Media Day Initial Impressions: 9x19mm Tavor SAR

In the spring of 2013, I purchased a Tavor SAR. It quickly became one of my favorite guns. Despite how much I appreciate the gun, until yesterday’s Media Day at the Range I doubted that I would sink any more money into it. After shooting a 9x19mm Tavor, that opinion has changed.

Along with the launch of their law enforcement division, 2014 will see IWI US begin shipping 9mm Tavor conversion kits (some have already been sent out). The kit, which converts the 5.56-chambered long-stroke gas piston bullpup into a straight blowback pistol-caliber arm, had been greatly anticipated by the Israeli carbine’s biggest fans. I, however, was not that excited—pistol-caliber rifles never really did it for me.

Now that I’ve actually been able to shoot a 9mm Tavor, I think I’m catching a mild form of bullpup fever again. When converted to 9mm, the gun is super-controllable, quick, and accurate—just like it is in 5.56. There’s also a very unique feeling of happiness that comes from shooting a 9mm Tavor one-handed (which one of the IWI reps graciously explained how to do) that just can’t quite be put into words. The conversion kits should sell for around $800.

In addition to the 9mm kits, IWI US will begin selling spare parts kits for the Tavor this year. The company will also start offering Tavors in OD green furniture. Regrettably none of those were present at Media Day, but some should be available to check out on the show floor.

Matt Korovesis

I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.

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