IWI Tavor frozen at -31C, ice sprayed, snow packed, & ultimately live fired: Vid/Pics

[CollectivePitch]

Little colder than even the coolest parts of RSA, but figured you guys might find this interesting.


I’m a traditionalist, when the Keltec KSG was first sent to me for a review I wasn’t immediately smitten. I like wood and steel guns still, and I’m making quite a departure moving into the modern realm of bullpups full of polymer. I ended up liking the KSG, much to my surprise, just as I’m also finding myself extremely fond of the Tavor. The number one question I had, and that I hear from others, with modern polymer guns and especially bullpups is just how reliable, and sturdy are they. To me in Northern Canada, that means cold. I stuck the Tavor out in the cold in an open cardboard box last night, and let it cold soak down to -31C at 0600 this morning when I checked it. I then posted my intentions on a forum I frequent, and received a suggestion to ice spray it. It sounded like a very good bad idea, and I increased the level of questionable choices by snow packing the rifle, tossing it multiple times into a snow bank following the ice spray.







I sprayed the rifle with water from a spray bottle, focusing extra ice on the bolt / ejection port, magazine release and catch assembly, bolt catch, and trigger, ultimately coating the entire rifle with ice on the exterior. Then just prior to shooting, I tossed it in a snow bank, photographed it, and went straight to this video. Function was flawless, I continued to fire after the video and it even grouped just as well as usual. I was impressed, the amount of snow in the action doesn’t show, but it was an awful lot, and it didn’t bother the Tavor one bit. All polymer bits proved strong, and I fiddled hard with them at -31C, no concerns. The trigger photo above is after it was fired, as well as the mag catch assembly, you can see the ice broke away at the top of the trigger and around the edges of the mag catch. It took a fair bit of force to break the ice in both cases, and the same for the frozen selector (safety), no issues for any of the controls despite -31C.


Incidentally, video No.2 is the Tavor firing in "warmer" temps, a couple days before the water spray and deep freeze, about -15C. I appreciated how it has essentially zero muzzle rise, even under rapid fire. So far, I'm impressed by this rifle, 500 yards next.

www.morrisonarms.com

[marshy]

Awesome! Would be great to see them here in SA one day

[spiggs]

I understand that function over form is the most important, but jeez that is an ugly rifle

[farmer-el]

I understand that function over form is the most important, but jeez that is an ugly rifle

... And you collect AK's? :)

[Wanderin' Zero]

Nah, an AK *is* iconic. It's one of the best recognised images anywhere on the planet. Coca-Cola is the west's best known brand, the AK that of the old comm bloc. Says something.

[CollectivePitch]

Ugly and works like a hot damn. ;) I've never been able to warm up to the ergonomics of the AK, sold my last two, a pair of Valmets, last month. With this Tavor I just can't ignore how well it works and how good it feels, regardless of how ugly she is. ;)