Tavor TAR-21

Description

The TAR-21 is an Israeli produced assault rifle that utilizes a ‘bullpup’ design. This allows the weapon to adopt a shorter profile, without sacrificing its barrel length and muzzle velocity/firing range.

Designed to replace the US M4A1, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) current ‘carbine’ assault rifle, the TAR-21 performed incredibly well in its 2001/02 testing trials and was subsequently accepted into service.

Like the Israeli Galil, the Tar-21 borrows heavily from the Kalashnikov design by adopting a long-stroke piston. Which, being attached to the bolt carrier, impedes far greater rearward force on the bolt, ensuring cleaner extraction and in-tern improved feeding of the cartridge into the chamber.

Aside from allowing for numerous attachments, whether optical, stability (foregrip/bipod) or an M203 under-barrel grenade launcher, like the Steyr AUG, with the replacement of the bolt and switching of ejection port, the weapon be converted for use by left handed firers.

The success of this weapon has lead to a number of variants, with the main ones being the GTAR-21 (allows the fitting of an M203), CTAR-21 (fitted with a 3 inch shorter barrel), STAR-21 (scoped/bipod fitted marksman use) and the Tavor X95/MTAR-21 (the 2009 upgraded TAR-21 issued from 2011 onwards).

Aside from local use, the TAR-21 family of weapons has been adopted for use by the governments of many South/Central American and African nations.