I recently spent several months in Israel and I was amazed by all the firepower I saw. Everywhere I went I was surrounded by IDF and their no nonsense hardware. The most common weapon you’ll find being carried is a Colt M-16 SHORT…I made the mistake of calling it an M4 and I was very quickly corrected. But along with the M-16 short was was the occasional M-16 A2 and even a Galil or two, but the most impressive rifle I was privileged to play around with was the IMI Tavor. I believe this rifle is the future of small arms…The short barreled version easily capable of CQB is equipped with a 16" barrel and can even be used as a marksman’s rifle. The most amusing was the Tavor with a barrel mounted M203 launcher. Anyway, I wanted to know what everyone else thought of this fantastic platform…This picture was taken while in the West Bank in the town of Hebron.
Those are popular up here in Canada because they are non-restricted and can be taken wherever, unlike, for example, the AR, which can only legally be shot at the range.
They sure balance well…an incredibly handy rifle.
I have never run one in a dynamic situation, and don’t have any insight on the brass-in-the-face issue with support side shooting.
i recently got the opportunity to shoot one of these in the police range here recently. all i can say is…WOW! this is one amazing gun at any range! went through 300 rounds and all were within 1 inch at 100 meters. even at full auto, this was a very manageable gun. actually didn’t want to return this to my cousin-in-law.
the only drawback? well, here in the Philippines, the rifle would cost an equivalent of $10,000!!! if you compare the prices of other guns here and in the states, this might come in at around $3000-5000.
So is there some rule that they can not walk around with a loaded rifle? I see
alot of pics of IDF guys just walking around, but nobody has a mag in the gun.
It’s an ITL (IT Lasers) M.A.R.S. Israeli based company. I had one until late last month when I sold it to finance my carbine.
And to answer Tat2:
The soldiers are on ready 100% of the time so they always have their weapons and loaded magazines but only active (on duty) combatants have their weapons loaded. In addition, you’ll find almost no IDF weapons loaded in the Old City of Jerusalem, only Police and Border Patrol.
And a lot of IDF personnel and reservists use public transportation. The IDF is terrified, and rightly so, of having a ND in public.
The level of firearms training in the IDF isn’t all that high. Motivated, yes, but they’re rough on their equipment and don’t get a lot of actual trigger time if they’re average joe’s…
Keeping the weapon clear is the easiest way for them to deal with that issue.
Handguns are also carried holstered, or in the waistband, with a loaded magazine, but an empty chamber… They train to rack the action on the draw stroke…
The group apprears to be heading inside that building…maybe chowtime. The guy on the right appears to pulling security…and has a loaded weapon…same practice as us.
this is one amazing gun at any range! went through 300 rounds and all were within 1 inch at 100 meters. even at full auto, this was a very manageable gun. actually didn’t want to return this to my cousin-in-law.