The Tavor 7 may be pretty new to the American market, but the idea of getting a .308 rifle on/near the level of functionality as a 5.56 rifle has been around for decades. Many people who have used the 5.56 in combat, myself included, are not too impressed with some of its weaknesses. This leads to people looking for a rifle that gives them a good balance of controllability, reliability, capacity, ease of use, and the ability to accessorize. The Tavor 7 hit that fine balance for me, but it does need some help through aftermarket accessories in order to truly get it to the level of a 5.56 rifle. I have already covered/will cover these modifications and additions individually in separate articles, so I am not going to delve into nauseating detail here. Rather, I am going to focus on why and how these components optimize the performance of the Tavor 7.
A CASE FOR THE .308 TAVOR
The .308 Winchester from a 16” barrel reliably damages soft tissue without the need for tumbling and easily defeats barriers at varying ranges. The 5.56 may be light and all, but bullet is vulnerable to deviation, deflection, and defeat, even terminally at close range. I would rather tow a little more weight and have near the same capacity, but know that EVERY shot in the magazine is going to be effective when placed into the intended target. Often, you will note that one or two shots is not enough in a human target, but rather the recommendation is more than 5 and maybe 10. Plenty of anecdotal evidence and video footage of this, coupled with things I have witnessed myself.
With a bullpup, you easily get the full-length barrel, meaning long range capability, but in a small package that makes a folding stock rifle still look long. The Tavor platform is known already for being sturdy, reliable, and designed for fighting. Just because the rifle is highly maneuverable doesn’t mean it can’t go out to range. That is asinine to even suggest something like that. As far as handling, I think li have already proven that the Tavor 7 rifle can be reloaded as fast and as reliably as an AR platform on my channel. It has full ambidextrous capability and is very easy to handle and maintain. This rifle is a good representation of 21st century firearms engineering, showing that we can have a .308 rifle that shoots easy and is capable of keeping up with the 5.56.
SIGHT SELECTION
Whether this is a reflex sight like my Vortex Razor UH1, a Trijicon ACOG, or a fancy variable optic, it doesn’t matter. The point is that you need to have something on your rifle to aim and fire with. Without sights, this rifle is dead in the water. If it had a fixed sight option, I would have loved to go with that, but it would limit the ability to adjust and enhance sights for certain tasks. The choice is yours, but you are going to have to spend the most money on this part right here, just to get started. Expect to add $400-$1500 depending on the type of optic system you get.
PWS CQB COMPENSATOR
Once you have a sighting system, it is time to protect your ears and brain. The shock you receive from the stock compensator is absolutely unpleasant during fast shooting. I like the CQB compensator because it is not only a blast forwarding device, but also hides the big flash unlike standard blast forwarding devices, and it mitigates a bit of the recoil too. It does have a bit of density, but it is quite effective at what it does. You won’t be that jackass at the range booming the people to your flanks, or feeding yourself a lot of that concussion. For about $110, it is a worthy investment that I highly recommend.
CHARGING HANDLE FIX
The charging handle on the Tavor 7 might just be the only spot on it that is remotely questionable, thanks to my early rough handling. My recommendation is to simply use a piece of good old electrical tape to loosely secure the charging handle retention hook in position in the event you shove the charging handle forward too hard. This will simply prevent the hook from being forced forward, resulting in the spring that give the hook tension going flying. This is a simple fix and just a little bit of insurance that has worked wonders for me so far.
UPGRADED CAPACITY
There is nothing wrong with the magazine that comes with the rifle, but I will say that it is always best to upgrade your capacity whenever you can PRACTICALLY do so. I personally made it a point to get the 25 round Magpul magazines in order to get the capacity somewhat close to that of the 5.56 counterpart. Obviously, the weight of each mag is going to be 1.75 times heavier, but in the rifle, you aren’t knocked down a third on magazine capacity. These mags are not much more expensive than the 5.56 variants, but getting 10 mags at ~$22 each will set you back about $200-$250.
FORWARD GRIP SELECTION
The stock forend of the Tavor 7 is not the worse thing, but it is somewhat lacking in the ability to EASILY keep the rifle pulled into your shoulder. Something like an angled forward grip seems to be perfect for this role because of how straight it keeps the wrist of the support hand. My particular angled grip is made by the same company that makes the High Speed Shooting Stabilizer (FANG). Some people may want the broom handle grip up front, but my experience showed me that it bends the wrist a bit too much and my angled grip seems to allow perfect wrist alignment while shooting. This particular grip will go for $30, but it is worth the pennies you will invest in it.
SLING SELECTION
UGH, this is one of the worst topics to talk about since there may literally be a million different slings that can be used for this rifle. However, I will just say that after being a two-point fanatic with the AUG, I am only using a one point on this rifle. The sling I have is the Blackhawk single point sling with the M.A.S.H. hook system. I have had this sling around for years and had to go through all my slings to figure out how to sling the Tavor 7. This sling is attached to the forward most sling bar, next to the forward QD attachment point, on the left side. The elastic hook cover does great at preventing rattle and the hook allows the sling to roll with the rifle. I have tried the Magpul slings, the Vickers, and a host of other attachment techniques to include a Frankenstein sling design I threw together. Nothing but this sling worked optimally for the Tavor 7, so I am sticking to this sling for the long haul. I have my own way of handling the rifle and my height and loadout can affect my abilities, limiting me to this sling. Just be aware that it may be a journey of trial and error to find the right sling.
BUTTSTOCK UPGRADE
This upgrade will definitely be invaluable to your ability to hold the rifle in your shoulder, no matter what you have on your shoulder. The stock metal buttstock is metal with tiny studs that pretend to be helpful for keeping the stock in your shoulder. The reality is the metal studs are rounded and slide a good amount. The rubber buttstock I got cost about $80 after shipping and has been a killer investment. It sticks out a bit more than the stock one, but damn it holds on so much better. Just don’t think that this relieves you from your responsibility to pull the rifle into your shoulder like a good old shotgun. You need to really give and maintain a good pull on this rifle in order to maximize control.
LIGHT SELECTION
Pretty much everyone who is wanting to stay up on the most effective ways of fighting will respect the fact that a white light only enhances your night fighting capabilities. For my tastes I am using the Olight Odin on the right side of the front of the rifle and the tape switch rides just under it. I had to supply my own rail for mounting this beast, just as you will. The Odin allows up to 2000 lumens of light, but the duration of that rating depends on how you use it. It is easy to take off the mount for handheld use, but I can also charge it while it is on the rifle and there are no spare batteries needed. Use what you wish, but I just like my light choice. A light adds weight to the front, but that is the obvious sacrifice we make for enhanced capabilities and gear. At least on the Tavor 7, the weight is balanced and is easy to manage.
WRAPUP
When you slap on all the stuff I have on my rifle, you will end up with a piece that weighs in the neighborhood of 12lb unloaded. That is not that bad with all things considered, and it being a bullpup means it is a well-balanced 12 pounds not isolating stress to any particular arm. This is the Tavor 7 setup that I think gives it a winning set of capabilities. It is a .308 combat rifle and not a rifle meant to make you feel good about your weakness. So, grow a can of man, grab your cash, get yourself a Hebrew Hammer, and outfit it while you still can.
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