On the Range with the New 7.62mm Tavor Rifle

I had a chance to shoot the new IWI US Tavor 7 chambered for 7.62x51mm at SHOT Show 2018 last week.

The new Tavor 7 is just like its 5.56mm Tavor brother, a bullpup-style rifle developed in close cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces.

I was surprised at how easy the Tavor 7 was to control. Recoil was very manageable, better than more traditional-designed 7.62mm rifles of similar size.

IWI US put a short-stroke gas piston in the Tavor 7 to cut down on recoil and added a new compensator which reduces muzzle flip, Casey Flack, IWI US CEO said at range day.

The combination allowed for fast follow-up shots.

The 7 also features a four-position gas regulator -- regular, adverse conditions, suppressed and a fourth position that shuts off the gas to allow it to fire "one quiet round" with a suppressor, Flack said.

"It turns the gas completely off; the bolt doesn't even cycle," he said.

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. The ambidextrous features include: safety lever, magazine release, and bolt catch similar to the X95, chambered in 5.56mm.

The new Tavor includes an M-LOK fore-end with two 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.

Its replaceable barrels are available in two lengths -- 17 inches and 20 inches. The rifle has an overall length of 28.4 inches and weighs 9 pounds, without a magazine.

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.

It also features a rotating bolt system that ensures maximum safety for the user and a pistol grip that can be changed or modified.

The Tavor 7 is scheduled to be available sometime in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. It will come in four colors: Sniper Gray, OD Green, Black, and Flat Dark Earth.

Suggested retail for the new Tavor is $2,200.

"Our product is not a budget gun; it's high quality, and it costs money for the research and development," Flack said.

Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.