Got to shoot a brand new Tavor this weekend at Atterbury. I know many of you have been looking at these things and wondering how they are. Is it a Rifleman's rifle? Should I buy one? Is it worth the cost? Etc.
Quick and Dirty Summation - It's basically an M-4 in bullpup form.
I was impressed by the light weight and balance. It's small. Really small. I think it's just a shade over the legal 26" and felt like it weighed about the same as a small AR. Most of the weight was in the rear so the balance shifted rearward and allowed a good firm hold once it was shouldered.
I found it difficult to get enough purchase on the rifle in standing and ended up just cradling it in my arms like a newborn baby. In sitting, I held the front of the trigger guard with an open support hand and that seemed to work OK although the short barrel found me pointing it toward my support foot several times. Prone was fairly simple but resting the forestock on my open support hand got me way off the ground and unsteady. I opted to put my support hand flat on the ground and rest the trigger guard along my forearm. Rock solid!
There was no sling on the rifle (although it comes with QD sling mounts, a cleaning kit, a $2 "made in China" gun lock and all the papers) and the optic (ACOG) wasn't zeroed so I couldn't get a really good gauge of the accuracy until we fired sighters and got some feedback. Once zeroed, it easily shot 4 MOA (at 400 yards) even without a sling.
If I had to stand at a checkpoint all day or patrol through an urban area, this would be a great little rifle. If someone else was buying it for me, this would be a great little rifle. But, as it stands, I personally don't believe the price (retails for around $2,000) is a good value. Anything you can do with this rifle you can do better with an underfolder AK or M-4. If they come down in price a little, maybe it'd be worth it.
Although, it sure does look cool! ^:)^
Supposedly the LOP is 15 7/8" from the center of the but to the face of the trigger. The trigger pull is around 8 to 9 lbs with quite a bit of takeup (as is the case with many bullpups). While an M4 is longer, it also has better sights, the availability of better triggers, and an adjustable LOP. The friend I have who bought one has already sold it, I believe.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/06/foghorn/gun-review-iwi-tavor-sar/
Bullpups are a fascinating concept. When you need a compact rifle, they are hard to beat. But they have some drawbacks, too. The trigger is one. Apparent muzzle blast is another. The muzzle is a foot closer to your face than in any other design. It's noticeable with a 5.56. It's more than noticeable with a .308.
tk
I have a .50 BMG bullpup (Vulcan V-50) and there's hardly any "noticeable" muzzle blast. $$-0
Hey! Somebody made a prettier version of a Bushmaster M17s for three times the price! ;D
Thanks for the report. Did they have any of the Mepro 21 sights there. Like the ACOG they do not need batteries. One less thing to carry and fail when you really need it.
For the standing position I have seen a position the IDF developed for this rifle.