IMI Galil Sniper (Galat’z)

     Notes:  The Galil Sniper is a highly accurized 7.62mm NATO version of the standard Galil ARM. It has a folding stock, cheek pad, and a sight bracket capable of mounting any type of scope or night sight.  The sight mount is actually mounted AK-style on the left side of the receiver, and can mount most Western-type military and civilian telescopic sights or night vision devices.  (The standard telescopic sight for the Galat’z in Israeli service is a Nimrod 6x40.)  Other differences between the ARM and the Galat’z include the removal of the capacity for automatic fire, a bipod moved to the rear of the foreguard for better balance, a heavier barrel, a full muzzle brake instead of merely a flash suppressor (which may also be removed and replaced with a silencer if desired), a rubber recoil pad and adjustable cheekpiece for the folding wooden stock, and a two stage trigger. 

     The opinion of Israeli snipers of the Galat’z is mixed.  They like the light weight and compact design, but the Galat’z is not a very accurate weapon from a sniper’s standpoint.  Though the sight mount and/or telescopic sight was designed to allow quick removal without disturbing the zero, the sight bases can become easily misaligned or even broken.  It is considered a “cool toy,” but not a weapon for serious sniping.  As such, only a few hundred were built, but they remain in use.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Since most Israeli snipers didn’t consider the Galat’z a “real weapon,” they were often passed along to militia units or units raised later in the war.

IMI SR-99

     Notes: Despite the appearance of the SR-99, this is an evolutionary advancement of the Galil Sniper Rifle.  The primary enhancements are the greatly reduced weight, made possible by polymer stock, pistol grip, and handguard, a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics mounting (though attacked to a quick-release version of the Galat’z’s mount and also attacked to the left side of the receiver) a stock adjustable for length of pull, height and angle of the buttplate (the buttplate is also padded), a cheekpiece adjustable for height and position along the stock, and an adjustable trigger.  The handguard is also round instead or the square cross-section of the Galat’z.  The stock is equipped with a retractable monopod at the rear, and it also folds to the side.  The pistol grip has an adjustable handrest.  The folding bipod is adjustable for height and cant, and also has traverse capability; it is mounted at the rear of the handguard instead of the front for better balance.

     The barrel of the SR-99 is cold hammer-forged and 20 inches long; it is also equipped with a muzzle brake which is less bulky than that of the Galat’z but just as effective.  The bolt may be switched to a single-action mode; in this mode, the bolt does not travel and recock the weapon after each shot, making the weapon much quieter when using a suppressor.  (However, in this mode, the SR-99 is fired using the BA rate.)  The bolt carrier and charging handle are also one-piece and coated to slide easily and be as quiet as possible.  The standard scope is the same as that on the Galat’z, but the SR-99 also has backup iron sights as well as an anti-mirage strap above the barrel.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These weapons were only beginning series production as the war started and were mainly issued to the various Sayaret units, in small numbers. 

IWI Dan

     Notes: The Dan is a relatively new weapon which made it’s debut in 2014. It is designed primarily for export, though some Israeli snipers do use the Dan.  The rifle has pretty much any feature a sniper can ask for; the barrel, for example, is heavy and fluted., and the muzzle is threaded, allowing the multibaffle brake to have a silencer attached to it.  A cap protects the threads when they are not in use.  The muzzle brake is not designed to be removable – it’s more as if the barrel was ported instead of using an attached muzzle brake.  The 29-inch barrel is free-floating. However, the barrel is quick-disconnect, and may be replaced with a barrel with an attached muzzle brake or a barrel with a silencer attached.  No special tools are required for the quick-change operation.

     The handguards surround about half the barrel length; these have four-way MIL-STD-1913 rails, with the top rail being continuous with the upper receiver rail.  Just ahead of the magazine well is a section which can mount heavier gear, bipods, lasers, thermal imagers, etc. The standard bipod is actually at the front of the handguards underneath; it has a Harris-like design which is adjustable for height and cant.  The handguards and receiver halves are made from 7076 aircraft aluminum.  The well itself, however, is of polymer, as is the pistol grip and parts of stock.  The controls are ambidextrous; the magazine release is in an unusual place, under the trigger guard (which is also polymer), and is thumbed forward to release the magazine, which falls free.

     The stock is not only very utilitarian, it is almost a work of art.  The stock folds to the right, and has an inner skeletonized aluminum core.  At the top is an adjustable cheekpiece, while underneath is a folding monopod which is also removable, as it is mounted on a short length of MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The stock is adjustable for length of pull and the butt has a thick rubber recoil pad.

     Currently available only in .338 Lapua Magnum, it is not known if there are any plans for different chamberings in the future.

TCI M89-SR 

     Notes: The M89-SR is designed as a dual-purpose weapon (urban anti-terrorist operations as well as a battlefield sniper rifle).  The M89-SR is based on the M-14 battle rifle in a bullpup configuration.  The factory guarantees 1 Minute of Angle (MOA) accuracy.  The only units using the M89-SR as of 2002 are Sayeret Duvedevan and Sayeret Shimshon.  Only a total of 50 were built, due to financial difficulties with the manufacturer and political restrictions from the US government over the M-14 base design. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes:  These weapons do not exist in the Twilight 2000 World.