Lefties: Do you think IWI will ever release a "Tavor 6" ?

[StrikeFire83]

So let me tell you what I mean and why I'm asking.

I'm a right handed, left-eye dominant rifle shooter. I tried for years to be able to shoot right handed and it just doesn't work for me. My speed and accuracy go into the toilet. So I shoot rifles left-handed. Luckily the AR-15 is pretty lefty friendly if you set it up right. A shell deflector (they all have this, right?) and an ambi-charging handle and an ambi-safety and you're good to go.

BUT, this weekend I was at the range with a buddy of mine and we were shooting our rifles. My buddy has recently acquired a Tavor 7. For those unaware this is the .308 version of IWI's Tavor bullpup. Now I think the Tavor X-95 is pretty cool but I haven't had the cash or the inclination to fully commit on one. I know they can be converted for but it's a pretty significantly involved process that requires you to purchase a different bolt, take the rifle apart in a shop with numerous tools, and frankly, from the videos I've watched, seems convoluted and definitely outside the realm of "easy" when it comes to a battle rifle. That being said, my buddy is a right handed shooter. He asked me if I wanted to try his Tavor 7 and I said I couldn't because the shells would hit me in the face if I tried to shoot it left handed. This is when he smiled and proceeded to convert the Tavor 7 to left hand operation in all of about 4 minutes with NOTHING BUT A .308 round. I was shocked and amused. The ambi-safety is built in as well. I put two mags through the Tavor 7 and enjoyed it. However, I just don't have any plans to add .308 to my caliber rotation. I have about 5,000 rounds of 5.56/223 stacked deep from before this ammo nonsense started.

SO now comes my question: Do you think IWI will ever release a "Tavor 6" or whatever they end up calling it, IE a 5.56 rifle with the quick left-hand conversion and truly ambi controls and all the other goodies in the Tavor 7? I know they're phasing out the SAR and the X-95 is their go-to 5.56 rifle for now. But it just seems like a natural evolution to put the Tavor 7 features into a 5.56 package. What do y'all think?

 

[jeepnik]

Just get a leftie Stag.

 

[StrikeFire83]

You know I remember seeing those back in the day. I probably would have gotten one if I didn't find running a regular AR with a shell deflector and an ambi-safety / ambi-charging handle so comfortable. I honestly train to operate a regular charging handle and a single side "right handed" safety whenever I'm shooting with a buddy who has a "vanilla" AR-15.

The problem with the Tavor is that if you DON'T convert it for the side you shoot on you end up getting smacked in the face/neck with the spent shell casings. Which makes left-hand conversion pretty much essential if you shoot lefty.

 

[benEzra]

A Tavor SAR won’t hit you in the face if you shoot it left-handed, BTW, so I doubt an X-95 will; the cases pass in front of your chest. I suppose cases could bounce off your chest in some shooting positions, for some shooters, or if wearing a mag carrier in front, or if you are canting the rifle to the left from the left shoulder in order to shoot under a low obstacle or something (which would turn the ejection port upward), but it’s never happened to me.

A standard Tavor is not *that* hard to switch (if a bit of a pain), so I can’t imagine you couldn’t order an X95 or SAR from a local gun shop with the proviso that a gunsmith convert it to lefty before you pick it up, if you offer to pay them a bit extra to cover some labor.

You could also look at a Kel-Tec RDB...ejects straight down, so its ambi without any modification at all.

 

[StrikeFire83]

benEzra I can't speak to the Tavor SAR because I've never shot one. I have shot a friend's X-95 and I can say with certainty that I DID get hit in the chin and chest with ejected shell casings. So IF i ever got one I would need to have it converted for left-hand ejection. But I agree that the conversion is do-able, I just worry that I'd screw it up if I tried it myself because I've watched that 23 minute IWI video and it seems pretty complex for the non-gunsmith.

It just seems to me if they can build a Tavor 7 that can be converted between left hand and right hand in about 3 minutes with literally nothing but a bullet that they can update the 5.56 Tavor to do the same thing.

As for Kel-Tec, yeah I'm aware of the RDB. Cool gun in principle like so much of their stuff but after having a garbage P-3AT and PF-9 back in the day I said never again.