#Iwi

The IWI 40x46mm Low-Velocity UBGL/Standalone Grenade Launcher has been around for a few years but this is the first time we were able to actually get our hands on the launcher at TFB. Available for LE/Military customers worldwide, the launcher is designed to lock onto the bayonet lug of the Tavor 5.56x45mm X95 rifle by way of two locking pins that keep it in place. At first glance, it appears to be similar to any other UBGL/GL design on the market but IWI really seemed to put a lot of effort into the finer points of detail on the launcher.

We at TFB were fortunate enough to get a preemptive sneak peek of a lot of the firearms and sweetness that is present at SHOT Show Industry Range Day. Part of that was seeing in the flesh (err, bare metal) the NEW Tavor TS12 12 Gauge and the Tavor 7 .308 win rifles from IWI.

Good morning scattergun fans. In an unexpected twist, it appears that IWI is set to release the TS12 – a 12 gauge bullpup shotgun with a maximum shell capacity of 26 rounds. Twenty. Six. Rounds. (Correction: 15+1*) Obviously, as with most leaked information, details are slim at the moment, however I was able to pick out some of the TS12’s more defining features from the below catalog images. First and foremost, it is a gas operated semi automatic weapon with three rotating magazine tubes and ejection of spent shell can be adjusted from left to right as needed.

The first round up of the Big Freakin’ Cartridge Test is IMI’s take on the Black Hill’s classic heavy precision load, Mk. 262. Branded as “77gr Razor Core”, IMI’s version sports annealed 5.56mm NATO cases, neck and primer sealant, and of course 77gr Open Tip Match projectiles. Continuing on from the first installment, we are now looking at the velocity test results for the 16.1″ and 20″ barrels. The test procedure was as follows:

The first round up for the Big Freakin’ Cartridge Test is IMI’s take on the Black Hill’s classic heavy precision load, Mk. 262. Branded as “77gr Razor Core”, IMI’s version sports annealed 5.56mm NATO cases, neck and primer sealant, and of course 77gr Open Tip Match projectiles. Based on reputation alone, I expected the best accuracy and relatively high muzzle velocities from this ammunition. The test procedure was as follows:

Just like Heckler & Koch USA, IWI US Inc. is relocating due to growth.

If you happen to be in Paris, France, make sure you visit the exhibition Milipol 2017 and examine the new version of Meprolight’s  MEPRO MOR Reflex Sight with a green laser pointer.

According to Reuters, an Israeli company called SK Group, which owns several defense brands including the Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) and Meprolight, will go public by doing an initial public offering (IPO) of its shares in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The total sum of the listed shares will be about $565 million (2 billion shekels). The IPO is planned to be in 2018.

IWI are certainly up to some very interesting product launches, for instance the Tavor 7 “Major” in 7,62×51 mm and the Masada pistol.

Busy days for IWI, new Tavor 7 and now a new line of striker based pistols called Masada.

For a few days both the IWI Israel and the U.S. subsidiary of Israel Weapons Industries, IWI US, have been teasing us with pictures and videos of a new pistol.

The information about the Tavor 7 AR in 7.62×51 mm is not new, TFB reported about it in June and July.

Rounding out our coverage of Machinegunapalooza 2017 – by which I mean the numerous machine guns of the 2017 Association of the United States Army annual meeting – we have the IWI Negev (5.56mm) and Negev NG-7 light machine guns. These Israeli belt feds are, among production weapons, some of the best-designed machine guns in existence today, incorporating the operating concept of the PKM into a weapon with light overall weight, exceptionally robust construction, and modern features. Also, unlike the PKM, the Negev is select-fire, with a semiautomatic fire setting in addition to fully automatic.

The 2017 Association of the US Army annual meeting was the public debut of Israel’s new full caliber bullpup rifle, the Tavor 7.  Announced in late June via IWI’s Facebook page, the Tavor 7 is a 7.62mm / .308 Winchester caliber semiautomatic bullpup rifle patterned after the Tavor family of 5.56mm (etc.) caliber bullpups.

The release of the Galil ACE has been met with generally positive reviews. The weapon system, basically an updated Galil/AK is picking up a reputation for being attractive, reliable, and usable with new features welcome including AR-style magazine compatibility on the .308, a top-mounted picatinny rail, and generally more ergonomic interfaces.