IWI US Unveils Tavor X95 and 300 BLK Tavor SAR at SHOT 2016
Matt Korovesis 01.18.16
IWI US announced earlier today that they will be formally introducing a commercial variant of the highly-anticipated Tavor X95 rifle this year. X95s were available to shoot at SHOT Show 2016 Industry Day at the Range and proved to be major crowd-pleasers.
The X95 is a refined version of the Tavor TAR-21, both of which feed from STANAG AR-15 magazines. While military versions of the X95 are in service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and have been offered to US law enforcement agencies, commercial variants had been all but a rumor until today’s reveal.
The Tavor X95 offered to American shooters will feature a 16.5-inch barrel in the 5.56x45mm and 300 BLK configurations and a 17-inch barrel in 9x19mm. All barrels are chrome-lined and cold hammer-forged. The gun proper will retail for $1,999 and just like with the Tavor SAR, conversion kits for the different calibers will be offered. The 5.56 and 9x19mm kits will sell for $899 and the 300 BLK for $499.
IWI US’ X95 features a much lighter trigger than that of the Tavor SAR. The X95’s trigger breaks around the five- to six-pound mark and will be compatible with standard Tavor SAR and aftermarket trigger packs.
Compared to the Tavor SAR the X95 features a more familiar AR-style, ambidextrous push-button magazine release located just ahead and above of the trigger. The charging handle of the X95 is located above the pistol grip, whereas on the SAR it is located closer to the muzzle. The bolt release is located behind the magwell, as on the Tavor.
The X95’s trigger guard is modular and can be swapped between a grip with guard and a grip alone. A full-length Picatinny rail runs the top of the gun, giving shooters plenty of real estate for optics. It also features a Picatinny tri-rail handguard with removable rail covers. The IWI US X95’s handguard appears to be longer than the handguard in use on IDF X95s, due in part to the longer barrel of the US model.
The X95 will be available in black, flat dark earth, and OD green.
IWI US also unveiled their 300 BLK conversion kits for the Tavor SAR at SHOT. The kits will retail for $499 and include a barrel and headspaced bolt.
Both the X95 and 300 BLK Tavor SAR kits should be available for purchase within the next few months.
I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.
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