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Israeli army to get new Tavor assault rifle

JERUSALEM (AFP) Jul 22, 2003

The Israeli army will from next year be increasingly equipped with the new Tavor assault rifle, made by Israel Military Industries (IMI), the defense ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry has already ordered 15,000 guns with a view to eventually phasing out and replacing the American M-16.

A ministry statement described the Tavor as currently "the best assault rifle in the world".

The Tavor is particularly efficient in street combat, due its precision and lightness, the statement added. The 5.56-millimetre rifle can fire between 750 and 900 rounds a minute.

At 72 centimetres (28 inches) long, it weighs only 2.8 kilogrammes (six pounds) when empty. When equipped with a telescopic sight, complete with night vision, and a 30-round magazine it weighs 3.635 kilos (eight pounds), IMI said.

A ministry statement described the Tavor as currently "the best assault rifle in the world".

I'd like to say that I have never found a "bullpup" style assault rifle that was really particularly satisfying. The design has so many mediocre aspects that it really nullifies the obvious benefit of very compact form factor. I think they could be done well, and some of the H&K stuff comes closer than most, but this Israeli design looks like Yet Another Shitty Bullpup.

If anyone is likely to perfect a usable bullpup design, I'd guess it would be H&K. But as they've discovered solving some of the most obvious problems creates new ones...