Sweden’s Green Trials Galil: the FFV-890C

When Sweden decided to replace the AK-4 (a license-built H&K G3) with a 5.56mm rifle in the 1970s, they tested nearly every potential rifle on the market. Only two survived the stringent Swedish arctic trials; the FN FNC and the Israeli Galil. The Galil was being offered by a Swedish company called Försvarets Fabriksverk in cooperation with IMI, and was designated the FFV-890.

The FNC and FFV-890 advanced to a series of extensive trials that took several years, and the 890 was changed in a number of ways to address Swedish concerns. This led to the improved FFV-890C model, which we are looking at today. This models added a rubber gasket to seal the rear dust cover opening, a polymer handguard, green paint finish, Swedish selector markings, case deflector, shortened barrel, and changes to the trigger guard and magazine release.

Eventually, the FNC was chosen despite some claims that the FFV-890C actually performed better in testing. The choice was definitely politically influenced, and the Swedish government at the time was potentially leery of licensing an Israeli weapon and also in choosing a Soviet-lineage rifle.