Infantry Weapons

IWI Tavor/X95 rifle family

The IWI Tavor/X95 rifle family is Israel's compact bullpup service-rifle line, centered on the original Tavor and the modern Micro-Tavor X95. IWI designed the family to keep rifle-length 5.56 NATO handling in a shorter package, and the IDF has associated the X95 with infantry service and Gaza operations during the Israel-Hamas War.

Conflict side
Israel
Built by
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
Built in
Israel
IWI Tavor/X95 rifle family, Bullpup assault rifle family, Infantry Weapons

Service History

In service
The IDF adopted the Micro-Tavor/X95 as its infantry service rifle family in 2009, and the type remained visible in wartime reporting during the Israel-Hamas War.
Used by
Israel Defense Forces
Wars
Israel-Hamas War

Production History

Designer
Israel Weapon Industries
Designed
2003-2009
Built by
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
Built in
Israel
Produced
2009-present
Variants
Tavor TAR-21, X95 / Micro-Tavor, X95 SBR, X95 18.5-inch

Specifications

Caliber
5.56 NATO; .300 BLK and 9mm variants also offered
Action
Gas piston, semi-auto
Operating system
Closed rotating bolt, long-stroke gas piston
Barrel length
13, 16.5, or 18.5 in depending on model
Overall length
22.8 to 30.5 in depending on model
Weight
About 7.5 to 8.0 lb depending on configuration
Magazine type
Polymer NATO STANAG
Magazine capacity
30 rounds standard

Conflict Usage

Israel-Hamas War
Side: IsraelRole: Infantry service riflestrike

Used by the Israeli military in the Israel-Hamas War, with reporting in October 2023 specifically identifying Micro Tavor X95 rifles in IDF use in Gaza.

IWI Tavor/X95 rifle family Images

Related Weapon Systems

AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Its lower production burden, broad Warsaw Pact and licensed manufacture, and large legacy stocks keep it visible in modern conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas War, where AP reported Hamas fighters using AK-47 assault rifles in Gaza after the Oct. 7 attack and in the wider Kalashnikov rifle family.
AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock variant of the Soviet AKM assault rifle, retaining the AKM's stamped receiver, gas-operated selective-fire action, and 7.62x39mm chambering while giving airborne, vehicle-mounted, and compact-carry users a shorter folded profile. In the Russia-Ukraine War, ARES documented a specific AKMS seized by Ukrainian police from an alleged Russian saboteur, illustrating how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles still appear alongside newer small arms.

Sources