LAS VEGAS -- Israeli Weapons Industries US Inc., has added a number of features to its 5.56mm Tavor rifle to appeal to American shooters.
The Tavor’s bullpup design, with its magazine well and operating system seated behind the pistol grip has never been embraced by western shooters who prefer the AR15 design.
IWI officials can’t change the basic design, but the new X95 features significant changes such as a traditional trigger guard instead of the standard Tavor guard which protects the whole hand but tends to leave the trigger vulnerable.
“Anything people have complained about we have tried to address it,” Rebecca McCoy, commercial sales representative for IWI, said at SHOT Show’s Jan. 18 range day.
The shooter can also change back to the standard Tavor guard in a few simple steps, McCoy said.
IWI has also moved the magazine release so it’s slightly forward and above the trigger, so “it’s more like an AR15-style release,” McCoy said.
There is also more real-estate on the forward grip for lights and other accessories.
“We put modular rails all around here; you’ve got your Picatinny rails on the top and you’ve also got rails on the side and rails on the bottom,” McCoy said. The X95 is equipped with quick-release rail covers.
The charging handle is now moved back toward the buttstock, so it’s closer into the body.
The X95 also has a more streamed-lined bolt release, flip-up iron sights and a six-pound trigger versus the 10-12 pound trigger on the standard Tavor, she said.
