Caliber: 5.56X45mm

Rifling: 6 RH Grooves, 1:7″ twist

Barrel length (mm): 457 (18″)

Total length (mm): 725

Weight (approx. Kg. weapon only): 3.6

Rate of fire (approx. rd./min): 750~950

The Tavor (in reference to Mount Tabor ) is an Israeli assault rifle made by the IMI in hopes of replacing the M16s and M4s equipping the IDF today . A first order of about fifteen thousand Tavor would have been placed in 2003. Eventually, this modern assault rifle could be adopted by the Tsahal as a replacement for its M16 / M4 . A $20 million export contract was also signed with India and, according to some rumors ^{[ref. necessary]} , the Tavor would have been tested in Croatia .

Development

Following the First Intifada , an almost entirely urban conflict where conventional assault rifles proved too long and crippling, the need for a new weapon arose. Shortening the barrel length decreases the range of the weapon, and increases the sound and visual nuisance of the shot. This is why a bullpup weapon , which makes it possible to reduce the total length while keeping a suitable length of the barrel, is chosen ¹ .

The project was named TAR-21 , for “  Tavor Assault Rifle  ” of the 21st ^century  . Its design began in 1991 and was carried out in close collaboration with the Israeli army, which issued specific requests taking into account its experience in the field. The development lasted a few years and the final version was presented in 1998 , before being tested by soldiers between 1999 and 2002 and adopted by Tsahal in 2003 ¹ .