What's this rifle? (mod edit, dont we already know!)

**freedomman** · 22-12-2009, 16:16

In the 'today in pictures' bit of the Torygraph?

4 Scots win Gold in Atacama Desert patrols competition

It's captioned " Members of an elite team from the Highlanders (4 Scots) take part in a patrol competition in the Atacama desert. The eight-man team won the gold medal ahead of their deployment to the Falkland Islands "

Looks like an AK stylee, but a bit posher.

Apologies I can't post the pic direct from work.

**Ravers** · 22-12-2009, 16:18

Looks like a South African R4 or R5.

Prepared to be proven very wrong by some of the gun nuts on here though. :D

**llech** · 22-12-2009, 16:19

Looks like an AKS-74 more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-74

**3_Peco_Seconds_GO** · 22-12-2009, 16:20

IMI Galil ?

**Alsacien** · 22-12-2009, 16:21

Ravers is right - unless the other gats are using the same butt...

**Quaker** · 22-12-2009, 16:22

Mmmm... Looks abit like a SIG. Maybe a SG 543.

Anyone else??

Q.

**Ravers** · 22-12-2009, 16:22

Originally Posted by llech

Looks like an AKS-74 more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-74

It's got a 5.56 NATO style mag on it.

My bet is R5 or Galil, which are pretty much the same thing anyway.

**3_Peco_Seconds_GO** · 22-12-2009, 16:24

Originally Posted by Alsacien

Ravers is right - unless the other gats are using the same butt...

R4 is a licenced version of the Galil, guess its poss ..

**EX_STAB** · 22-12-2009, 16:25

Here's teh picture:

**kangorrilapig** · 22-12-2009, 16:25

Got to go with Galil or derivative,but why has he got it?

**Tartan_Terrier** · 22-12-2009, 16:26

Since the Atacama desert is in Chile, and the Chileans use (among others) the Galil, I'd say that the odds are very good on it being a Galil.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Army

**Schaden** · 22-12-2009, 16:26

Galil - quite popular in a few South American countries, some do it 7.62 x 51.

R4/R5 is the RSA licenced version very, very good weapon, carried one for about 10 years.

**Ravers** · 22-12-2009, 16:32

Originally Posted by Schaden

Galil - quite popular in a few South American countries, some do it 7.62 x 51.

R4/R5 is the RSA licenced version very, very good weapon, carried one for about 10 years.

I heard a rumour that the early versions of the R5 had a beer bottle opener built into the bipod. Please tell me this is true! :D

**loofkar** · 22-12-2009, 16:35

This is the short version of the IMI Galil assault rifle.
An extremely reliable weapon, if somewhat heavy.
In 2 years of use, including in the desert I had barely one stoppage.

**Schaden** · 22-12-2009, 16:40

Yeah was from the 1973 war - Israeli troops were using magazines to open beer bottles so one got built into the bipod.

50 rnd mags, Kalashnikov reliability and some very expensive engineering - think they went for about $1400 apiece - too expensive for the Israeli's who had to make do with USA M16's - I think only Armour got Galils.

I got my first in 1981 - was a IMI Galil before the first R4 production run, still had the wooden furniture - got new sights and had stocks tailored to the individual - later had R4's and R5's all in 5.56.