35-round Galil magazine | 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s) | 500 m (550 yd) | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE-N 23 | 5.56×45mm NATO | 463 mm (18.2 in) | 976 mm (38.4 in) | 896 mm (35.3 in) | 3.65 kg (8.0 lb) | 30-round NATO magazine | 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s) | 500 m (550 yd) | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE 31 | 7.62×39mm | 216 mm (8.5 in) | 730 mm (29 in) | 650 mm (26 in) | 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) | 30-round AK magazine | 600 m/s (2,000 ft/s) | — | 680-880 RPM |
| ACE 32 | 7.62×39mm | 409 mm (16.1 in) | 927 mm (36.5 in) | 847 mm (33.3 in) | 3.50 kg (7.7 lb) | 30-round AK magazine | 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) | — | 680–880 RPM |
| ACE 52 | 7.62×51mm NATO | 409 mm (16.1 in) | 954 mm (37.6 in) | 874 mm (34.4 in) | 3.60 kg (7.9 lb) | 25-round 7.62mm Galil magazine | 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s) | — | 620–680 RPM |
| ACE 52L | 7.62×51mm NATO | 457 mm (18.0 in) | 992 mm (39.1 in) | 912 mm (35.9 in) | 3.71 kg (8.2 lb) | 25-round 7.62mm Galil magazine | 830 m/s (2,700 ft/s) | — | 620–680 RPM |
| ACE 53 | 7.62×51mm NATO | 511 mm (20.1 in) | 1,055 mm (41.5 in) | 963 mm (37.9 in) | 3.8 kg (8.4 lb) | 25-round 7.62mm Galil magazine | 860 m/s (2,800 ft/s) | — | 620–680 RPM |
At some point,[when?] the ACE 52L was removed from production.[citation needed]
Gallery[]
Users[]
The Colombian Police armed with the ACE 22.
The ACE 32 used in the Vietnam People's Army.
Chile: Selected as the Chilean Army's new 5.56 mm standard-issue rifle.[12] In 2014, the ACE began to be deployed in the Chilean Army.[13]- Colombia: Is the new standard-issue assault rifle of the National Army of Colombia and National Police of Colombia.[14] Manufactured actually by an agreement between Indumil and IWI for export markets in Colombia.
- El Salvador[15]
- Guatemala: 3,000 ACE 31s used by the Guatemalan Police.[16]
- Haiti: Used by certain Haitian police officers.[17]
- Honduras: ACE 21 used by the Honduran Army and Air Force.[citation needed]
- Mexico: Used by certain personnel of the Federal Police.[18]
- Paraguay: Used by the special forces of the Paraguayan National Police against insurgents in the north and in major drug operations on the Brazil–Paraguay border.
- Peru: The Peruvian government has plans to produce the ACE under license, establishing a factory to produce up to 2000 rifles per month.[19][20]
- Philippines: San Juan City Police uses the ACE 21.[21]
- South Sudan: Used by the South Sudanese Armed Forces.[18]
- Thailand: Royal Thai Army & Royal Thai Police
- Trinidad and Tobago: Used by the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment.
- Ukraine: Produced under license since August 2014 by RPC Fort; ACE 22 as the “Fort-227”,[3] ACE 31 as the “Fort-228”,[22] and ACE 52 as the “Fort-229”.[23]
- Vietnam: ACE 31 and 32 have been selected as the standard-issue assault rifles in the People's Army of Vietnam, to gradually replace their current AK-47-derived weapons.[24] IWI has established a $100 million factory in Vietnam, to produce an unspecified number of Galil ACE assault rifles for the People's Army of Vietnam.[25]
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See also[]
References[]
- ↑ [1][dead link]
- ↑ "Chile quita poderosa arma al Perú". 27 June 2014. http://elchino.pe/actualidad/44697-chile-quita-poderosa-arma-al-peru.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Штурмовая винтовка "Форт-227"" (in Russian). http://www.fort.vn.ua/produkciya/avtomaticheskoe-oruzhie/shturmovaya-vintovka-fort227.html.
- ↑ http://www.janes.com/article/33334/israel-weapon-industries-to-begin-assault-rifle-production-in-vietnam
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ortenzi, Paolo (29 May 2013). "Galil Ace 5.56". p. 1. http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1927.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ortenzi, Paolo (29 May 2013). "Galil Ace 5.56". p. 2. http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1927&page=2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Horman, B. Gil (19 January 2015). "IWI Galil ACE Semi-Automatic Rifle". http://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/1/20/iwi-galil-ace-semi-automatic-rifle/.
- ↑ Johnson, Steve (24 August 2010). "Galil Ace Rifle". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/08/24/galil-ace-rifle.
- ↑ Kokalis, Peter G. (2001). Weapons Tests and Evaluations: The Best of Soldier of Fortune. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-1581601220.
- ↑ Tilstra, Russell C. (21 March 2014). The Battle Rifle: Development and Use Since World War II. McFarland. pp. 98. ISBN 978-0786473212.
- ↑ "ACE". http://iwi.net/ace/.
- ↑ "FIDAE: Chilean Army Selects Galil ACE as New Standard Rifle". 26 March 2014. http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140326/DEFREG02/303260027/FIDAE-Chilean-Army-Selects-Galil-ACE-New-Standard-Rifle.
- ↑ "El Ejército de Chile comienza a desplegar el nuevo fusil Galil ACE" (in Spanish). 24 September 2014. http://www.defensa.com/frontend/defensa/ejercito-chile-comienza-desplegar-nuevo-fusil-galil-ace-vn13356-vst333.
- ↑ "IWI Galil ACE 5.56 mm assault rifle (Israel), Rifles". Jane's Information Group. http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Infantry-Weapons/IWI-Galil-ACE-5-56-mm-assault-rifle-Israel.html.
- ↑ Johnson, Steve (11 January 2012). "El Salvador also to buy Galil Ace". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2012/01/11/el-salvador-also-to-buy-galil-ace/.
- ↑ Johnson, Steve (16 February 2011). "IWI Galil ACE rifle adopted by Guatemala National Civil Police". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/02/16/iwi-galil-ace-rifle-adopted-by-guatemala-national-civil-police/.
- ↑ Nathaniel F. (30 April 2014). "Haitian Police Spotted with Galil ACE, T65 Rifles". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/04/30/haitian-police-spotted-galil-ace-t65-rifles/.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Johnson, Steve (13 February 2014). "IWI Galil ACE Spotted In South Sudan and Mexico". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/02/13/iwi-galil-ace-spotted-south-sudan-mexico/?.
- ↑ Johnson, Steve (30 November 2010). "Peru licenses the new Galil ACE rifle". http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/11/30/peru-licenses-the-new-galil-ace-rifle/.
- ↑ [2][dead link]
- ↑ "Facebook". https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1006635766025471&set=gm.1720585728175890&type=3&theater.[dead link]
- ↑ "Штурмовая винтовка "Форт-228"" (in Russian). http://www.fort.vn.ua/produkciya/avtomaticheskoe-oruzhie/shturmovaya-vintovka-fort228.html.
- ↑ "Штурмовая винтовка "Форт-229"" (in Russian). http://www.fort.vn.ua/produkciya/avtomaticheskoe-oruzhie/shturmovaya-vintovka-fort229.html.
- ↑ "Israeli IWI Galil ACE 31 and ACE 32 assault rifles to replace Russian AK-47 in the Vietnamese Army". 2 February 2014. http://www.armyrecognition.com/february_2014_global_defense_security_news_uk/israeli_iwi_galil_ace_31_ace_32_assault_rifles_to_replace_russian_ak-47_in_vietnamese_army_0202146.html.
- ↑ Grevatt, Jon (3 February 2014). "Israel Weapon Industries to begin assault rifle production in Vietnam". http://www.janes.com/article/33334/israel-weapon-industries-to-begin-assault-rifle-production-in-vietnam.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to IWI Galil ACE. |
- ACE - IWI
- IWI - ACE Official Brochure
- About the rifle design (Spanish)
- About the project (Spanish)
- Growth of Colombian Military Industry
- Colombian Militar Industry Consumers
- New rifle with Colombian seal
- Indumil Galil ACE
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The original article can be found at IWI ACE and the edit history here.