A Look at Israel’s Most Impressive Military Weapons

By Ready to Fire News Last updated Oct 3, 2018

Many gun enthusiasts in the United States have served in the military or law enforcement, or at least have an interest in military operations and weapons. As such, the AR-15 as a variant of the M16 is a favorite rifle, as the weapon Americans are most familiar with for tactical purposes. However, for civilian use as either a home defense weapon or to carry in a car or truck, a smaller weapon can be just as effective and more practical.

Because of the nature of Israeli military operations, the Israeli Defense Forces have developed certain weapons which can offer better service in urban environments and have in turn affected the development of other weapons worldwide. The result has been the development of a truly unique military arsenal — let’s take a look at a few of our favorites.

Uzi Submachine Gun

The Uzi submachine gun is well known for it’s role in movies and use by special forces or second line combatants. The gun is light and easy to carry, yet runs an effective 9mm Parabellum round with an effective range of 200 meters.

Being made of stamped metal parts, the weapon is relatively easy to manufacture yet provides the reliability and soldier can trust in combat. The Uzi was invented by Major Uziel Gal in the late 1940’s as a solution to the new nation of Israel’s problem with unmatched weapons and the logistics of supplying different calibers of ammo to their troops. At 600 rounds per minute, this firearm provided plenty of cover fire or became exceptionally accurate when set to semi-automatic.

Tavor Assault Rifle

The Tavor assault rifle was immediately popular when introduced in 2001, again, because the small lightweight design with a bullpup configuration made the gun easier to maneuver in tight urban environments while providing great access at long range in open fields or desert terrain.

Using the 5.56 standard NATO round allowed the gun to be consistent with what other Allied troops were using, with a gun better suited than the FAL or M16 for the specific needs of Israeli forces. The gun was designed to be ambidextrous, allowing for safer cornering in a city or building, and utilizes a modular design for ease of alteration according to different combat situations.

Other Gun Designs

It’s important to realize how the lighter Israeli weapons have affected overall gun design in recent years. Although a longer barrel provides a bit more power to the bullet, it has been found not to make enough difference in practical application when the lighter weapon causes less fatigue. The longer barrel also makes for more accuracy by extending the distance between the front and rear iron sights, but modern optics makes such a consideration obsolete. Although the maneuverability wasn’t a factor when wars were conducted in jungle, forest, or desert terrains, modern urban warfare requires a weapon which is easier to handle.

The bullpup and ambidextrous designs seen in the weapons above have garnered much attention for the close quarters fighting in the Middle Eastern cities, and the shorter barrel has shown its effectiveness in the U.S. Military with the popularity of the M4 Carbine and the ongoing search for an even lighter weapon which will remain just as effective.

~ Ready to Fire News