New US made Tavor: First Shots

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sturmgewehr

sturmgewehr

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEY1XdQf_JA

The new US made IWI Tavor is here. This is one of the first production guns out on the market. Previously we've seen video of Israeli made guns, but this is the new US made gun which will be available in a couple of weeks.

It's an impressive rifle. If you don't like bullpups, this one might sway you towards liking them. If you do like bullpups, this may become your favorite.
 
Awesome.

My only worry is the open hand/trigger guard. Seems like it might be pretty easy to get something caught in there and have an AD.
 
Nice short review ! I would be interested at maybe $1500, at Noveske prices however a 9 pound trigger with the nasty lick reset doesn't sound like what I could make a rested head shot up to 200 yards with like I can with a good AR carbine. The modular trigger and neato field strip is certainly a plus. Please put a 4x ACOG on it or other magnified optic and shoot it from bags at 100 yards with a decent ammo to get an idea of how accurate it is.
 
I'm a bit iffy on the left handed shooting and the right hand ejection.

He says it barely brushed his chin with the .223, and the hotter 5.56 did eject forward, but I'd rather see a true ambi bullpup that isn't vaporware or grossly over MSRP (RFB).

I really want to like bullpups, but as a southpaw, just haven't found one I'm comfortable with.
 
It appears that the rear of the thumb/wrist on your shooting hand is very close to the magazine release. Is there a chance for you to accidentally drop the magazine by hitting it with your thumb? Or is it not quite as close as it appears?
 
grossly over MSRP (RFB).
Click to expand...

IMHO the RFB would be worth the ~$1500 they generally go for *if* they were reliable as as say an FAL or AR10. Unfortunately mine sure isn't.


Looks like the trigger reset on the Tavor was really long. I'd be a bit concerned about the trigger guard too, do they have to wear mittens a lot in Israel? Would be a nice feature in Alaska, for sure.
 
Most ambidextrous bullpup I've ever seen is the FS2000. You can just switch shoulders w/o changing anything since the ejection path is out the front.

The lefties I've lent the rifle to we're able to run the left side CH easily too.

BSW
 
I really want to like bullpups, but as a southpaw, just haven't found one I'm comfortable with.
Click to expand...

You can pretty easily convert a Tavor to be a left-handed rifle but you will have to buy a new bolt. The ejection port and charging handle can be swapped out for the other side.
 
but I'd rather see a true ambi bullpup that isn't vaporware or grossly over MSRP (RFB).
Click to expand...

FS2000?

I like bullpups, and own/have owned various ones, but for $1999 sans sights, it is not something that greatly appeals to me. Others will surely feel differently. Maybe getting one in hand would suddenly change my mind, but I doubt it. It would have to be both better than my Noveske with SSA trigger and my bullpups from Steyr and FN.
 
Girodin said:
FS2000?

I like bullpups, and own/have owned various ones, but for $1999 sans sights, it is not something that greatly appeals to me. Others will surely feel differently. Maybe getting one in hand would suddenly change my mind, but I doubt it. It would have to be both better than my Noveske with SSA trigger and my bullpups from Steyr and FN.
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Agreed.

I myself figured if I needed a compact rifle for using in a vehicle cab, AR or AK SBR would fit that bill as well.
 
I've wanted one of these since I discovered that it existed. Its the only bull pup that has ever flipped the "GOTTA HAVE IT!" switch for me.
 
MAC is probably my favorite channel on YouTube. Keep up the good work!
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This. And, the Tavor, after watching the review, now sits firmly up with the VEPR and the VEPR-12 on my wish list. I always enjoy your videos, sir. (and the fact that they're one fourth the length of nutnfancy's doesn't hurt.) Keep up the great work.
 
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I think I'm yet to make it to the end of a nutnfancy video. Actually I couldn't turn away from watching that "smith" do a hack job on his 1911, thank goodness is was only a Taurus. Someone needs to tell him "brevity is the sole of wit."
 
The reset you hear is not unusual, an AR15 on video (with my equipment) will sound much the same. It's an overly sensitive mic.

The trigger is slightly heavy and is on the heavy side for a military trigger. However the specs for the M16/M4 are between 5.5lbs and 9.5lbs. In a test the military discovered the average trigger pull for a sample set of 30 rifles was 7.9lbs.

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a271577.pdf

I like a 7lbs trigger, or in that area for a fighting rifle. I don't like a hair trigger and I don't prefer a super heavy trigger either. The Tavors trigger has a nice long reach which makes the pull better than a 9lbs trigger with a short reach (for me, I have big hands).

The trigger certainly wouldn't make me exclude this rifle. The trigger on the Tavor is still better than the FS2000 and while a tad bit heavier than the AUG, it's a better trigger still.
 
The Tavor is 100% convertible to left hand use, even more so than the AUG. Unlike the AUG, the Tavor can also have its charging handle relocated to the right side of the rifle.

The Tavor can be purchased (or converted) as a left hand rifle. It will eject out of the left side of the rifle. The safety can be moved to the right side as well (the AUG's push block safety is awkward when firing from the left hand). The magazine release on the Tavor is ambi in design. The bolt release is ambi in design. The Tavor is very left hand friendly.
 
It appears that the rear of the thumb/wrist on your shooting hand is very close to the magazine release. Is there a chance for you to accidentally drop the magazine by hitting it with your thumb? Or is it not quite as close as it appears?
Click to expand...
I agree, it does look close but I can not accidentally hit the mag release even when I try to purposely grab the rifle incorrectly. I'll show this in more detail in the final review.
 
I agree, it does look close but I can not accidentally hit the mag release even when I try to purposely grab the rifle incorrectly. I'll show this in more detail in the final review.
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That's great to hear, thanks for the input!
 
I really want to like bullpups, but as a southpaw, just haven't found one I'm comfortable with.
Click to expand...

All you have do is get a left handed bolt for the AUG and it's now a southpaw gun. In that sense it is more ambi than an AR.

I myself figured if I needed a compact rifle for using in a vehicle cab, AR or AK SBR would fit that bill as well.
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point of a bullpup. They give one the benefits of a SBR without the penalty of velocity loss and flash/noise increase.
 
When shooting from your support side shoulder you quite obviously had your cheek weld a few inches farther back on the gun than you did when you were shooting strong side. It appears that if you used the same position on both sides you'd end up with a face full of brass and possibly a malfunction. Not necessarily a deal killer but certainly something you'd have to keep in mind if you're used to running ARs. What's the mechanical offset with that optic? Looks like at least 3" but it's hard to tell without handling it.
 
I believe that the Tavor has a left-hand bolt/receiver-mod option. I don't believe that they are shipping yet, but since I'm a lefty, I was pretty keen on getting that info.
The review showing the spent cases just clearing his chin is not a solution for left-handers, but is an illustration of the viability of shooting weak hand if need be.
I'm a big believer in bull pup configurations for battle-style rifles and this one looks like a winner. But in the past few years, I invested in AR designs for 5.56/.223, .22LR and was considering a .308. I'd consider scrapping them both (as well as an MP5 clone) and going with the Tavor for .223 and 9mm (with converter) and the Kel-Tec for .308 but it just seems like a lot of work.
I might cave in a year or two though.
B
 
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