IWI Tavor X95

IWI Tavor X95
Type	Bullpup (assault rifle, carbine, submachine gun)
Place of origin	Israel
Service history
In service	2009–present
Used by	See Users
Production history
Designer	Israel Weapon Industries
Designed	2003–2009
Manufacturer	Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Also produced under IWI license by: OFB (of India) RPC Fort (of Ukraine)
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	3.3–3.4 kg (7.3–7.5 lb) (X95) 3.2–3.6 kg (7.1–7.9 lb) (SMG)
Length	580–670 mm (22.8–26.4 in)
Barrel length	330 mm (13.0 in) 380 mm (15.0 in) 419 mm (16.5 in) 279 mm (11.0 in) (SMG)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO 5.45×39mm .300 AAC Blackout 9×19mm Parabellum (SMG) 5.56×30mm MINSAS (Zittara)
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt Blowback, closed bolt (SMG)
Rate of fire	750–950 rounds/min (full auto)
Sights	Meprolight Mepro-21, ITL MARS, Trijicon ACOG, EOTech holographic sight, others.

The IWI Tavor X95 (also called the Micro-Tavor and MTAR, and erroneously called the MTAR-21) is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle designed and produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). The Tavor X95 is part of the Tavor rifle family.

In November 2009 the Tavor X95 was selected as the future standard issued weapon of the Israeli infantry.

Design

See also: IWI Tavor#Design features and engineering

Visual differences between TAR-21 and X95

A CTAR-21 copy. Notice the cocking handle position, the handguard, and the stock form and size.

Tavor X95's copy, here with a tactical handle bipod. Notice the cocking handle position, the Picatinny rail, and the stock form and size.

The Tavor X95 can be easily distinguished from the TAR-21 (as well as from CTAR-21, STAR-21, and GTAR-21) by the location of the cocking handle. An X95 cocking handle is closer to the pistol grip, while a TAR-21 cocking handle is closer to the muzzle. The stock was also slightly redesigned.

With the use of a relatively simple conversion kit, the Tavor X95 can be converted from a 5.56 mm assault rifle to a 9 mm submachine gun loaded with 20, 25, and 32-round magazines. A suppressor can also be added to the weapon, as part of the 9 mm conversion kit. There is also a variant with an integrated grenade launcher, the IWI GL 40.

When configured to fire 9 mm rounds, the gun uses a blowback operation to eject and reload rounds, but in the same body as the gas-operated rifle reloading system. It is fed from Uzi magazines. A suppressor can be mounted that allows for the use of standard velocity 9 mm ammunition, not specialized subsonic ammo. The barrel is the same length as the rifle version, but has a 1:10 in rifling twist to stabilize heavy 9 mm bullets.

Compared to the 890 mm (35 in) long M4 carbine (with its stock extended) with a 370 mm (14.6 in) barrel, the X95 is 580 mm (22.8 in), 640 mm (25.2 in), or 670 mm (26.4 in) long, with either a 330 mm (13 in.), 380 mm (15.0 in), or a 419 mm (16.5 in) barrel, respectively.

Variants

IDF soldier with the X95 on Mount Hermon.

The X95 during a Warrant Officer course in the Israel Defense Forces.

There are three different handguards currently available for the Tavor X95: the first is rounded (so that one can mount a suppressor and have it sit inside of the handguard) and is currently only available for military issue; the second is a rectangular one with integrated rails at the 3, 6, and 9 o' clock positions, and has removable rail covers; and the third is an elongated version of the second, made for IWI US X95s. The rounded handguard originally had separate picatinny rails on the receiver and handguard, but IWI has produced a full length flattop rail for it; the other two handguards have integrated flattop rails.

Every Tavor X95 comes with the option of the standard Tavor Talon trigger guard or a traditional trigger guard.

The Tavor X95 comes in a number of variants (including):

• X95 330: 5.56×45mm carbine with a 330 mm (13 in) barrel and a 580 mm (22.8 in) overall length.
• X95 380: 5.56×45mm assault rifle with a 380 mm (15 in) barrel and a 640 mm (25.2 in) overall length.
• X95 419: 5.56×45mm assault rifle with a 419 mm (16.5 in) barrel and a 670 mm (26.4 in) overall length.
• X95 419 with IWI GL 40: 5.56mm assault rifle with a 419mm (16.5 in) barrel; integrated IWI GL 40 grenade launcher
• X95-R 330: 5.45×39mm carbine with a 330 mm (13 in) barrel and a 580 mm (22.8 in) overall length.
• X95-R 419: 5.45×39mm assault rifle with a 419 mm (16.5 in) barrel and a 670 mm (26.4 in) overall length.
• X95 SMG: 9×19mm submachine gun with a 279 mm (11 in) barrel and a 580 mm (22.8 in) overall length.
• X95-S SMG: 9×19mm submachine gun with a 279 mm (11 in) barrel and a 650 mm (25.6 in) overall length; integrated suppressor.
• .300 AAC BLK: .300 AAC Blackout assault rifle / carbine; simply a rechambered standard X95 330, 380, or 419.

Under IWI license:

• Zittara: Indian locally produced version of the X95 modified to use the local 5.56×30mm MINSAS cartridge, manufactured by the Ordnance Factories Board.
• Fort-223: Ukrainian locally produced version of the X95 330, readily converted to the X95 SMG or X95-S SMG, manufactured by the RPC Fort.
• Fort-224: Ukrainian locally produced version of the X95-R 330 manufactured by the RPC Fort.

Under IWI US:

All X95s sold in the U.S. are semi-automatic only, come with an elongated handguard, and a thicker buttpad to comply with the firearm laws of the U.S..

• XB16: A U.S. version of the X95 419, with a 26.125 in (663.575 mm) overall length.
• XB16L: An XB16 with left-handed controls pre-installed.
• XB17-9: 9×19mm submachine gun with a 17 in (431.8 mm) barrel and a 26.125 in (663.575 mm) overall length.
• XB18: 5.56×45mm rifle with a 18.5 in (469.9 mm) barrel and a 28.125 in (714.375 mm) overall length.
• XB18RS: 5.56×45mm rifle with a 18.5 in (469.9 mm) barrel and a 30.5 in (774.7 mm) overall length; integrated permanent muzzle break and a 10-round magazine to be compliant with laws of certain states. ("RS" stands for Restricted State.)
• .300 AAC BLK: IWI US sells .300 AAC Blackout conversion kits for any U.S. X95, although not from their website.

Note: IWI US sells their X95s in a variety of colors, including Black (B), Flat Dark Earth (FD), and OD Green (G); the letter "B" in the rifles' designations can be switched with any of the colors' respective letters.

Users

Israeli soldiers armed with Tavor X95s

Contingent from the Azerbaijani military armed with Tavor X95s during the Moscow Victory Day Parade, 2015

See also: IWI Tavor#Users

• Angola: Angolan Armed Forces operate the Tavor X95.

• Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani Armed Forces operate the Tavor X95.

• Colombia: The National Police of Colombia operates the Tavor X95.

• Cyprus: The Tavor Χ95 is to replace the G3 among the Cyprus National Guard.

• Georgia: Used by Special Forces

• Honduras: Honduran Army and special forces operate the Tavor X95.

• Israel: In November 2009, the IDF announced that the Tavor X95 would become the standard infantry weapon of the IDF, with the addition of an integrated grenade-launcher. In 2014 the IDF announced that in the future (from as early as the end of 2014) some infantry units could start to be issued some numbers of an improved X95, which will have a longer 380 mm (15.0 in) barrel, instead of the original 330 mm (13.0 in) barrel of the X95, and a lighter trigger pull.

• India: India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ordered 12,000 Tavor X95 rifles which entered service in early 2011. Following the use of the weapon by Indian forces fighting the insurgency in Kashmir, CRPF commanders have stated that the X95 is a more effective assault rifle than the AKM, due to its small size, power, longer range and lighter weight. In late 2002, India signed an 880 million (Template:Indian rupee conversion/inflation) deal with Israel Military Industries for 3,070 manufactured TAR-21s to be issued to India's special forces personnel, where its ergonomics, reliability in heat and sand might give them an edge at close-quarters and employment from inside vehicles. By 2005, IMI had supplied 350–400 TAR-21s to India's northern Special Frontier Force (SFF). These were subsequently declared to be "operationally unsatisfactory". The required changes have since been made, and tests in Israel during 2006 went well, clearing the contracted consignment for delivery. The TAR-21 has now entered operational service – even as India gears up for a larger competition that could feature a 9 mm X95 version. Known as the Zittara, the rifle is manufactured in India by the Ordnance Factories Board for Indian service, the new Tavor X95s have a modified single-piece stock and new sights, as well as Turkish-made MKEK T-40 40 mm under-barrel grenade launchers. 5,500 have been recently inducted and more rifles are being ordered. A consignment of over 500 Tavor bullpup assault rifles and another 30 Galil sniper rifles worth over 150 million (US$2.4 million) and 20 million (US$320,000) respectively was delivered to the MARCOS (Marine Commandos) in December 2010. In 2016, IWI announced that it was establishing a 49:51 joint venture with Punj Lloyd in India, in order manufacture rifle components in India.

• Mongolia: Special forces

• Thailand: Royal Thai Armed Forces operate the Tavor X95.

• Ukraine: RPC Fort offers the X95 330 as the Fort-223, and the X95-R as the Fort-224. The Fort-224 is in service of the National Guard of Ukraine.

• US: Pennsylvania Capitol Police operate the Tavor X95.

See also

• IWI Tavor

External links

• Israel Weapon Industries (I.W.I.): IWI X95
• isayeret.com Tavor Guide