Israeli Assault Rifle TAR 21 Is A Competitor To The AUG, FAMAS, & SA80 Assault Rifles

While the Israeli army gradually phases out the Galil assault rifle in favour of the American M16A3 and M16A4 5.5645 mm assault rifles, IMI is working on the next rifle in the same calibre.

The bullpup scheme was used throughout the development of the new firearm. Weapon designers had gained some expertise by the beginning of the twentieth century: the AUG rifle was developed in Austria, the FAMAS rifle in France, and the SA 80 in the United Kingdom. The Israelis were able to avoid several mistakes thanks to their extensive experience.

The Tavor TAR-21 assault rifle’s body is built of reinforced polymers, which have comparable mechanical properties to more traditional materials but being substantially lighter. A characteristic of the weapon, assembled according to the bullpup scheme, was taken into account, such as a shift in the centre of gravity, which negatively affects the accuracy of fire. Finally, the Tavor TAR-21 stock’s axis is aligned with the barrel, which decreases recoil greatly.

The Tavor TAR-21 rifle was handed over to experts in 2000 after completion of development for examination and testing of a stand. The Tavor TAR-21 began military trials in 2002, and in 2004 it was accepted by various divisions of the Israeli army and the Interior Ministry.

M16 rifles with various modifications are still in use in the Israeli army alongside the new rifle with its design. Due to the exorbitant expense of the Tavor TAR-21 army, Israel has not completely armed it. This weapon costs around $ 1,000, whereas the M16 issued by the United States costs around $ 100.

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers negotiated with IMI a few years ago for the licenced production of Tavor TAR-21 rifles and upgrades at the Fort facility.

Tavor TAR-21 is also available in variants such as:

GTAR -21 – assault complex with 40 mm sub-barrel grenade launcher;
CTAR -21 – assault rifle with a barrel length of 380 mm;
STAR -21 – small arms shooting;
MTAR -21 – subcompact assault rifle with a barrel length of 330 mm. The carbine in the field can be converted into a submachine gun with a 9 × 19 mm Parabellum cartridge.

Technical characteristics: 

Country of origin – Israel, Ukraine (under license)
Cartridge type – .223 Remington (5.56 × 45 mm NATO) SS109, M855, 5.56 × 30 mm
Length – 720 mm
Barrel length – 460 mm
Weight – 3.27 kg
Magazine capacity – 20 and 30 rounds
Rate of fire – 750-900 rds/min
Sighting range – 550 m