The IWI Tavor 7:
Profoundly Portable Power
The IWI Tavor 7 is the most advanced 7.62x51mm battle rifle on the market.
The Israel Weapon Industries Tavor 7 is a next-generation, big-bore evolution of the 5.56mm Tavor X95 infantry rifle. This powerful defensive tool features the superlative ergonomics and cutting-edge features we have come to expect from Israeli weapons, all in a stubby but powerful .308 chassis. The Tavor 7 is a serious gun for a serious world. Exceptionally straight-shooting, easy-to-carry, and inimitably reliable, the Tavor 7 brings enhanced performance to your gun box.
Combat Cred
When last I was in Israel, the Tavor X95 was everywhere. Soldiers on patrol or home on leave packed these compact little 5.56mm assault rifles throughout Israel’s public spaces. That remarkable place has been at war for millennia. As regards military weapons, the Israelis had to either innovate or perish.
The X95 is a combat-vet infantry weapon that offers world-class performance in a package sufficiently compact for everyday carry. Tragically, the threat of terrorist attack is omnipresent thereabouts. The X95 secures Israeli bus stops, schools, museums and markets. The IDF (Israel Defense Force) versions feature a stubby 13-inch barrel and 5.56x45mm chambering.
When tricked out with a SilencerCo sound suppressor, some EOTech glass, and a Sightmark light/laser combo,
the IWI Tavor 7 becomes a defensive beast.
Eugene Stoner, the genius behind the AR-15 rifle, developed the .222 Remington cartridge in 1957 alongside Frank Snow from Sierra Bullets. The .222 begat the .223 that begat the 5.56x45mm. The 5.56mm is undeniably lightweight and hard-hitting. I’m a big fan. However, the .22-caliber 5.56mm just doesn’t project the requisite horsepower for certain applications.
American troops serving in the Middle East found that engagement distances often exceeded the maximum effective range of the zippy little 5.56mm round. Nowadays, body armor is ubiquitous as well. If the threat is armored up or hiding behind automobile components, you need .30-caliber punch. That’s why IWI developed the Tavor 7.
Details
The Tavor 7 has literally everything. The magazine release is bilateral and mimics that of the familiar M4 carbine. The safety is likewise mirrored on both sides of the rifle and conveniently located underneath either thumb. The bolt catch is located behind the magazine well in the manner of the smaller X95. There is a full-length Picatinny rail up top for glass. There is also a length of Pic rail underneath the removable handguard, along with M-LOK slots for other stuff.
The controls are mirrored perfectly on both sides of the gun.
Swapping ejection from one side to the other can be accomplished in minutes without tools at the user level.
The Tavor 7’s short-stroke gas system was first inspired by the AR-180 rifle and has since been proven in the HKG36, FN SCAR and many others. That’s as good as it gets. The Tavor 7 features four different easily adjusted gas settings to include an OFF position for truly stealthy suppressor use and a pistol grip that can be changed or modified.
The Tavor 7 is a bullpup rifle, which means the action is oriented behind the fire controls. The first bullpup rifle was the bolt-action British Thornycroft, developed in 1901. While this concept once seemed radical, it is now indeed battle-proven.
This big tab located behind the magazine drops the bolt over a live round.
It also facilitates easy removal of the fire control unit for servicing.
Naturally, a gun this cool comes with a pair of top-quality sling swivels. There are four sling sockets built into the chassis.
The overall length is a paltry 26.75 inches. While the bullpup architecture makes the gun refreshingly short despite its 16.5-inch full-length barrel, the gun ejects its empties just opposite the shooter’s face. For left-handers, that is typically a non-starter. However, in the case of the Tavor 7, both the ejection and the charging handle can be readily reversed at the user level. Easy peasy …
Press the release catch and the forearm slides clear to expose a short bit of Picatinny rail for a foregrip if desired.
The Tavor 7 is a powerful, full-figured battle rifle. It weighs nine pounds empty and devoid of accessories. However, the bullpup architecture puts the center of gravity over the primary firing hand, making the gun seem lighter than it is. You really have to try a bullpup on the range to fully appreciate how well that works.
The Tavor 7 feeds from a 20-round polymer SR25-style magazine. The gun is available in black, OD green, and Flat Dark Earth (FDE). It is also lyrically overbuilt. For example, there are two redundant ejectors built into the bolt face, just in case one of them fails. Everything about the gun is purpose-driven for efficiency and downrange power projection.
This SilencerCo Hybrid 46M is arguably the most versatile suppressor in the world.
It will run anything you can shove through the bore.
The four-position gas system is easily adjustable using the point of a bullet.
The Israelis know how to make guns.
Trigger Time
The manual of arms represents a significant departure from your typical M4. However, you will master it in the first magazine or two. The Israelis designed this rifle, and they build the most efficient small arms on the planet. The controls are intuitive, and the gun runs fast in competent hands.
This is indeed an exceptionally powerful rifle, particularly for its compact size. The muzzle blast so close to your face will reliably clear your sinuses. However, the team at IWI designed the gun to accept a sound suppressor seamlessly. I used a SilencerCo Hybrid 46M, which, in its stubbiest guise, takes the snap out of the gun’s report and looks awesome to boot.
The 7.62x51mm Tavor 7 (top) was clearly inspired by the 5.56mm X95.
Here, we see the IWI Tavor 7 alongside an HK91. Both guns fire the same round, but the Tavor 7 is much more compact.
We outfitted our test rifle with a LoPro combination white light and green laser from Sightmark to keep the gun prickly day or night. The EOTech EXP-3 Holosight was the last thing Osama bin Laden saw on this earth. The associated pivoting magnifier is there when you need it, yet it folds easily out of the way when you don’t. The end result takes corners like a sports car and offers a downrange thump adequate to put down a rabid rhinoceros. At 100 meters, the Tavor 7 groups phenomenally well. At across-the-room ranges, it prints through the same hole.
Everything about the Tavor 7 is lyrically over-designed. For instance, there are two redundant ejectors built into the bolt face.
With or without the can, the Tavor 7 carries undeniable authority. This weapon schools the bad guys on the salient differences between cover and concealment reliably, efficiently and effectively. Intervening objects that might be proof against 9mm or 5.56mm don’t even slow this bad boy down. With the gas system turned off and firing subsonic handloads, this gun with this suppressor is actually movie-grade quiet. While it has to be cycled manually in this configuration, I found it completely hearing-safe yet still sufficiently powerful to put deer on the table.
This was our 25-meter get-acquainted group. Three rounds went through the same hole.
At 100 meters off of a sandbag rest, the Tavor 7 shoots exceptionally straight.
Ruminations
So, you should ask yourself what you are looking for in a defensive rifle. With an MSRP of $2,199, there are certainly cheaper options. However, the Tavor 7 would reliably stock your larder with venison or elk and look cool doing it.
The Tavor 7 is both heavy and expensive. However, what you get for that investment is an inimitably reliable battle rifle
that projects some phenomenal downrange power.
The Tavor 7 is sufficiently powerful to dissuade the likes of roaming bears or even the errant great white shark. I’ve seen those movies. Should the threat approach on two legs rather than four, little says, “Beat it, dude!” like 20 rounds of full-bore .30-caliber power. Even if the threat is lurking behind car doors or trees, the Tavor 7 will still reliably do the deed. Indestructible, efficient, accurate, and manly, the Tavor 7 is the most advanced .30-caliber defensive rifle in the world.
Learn more at iwi.us
