Developed back in 2003, Israeli Weapon Industries introduced a rifle which would stir up the American market. The Tavor, sometimes referred to as the TAR-21, is a futuristic rifle which looked like something right out of a sci-fi movie. Unsurprisingly, it’s served this role on the big screen more than once. While the earlier Tavor is no longer in production it was the rifle which brought bullpups back into public interest. Slowly but surely they were accepted, then developed quite a following. Aftermarket support started to take off. Often it seemed like there were two camps, those who owned one and those who wanted one. Yet within a fairly short period between being introduced here and being phased out the Tavor was set to receive quite a facelift.
Based on feedback from the Israeli Defense Force we end up with the curiously named X95, a rifle which has been available in the States for a few years now but had been seeing service for much longer overseas. Side by side there isn’t a whole lot these rifles have in common other than being bullpups chambered in 5.56 and housed within polymer shells. These days the X95 can also be had in .300 Blackout and, if you’re really fortunate to find one, 9mm.
Comparing the two the original Tavor’s fixed grip and charging handle were set quite far forward with very little space for the off hand or accessories. The magazine release was a polymer trigger positioned in front of the magwell, a fairly unique solution which in more recent years can be seen in KelTec’s RDB rifle. The original Tavor also had a really crummy trigger, to be blunt.
The X95 addressed quite a few of these issues. The grip moved toward the center for better balance and can now be changed to either a standard trigger guard or the original Tavor and AUG style ‘trident’ hand guard along with having replaceable side panels. The forend has been given much needed rail space at the three, six, and nine o’clock positions. Rail covers with spring loaded tabs seamlessly conceal these three rails if not being used for accessories. The charging handle has also been brought in toward the center of the receiver which makes it easier to manipulate directly above the user’s primary grip. As with the Tavor the X95 could be altered for left handed use though thanks to a shell deflector they can be fired off-hand.
Just like the Tavor, the X95 duplicates an AR-15’s selector with a ninety degree throw which can also be reversed for lefties. The X95 takes it one step further by also duplicating an AR’s magazine release on both sides which works every bit as smoothly as an AR despite being so far forward of the magwell.
The trigger is vastly improved over the earlier Tavors, there really is no comparison. In fact, IWI did such a great job on the X95’s trigger that they started using them in later Tavors until the end of production. The trigger packs themselves are swappable between both rifles, all of the upgraded magic takes place somewhere on the inside. If the new trigger is still not to your liking there are aftermarket options available, albeit rather pricey ones.
Compared to the reigning king of the bullpup world, the Steyr AUG, there are some areas where the X95 is better and some areas where the AUG still holds the edge. The X95 is a pretty chunky gun, it weighs a lot for its size and being a long stroke gas piston operation like an AK there’s a lot of reciprocating mass whenever the trigger is pulled. When brand new it also had some issues with venting gas into my face but that seemed to have worked itself out.
The grip placement is a welcome change for me as I like to tuck my arms in close when possible, however this results in my biggest issue with the X95. The edges of the magazine well are somewhat thick and I find that the corner likes to catch the inside of my wrist a fair bit. At times I will end up with an indentation and irritated skin because of this point of contact. It could probably be sanded down some but there is no undo option if it doesn’t work out. It would have been nice to see this area more smoothed out.
Where ergonomics are concerned it’s kind of an even split between the two. Hand placement and cheek weld on the AUG wins without question for me, but all of the controls are done better with the X95 and even with the Tavor. The IWI models have a peculiar bolt release which is a “foot” beneath the stock just behind the magazine. It’s best to have a third hand when manually locking the bolt open on either of these rifles. That said, I still find it easier to close the bolt on either of the IWI guns than on an AUG. It’s a larger control and quite easy to give a little bump with the off hand after inserting a new magazine, there’s nothing to hunt around for or give much thought to hitting.
For charging handles the X95 wins hands down for me, the factory AUG charging handle’s angle and hinged design is just awful and an aftermarket handle tends to take up a lot of space. The X95 is simple, smooth, and clean. The only change I’d like to see is a way to rock it upward for an easier manual hold open. Apparently I’m not alone in wanting this change as the newer .308 chambered Tavor 7 does have such a feature.
Another area where the X95 wins is in rail space. There’s plenty of room up top for optics and a generous amount of space around the front. There’s also backup iron sights built right into the top rail which are complete with tritium inserts. The flipside is that the X95 is taller than the more svelte AUG, sighting options will be mounted fairly high above the bore. This can cause a more noticeable shift in bullet impact.
Between the AUG and X95 the IWI has the better trigger but the AUG has a smoother recoil impulse. The X95’s barrel can be removed but it is nowhere near as simple as with the AUG. But, just like the original Tavor, the X95 pulls ahead in that it uses STANAG magazines. While this won’t help most of us I did get an opportunity a few years back to try a select fire X95. Where semi auto has a fairly stout recoil I actually quite liked it on full auto, even with a stubbier barrel.
For me the X95’s winning strategy starts with its magazine compatibility but goes further by having many of its controls be shared with the AR platform. It’s as close as we currently have to a bullpup Armalite. If you’re familiar with an AR then it’s not a difficult transition to go to the more compact bullpup format while retaining a 16″ or 18″ barrel.
The original Tavor was a good rifle. In fact, its success not only led to the civilian version of the X95 but also the Tavor 7 and the funky 15 round shotgun called the TS-12. For as much as I love the AUG, if I could only take one home the X95 would be the first pick. It may feel a little cumbersome at times but the combination of modern features, room for accessories and mag compatibility means that it should be good for whatever might be thrown at it. Where the AUG could be seen more akin to owning a classic car the X95 is more geared toward being a daily driver.
