The Firearm Blog

The IDF report that the Tavor rifle performed well in the recent Gaza conflict Operation Cast Lead. Earlier problems with the rifle jamming have been resolved, Israeli National News reports:

The IDF has completed its study of the weapon’s performance in the Gaza fighting and a report will be handed in to the Chief Infantry and Paratroopers Officer, Brig.-Gen. Yossi Buchner, and to OC Ground Forces Command, Maj.-Gen. Avi Mizrachi, within the next few weeks.

The weapon is not expected to undergo any upgrading in the near future because the Ground Forces Command found nothing to improve in it, IDF journal Bamachaneh reported. I.W.I., which manufactures the weapon, asked the IDF for feedback on the weapon’s performance, but “the answer we got was that the weapon is excellent and there is nothing to fix,” I.W.I. Director Uri Amit said.

More here.

IMI Tavor TAR-21. From Wikipedia.
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Last month the Croatian Ministry of Defense unveiled the final design of the VHS assault rifle (Višenamjenska Hrvatska Strojnica – Multifunctional Croatian Machinegun). The rifle has been in development for many years by Croatian manufacturer HS Produkt who are better known for their HS 2000 pistol ( sold as the Springfield Armory XD in the US).

The first version of the rifle bore a striking resemblance to the Israeli Tavor and Singaporean SAR-21:

Early prototype

The early prototype rifle utilized an interesting gas system. Reading the patent and other info on the internet it seemed to be a new take on gas delayed blowback. A piston is used to push back the bolt and gas is piped behind the bolt to slow it down.

The new final production model. Click to expand. (Photo by Remigiusz Wilk (REMOV))

The new model bears more than a slight resemblance to the French FAMAS. The external design is without doubt inspired by the FAMAS.

French FAMAS (from Wikipedia)

The gas system was ditched and the final production model uses direct gas impingement, the same system as the M16/AR-15, unlike the earlier model or the FAMAS, which uses a lever-delayed blowback action.

The rifle will come in two models. The 20″ barreled rifle model called the VHS-D (pictured above,) the 16″ carbine model called the VHS-K (pictured below). The VHS is chambered in the 5.56×45mm NATO and takes STANAG (AR-15) magazines. The price is estimated to be €1000.

According to Wikipedia the rifle will undergo trials in earyl 2009 and by 2012 60,000 will be in service with the Croatian army.

VHS-K prototype. Very compact!

This video clip show the rifle in use:

Guns.ru has more info on the rifle.

DoubleTapper has taken photos of a Tavor being field stripped in his kitchen. Very interesting.

More here.

The police in Guatemala have adopted the Israeli Tavor.

More photos here.

After feeding him some of my wife’s famous lasagna (we always feed our servicemen) he gave me a dry demo of the new Tavor Commando and let me try it out.

Read more here.