IWI 7.62X51mm TAVOR 7 + MASADA Striker-Based Line of Pistols Launched
At MILIPOL 2017, Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), an SK Group member and a leader in the production of combat-proven small arms for law enforcement agencies, governments, and armies around the world, launches its new IWI TAVOR 7 in 7.62X51mm calibre, alongside the MASADA line of Striker-based pistols for military, law enforcement, and civilian markets.
The company is awaiting customers for both products, but expects acquisitions from law enforcement and armed forces, and confidential sources informed MONS that it is expecting to see a demand from the US civilian market for both weapons.
TAVOR-7 evolves from IWI’sTAVOR family of rifles and takes the firm’s 5.56mm weapon as its baseline. Company officials told MONS that the weapon includes a new short stroke gas system and includes a silencer mode which enables the weapon to be fired without the sound of the bolt returning. Its ambidextrous design also enables the weapon to change from a right-handed to left-handed configuration, and vice versa, with a single tool in around 15 seconds.
“We are pleased to expand the TAVOR family – the world’s most popular battle-proven bullpup rifles – with the new addition of a 7.62X51mm calibre weapon, based on requests from our customers,” Shlomi Sabag, IWI’s CEO, said. “The IWI TAVOR 7 enables users from the military and law enforcement markets to operate in a wide variety of scenarios at short and medium range with enhanced firepower – efficiently, safely and easily, with only minimal maintenance. Based on what we have already heard from the field, we expect the IWI TAVOR 7 to become a leader in its category. The weapon will be available from the first quarter of 2018.”
The TAVOR 7 is a fully ambidextrous platform on which the ejection side and the charging handle can be switched quickly and easily from side to side by the user. Ambidextrous features include: safety lever, magazine release, and bolt catch similar to the X95. The IWI TAVOR 7 also includes an M-LOK fore-end (2 M-LOK slots at 3 and 9 o’clock) as well as MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail at the 6 o’clock position, to allow the use of multiple devices and accessories. The rifle’s body is built from high-strength, impact-modified polymer, and has a hammer-forged, chrome-lined, free-floating barrel for enhanced accuracy and life cycle. Additional features include a short stroke gas piston with a 4-position variable gas regulator, (including an OFF position – a unique feature designed for special operation needs), a rotating bolt system that ensures maximum safety for the user, and a pistol grip that can be changed or modified.
The IWI TAVOR 7 enables 100% interchangeability, reducing maintenance costs. It is available in four colors: Sniper Gray, OD Green, Black, and Flat Dark Earth, with replaceable barrels available in two lengths – 17in (432mm) and 20in (508mm) – for various uses. The rifle has an overall length of 28.4in (723mm) and a weight without a magazine of 9lbs (4.1 kilogrammes).
The IWI TAVOR family of assault rifles is a line of versatile, innovative, and technologically advanced weapons. TAVORs have been extensively proven on the battlefield, performing with precision and reliability, and meeting the needs of human ergonomics. The TAVOR family was developed in close cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), based on lessons learned from actual combat situations. Complying with the most stringent NATO standards for small arms – including environmental standards and harsh conditions – the TAVOR is in service in the IDF Infantry and Special Forces as well as in other countries throughout the world. It has a compact bullpup configuration, a barrel length and weapon size that cover all soldiers’ fighting ranges – from 500m to indoor operations, fighting from vehicles and in urban areas. Among its additional features, the TAVOR’s body is made of strong, modern composite materials, and its metal parts are corrosion-resistant. It can be comfortably used by either left or right-handed shooters.
Also new is IWI’s TAVOR 7 7.62mm/.308 Winchester calibre semiautomatic bullpup rifle. The TAVOR 7 hybridises features of both the TAR-21 and the Micro TAVOR/X95, as well as incorporating some brand new features like a toolless ejection port switching procedure and front MLOK slots on the TAVOR-like handguard. Unlike the original TAVOR, the TAVOR 7’s ejection swapping procedure is very quick and simple. To complete the procedure, it is also necessary to remove the bolt and rotate about its axis, then replace it. The charging handle can also be swapped right to left via an even simpler process using just a bullet tip, without weapon disassembly.
Where the TAVOR family has previously used a Desert Eagle-style bolt profile with non-axisymmetrical lugs, the TAVOR 7 utilises a Stoner-type bolt, similar to an AR-15 or AR-10. The semiautomatic rifle clocks in at a very modest 8.6lbs, which is scarcely heavier than the original TAVOR itself, despite being designed for a much larger calibre, and sporting a substantially stronger barrel. The TAVOR 7 takes SR-25 magazines.
Meanwhile, MASADA has an innovative design which includes a number of safety features such as a fail-safe mechanism which prevents dismantling the weapons’ slide without removing the pistol’s magazine. Its internal chassis is constructed from a single block, and the pistol has a reinforced polymer construction.
The first model, the full size 9X19mm MASADA, was debuted at Defense & Security Bangkok, Thailand.
“We are proud to launch this new line of pistols – the MASADA – following a development process that took several years, based on requests from our customers,” Mr. Sabag proudly told MT. “The new Striker-based line places special emphasis on operational safety and simplicity of maintenance, as well as a high level of ergonomics and ease of use. The pistol will be available to our customers from Q1/18.“
MASADA has several advanced safety mechanisms including a firing pin block safety, a clean and crisp trigger reset with a built-in trigger safety, and a fast, easy and safe takedown – with no need to pull the trigger. The pistol can be provided with or without manual safety. It has an easy racked slide with improved front and rear cocking serrations, enhanced ergonomics with the IWI grip angle and a low barrel axis for reduced recoil. The body has a glass-reinforced polymer frame as well as a polygonal cold hammer forged barrel with a 1:10RH twist rate.
Additional features include fully ambidextrous operating controls and fixed 3-dot tritium illuminated Meprolight (another SK Group member), who in turn are unveiling four new sights at Milipol. For stories see here, here, here and here.
MASADA offers 100% interchangeability with a compatible trigger mechanism housing, reducing maintenance and life cycle costs. The pistol has an overall length of 6.6in (186.4mm) with a barrel length of 4.1in (104mm), and with a trigger pull weighing 5.5-7.0lbs (2.5-3.175kg), and a weight without the magazine of 22.9 ounces (650 g). The MASADA will be available in four colors: Sniper Gray, OD Green, Black, and Flat Dark Earth.
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