IWI Tavor SAR Review

After a long wait, the IWI Tavor has finally ended up on American gun store shelves.   I was lucky enough to get one of the first ones a couple months ago and have been putting it through its' paces since.   Here's what I've found...

Pros:
-Reliable.   1 malfunction out of roughly 1000 rounds and it may very well have been a bad round (more info in the video below).
-26'' OAL yet still has a 16.5'' barrel.
-1/2 x 28 thread pattern so AR muzzle devices and suppressors will work just fine on the rifle.
-Comes with 2 QD attachment points built into the rifle.
-Full 1913 top rail for adding whatever optic you choose.
-Built in flip up iron sights.  The front sight has a tritium insert for low light visibility.
-Easy to field strip for maintenance.
-Very easy to swap controls for left hand use.   Ejection pattern can also be swapped with a left hand bolt (LH rifles will be coming from the factory soon).
-Caliber conversions for both 5.45x39 and 9mm will be released in the coming months.
-Balances very well as most of the weight is in the rear of the rifle.
-Bolt locks open on the last round.
-CHF chrome lined 1 in 7 5.56 chambered barrel.
-Accepts standard capacity AR mags (some Gen2 PMags may not drop free)
-Very easy mag change procedure.


Cons:
-The recoil spring is pinned in to the bolt carrier assembly so I'm not sure how that would be swapped when the round count gets high enough to justify it (US version only as I understand it).
-Trigger.   It has some 'linkage' feel to it like most bullpups do.  That said, the break is crisp at just over 9 pounds.
-Cost.   These things are tough to find and they're going for over $3k on gunbroker and many small gun shops (and people are paying it!).
-Mounting a light on the rail system is awkward unless you're using a pressure switch.  
-Not a lot of Tavor specific accessories available currently.   We're pretty much limited to adapting/using accessories designed for use on an AR for this rifle so the side/top rail space can get full really quickly.
-Fixed LOP stock.   That said, it is comfortable for me in most positions (6'0'' for reference)
-Many folks like to run their rifles with their hand far out toward the muzzle for better control---for them the compactness of the rifle may hinder their weapons handling/control capabilities.


All in all the Tavor has a some of the downsides inherent to the platform but less than probably any bullpup I've seen/owned/handled to date.    They're a little on the pricy side but if you're looking for a gun that will be used in a CQB role, this is one that I'd take a hard look at.    I really like it thus far and the more time I have behind it the more I like it (I think much of that is due to gaining familiarity with the controls and confidence in manipulating the weapon).

If I could go back in time I'd absolutely buy this rifle again so I guess that's really the ultimate complement.

Here's a video with some shooting, a quick accuracy 'test' (wind and Wolf ammo...), a demonstration of how to manipulate the controls of the rifle, a quick disassembly/assembly, and a discussion of the pros/cons of the rifle.

D&H AR-15 Magazine Review

I've been using D&H mags in my ARs for a few years and with all the madness going on these days (getting better) I figured I'd do a review of what I've found so far.

Pros:

-Standard USGI dimensions so they will work in any rifle that accepts USGI mags

-I've never had a malfunction related to these mags; they've been as reliable as any mag I've ever used

-6061-T6 aluminum body.  Some models are teflon coated for smoother feeding

-All of mine have Magpul anti-tilt followers but even the standard D&H mags feature an anti-tilt follower

-Price.  Pre-madness these were going for around $10 a mag if you watched out for the deals.  These days they seem to range from $11-15

-Available in many different colors to match your rifle's color scheme

Cons:

-The only one I can think of is a con that I'd list for any USGI type magazine---they are more prone to denting and feed lip damage than their polymer competitors.

All in all these are great mags and are some of the best USGI type mags on the market.

Russian Roulette Clothing Giveaway!

Wolf Military Classic 7.62x39 124gr FMJ Ballistics Gel Test

Finished up the testing of the Wolf Military Classic 7.62x39 124gr FMJ round.  Here are the conditions and results. 

Test conditions: 
-WASR 10/63

-Test rounds fired from 15 feet 
-"FBI spec" (Their term, not mine...) Clear Ballistics gel block
 

Results: 
-2337 FPS, 1503 FT/LBS energy

-31.5'' of penetration 

Here's the video showing the test, the permanent cavity, where the bullet started to tumble, and a discussion of the results: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ojqSIMAH-w 

Golden Tiger 5.45x39 59gr FMJ Gel Test

Finished up the testing of the Golden Tiger 5.45x39 59gr FMJ round.  Here are the conditions and results. 

Test conditions: 
-SGL 31-61

-Test rounds fired from 15 feet 
-"FBI spec" (Their term, not mine...) Clear Ballistics gel block
 

Results: 
-2909 FPS, 1108 FT/LBS energy

-18'' of penetration 

Here's the video showing the test, the permanent cavity, where the bullet started to tumble, and a discussion of the results: 

Generation 2 Glock 22 Review

Lots of Glockers out there consider the Gen 2 Glocks to be the best models they've made and nowadays these Gen2 guns have been flooding the surplus market as departments upgrade their guns to the newer Gen4 models.   The good news for the public is that while most of these guns were carried a lot and show some wear, many were shot very little over their lifetime and have plenty of life left in them.

Pros: 
-Reliable.  The gun has had 0 malfunctions
-Accurate (more accurate than I am) 
-Durable.   The Gen 2 guns are where Glock built their reputation for durability.
-Easy to maintain 
-TONS of aftermarket support 
-Accepts 15, and 22 round factory magazines  
-Glock has great CS
-Durable finish
-Cheap replacement parts, should you ever need them 
-Low Bore Axis resulting in a relatively soft shooting gun

-Requires very little cleaning/lubrication to run reliably 

-Many people prefer the Gen2 grip without the finger grooves present on the Gen3/4 guns

Cons: 
-I'm not a fan of the Glock factory plastic sights

-When I first inspected the gun, I noticed the slide stop lever had almost no spring tension and replaced it.  What I'm getting at there is that you'll certainly want to inspect the guns because some departments out there do very little armoror work (if any at all) on their guns.

-Gen 2 40S&W Glocks are famous for being vulnerable to "ka-booms" due to a partially unsupported chamber.  I personally believe the majority of this these incidents occur due to reloaded ammo but nonetheless it's worth noting.

Here's a video with some shooting from the 12m line,  break down the gun, compare the chamber support to a Gen4 Glock, and discuss the pros and cons of the gun:

Manticore Arms AR NightBrake Review

I've been running the Manticore Arms NightBrake for a while and here's what I've found:

Pros:
-Very good muzzle control during rapid fire strings.
-Reduces perceived recoil
-Reduces muzzle climb
-No ports face directly upward to prevent the muzzle flash from getting in your sight picture when firing in low light.
-No ports on bottom 90 degrees to prevent dust from coming up in your face when firing from the prone. 
-Machined 8620 bar stock with a "deep black oxide" finish. 
-Crush washer included (it just annoys me when they're not...)
-Can be used on ARs (and other 1/2x28 threaded rifles) firing up to 30 caliber (.311'' clearance)
-Cost.  Can be picked up for around $50

Cons:
-Slightly increases muzzle flash.  Not as bad as some but more than the A2 or Battlecomp for example...
-Slightly more blast than an A2 flash hider.  Nowhere near as bad as a side port style brake however.

All in all, it's a very effective brake; especially for what they cost.

Here's a video with some day and night shooting, a discussion of specs and my overall thoughts on the brake: