(GunReports.com) — The Gun Tests Houston test unit obtained an IWI Tavor TSB16 5.56 NATO Bullpup, $1999, and tested it as a Special Report in the September issue.
Contributing Editor John Taylor said, “Starting in 2001, the IDF (Israel Defense Force) began testing the Tavor TAR-21, aka Tavor Assault Rifle, 21st Century. In 2003 it had a larger roll out, and most Israeli soldiers were receiving at least minimal training on the platform. By 2009, the Tavor had officially replaced M16-style rifles in the tiny country’s defense armory. Now the Tavor, as a semi-auto civilian rifle, is available for sale in the USA. The manufacturer, Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), has opened up a U.S. branch (IWI US) and is manufacturing and assembling the gun in this country. ”
He added, “The Tavor SAR-21 in 5.56 NATO will accept any standard AR-15/M16 magazine, and the Tavor is available in black or flat dark earth with an MSRP of $1999. The owner of our loaner test gun paid $1850 for his in April 2013.”
Gun Tests Editor Todd Woodard said, “The Tavor was ripe with awesome features, starting with the design of the gun. Every piece of polymer on the gun was ergonomically designed and felt great, our shooters said.”
The Tavor had a 16.5-inch barrel and an overall length of 26.2 inches, which gives the operator the ability to maneuver quickly and shoot with the accuracy of a longer rifle. It weighed just 10.2 pounds with a 30-round magazine and an EOTech XPS2-2 Holographic Weapon Sight aboard.
Along with the gun, IWI included a belt pouch that contained four cleaning-rod extensions, a squeeze bottle for gun lube, a bore brush, a chamber brush, a general cleaning brush, a large brush for cleaning the inside of the receiver, and a windage/elevation adjustment tool for the front sight. Also, there were a pair of QD swivel studs, a IWI branded magazine, and the owners manual.
Woodard said, “We used a series of live action and static tests, primarily looking to compare the Tavor to other bullpups — Steyr AUG, FN FS2000 and MSAR STG-556 — we wrote about in the September 2010 issue. To see how the Tavor performed, check out the September 2013 issue of Gun Tests magazine.”
Gun Tests subscribers should receive their printed magazines around the August 25. Subscribers with electronic access can also check Gun-Tests.com to read about this matchup, Publisher Tim Cole said.
