IWI Tavor TS12

ABOUT TAVOR TS12

IWI TAVOR TS12- TAVOR Tactical 12 gauge shotgun is a gas regulated bullpup shotgun.

It feeds from one of three magazine tubes which can hold four 3-inch shotgun shells or five 2 ¾ inch shotgun shells. This means that the potential magazine capacity is 15 rounds plus one additional round in the chamber.

The TAVOR TS12 has a unique feature that automatically loads rounds in the chamber once the subsequent loaded tube is rotated into position. It can be fed and unloaded from either side.

Additional features of the TS12: 4 sling attachment points, M-LOK compatible rails, a continuous Picatinny rail on top, Benelli/Beretta Mobil choke tube compatibility and the reliability expected of all IWI products.

Although the Tavor TS12 for sale has an 18.5-inch barrel, the overall length is still only 28.34 inches. Currently, the TAVOR TS12 will be offered in black with following versions offered in green and flat dark earth.

For a versatile and compact sporting or home defense shotgun, the TS12 for sale is innovative and optimized for whatever application you need.

FEATURES
Muzzle threads are internal and will be Beretta type. One choke will be included with each shotgun
Tubular magazine system (5 – 2 ¾” or 4 – 3”) 15 rounds total capacity
12 gauge gas operated smoothbore semi-automatic shotgun with integral gas regulation adjustment

ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS
A one piece full length 1913 standard Picatinny top rail will be on the gun. M-LOK receptacles will be incorporated into each side of the forearm of the shotgun body
Cross bolt safety
Disassembly from the rear without the use of any special tools
Easy loading system that can be loaded from either right or left side. Cartridges can be unloaded one at a time with a push of a button
A unique patented “Bullhead” bolt system, specially designed for use with the TS12 for sale

TECHNICAL DATA
Gauge: 12ga/3” chamber
Barrel Length (mm): 470 (18.5”)
Overall Length (mm): 720 (28.34”) not including the choke
Weight (weapon only, kg): 3.6 kg
Gun Review: IWI Tavor TS12 Shotgun

By ALEX LUFFO FROM walstonswitchguns.com

No, the IWI Tavor TS12 shotgun doesn’t cycle mini shells, it’s a semi-auto shotgun designed for standard shotgun ammo. The mini shell thing is quickly becoming the “Does it take GLOCK mags,” meme for smoothbores.

Now that’s out of the way, and we can get on with what has been the hardest gun I’ve had to review in a long time, the Tavor TS12.

I love shotguns. The majority of my articles for TTAG are about shotguns in some way. I love the IWI TS12…but sometimes I don’t like it. I’ve been looking forward to the gun for a long time, and when it finally premiered, I did my best to grab one.

The IWI’s Tavor TS12 is likely one of the most revolutionary designs in shotguns in a long time. It combines the qualities that make standard shotguns so great with a bullpup platform, excellent 15+1 capacity, and very good ergonomics.

It looks like it should be a gimmick, but in reality, it’s a well-designed gun. It’s just far from flawless.

On Pins and Needles

I hate the idea that modern firearms should have a break-in period, but apparently some still do. The IWI Tavor TS12 is one of them. With such an unusual gun, I spent time reading the manual in which IWI suggest using loads over 1250 FPS.

Gotcha, easy to do. I had 125 rounds of 1330 FPS rounds and another 100 rounds of 1250 FPS birdshot on top of a pile of buckshot from various companies, with the majority easily exceeding 1250 FPS.

I started with birdshot, and to my disappointment, the gun couldn’t get through a full tube without a failure. Even the hotter 1330 stuff would fail. In fact, it failed more than the Estate 1250 birdshot I had.

I plugged away through all 225 rounds and the gun was still continually choking. The 1330 Fiocchi loads were the worst, but the Estate wasn’t much better.

After that, I went out and bought more birdshot. The manual says to find a load it likes and stick with it. I purchased more Estate, Federal, and Winchester sport birdshot loads, and I let them rip.

I climbed up to 400 rounds at a frustratingly slow pace. But the gun slowly got a little better, and failure rates dropped to about once per 15 rounds with the Estate birdshot.

The Federal ammunition would occasionally fail to feed from the tube to the chamber, so I wrote it off. That was the only load that did this. Finally I took the gun apart, cleaned it, and gave myself a break.

Buckshot Time

The next day I went out with Winchester Olin military grade buckshot, Federal Tactical, Hornady Black, Suprema, Rio, and a mixed bag of shells that have accumulated in an ammo can. The gun remained picky throughout the day.

Honestly, the Suprema is junk ammo, and I didn’t give it much thought. I just wanted to shoot it as cheap fodder to help break the gun in. The Olin Company and Federal Tactical worked the best.

It still jammed, but now I could get through an entire 15 rounds without a failure. Oddly enough, the velocity rating of the shells seemed not to matter when it came to reliability.

The reduced recoil Federal loads are only 1145 FPS and functioned just as well as the Olin mil spec. I had ten rounds of Hornady Black 12 gauge with a 1,600 FPS second rating that ran perfectly, but Winchester Razorback slugs are also 1,600 FPS and wouldn’t reliably cycle.

I gave up on the Rio buckshot because it’s out of spec, and you can only fit four of the supposed 2¾ inch shells into the tube. They are longer than advertised, and I got annoyed at them. They cycled okay-ish with a roughly 10 percent failure to eject rate.

So What Works?

Oddly enough, a friend wanted to shoot this gun, and he brought over some Rio birdshot. The blue box basic light game load at 1,280 FPS ran the best of all the birdshot loads with four failures in 100 rounds. Other than that, the Olin Company mil-spec buck and the Federal Tactical reduced recoil flight control loads work the best.

These buckshot loads mostly always work, but within a hundred rounds, you’ll get a failure to extract or two.

Because of that, this isn’t a gun that I’d use for home defense duty use yet, which is a shame because the rest of the gun is brilliant.

I’ve written to IWI and explained the issue. They were quite responsive, and I’m looking to send the gun back and see what they think. It seems to be getting better, but I’ve put this review off for a bit because I do love the gun’s design and wanted it to work.

Tavor TS12 Ergonomics

The TS12 looks like it could be a mess ergonomically, but it’s not. The gun is easy to load, unlike other bullpup tube-fed shotguns. The TS12 has three rotating magazine tubes, two of which are exposed at all times. You can load the two exposed tubes as you shoot the gun.

Shoot a few rounds from a tube, and you can rotate it and keep loading. The old shoot two, load two, comes into effect with the TS12.

It’s also compatible with a variety of shotgun gear designed for standard shotguns. This includes bandoliers, the 5.11 Tactical VTAC shotgun ammo pouch, the AmmoPal, and more. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

Swapping from tube to tube is easy to do, and the large pad that is set forward of the trigger makes it simple to swap tubes on the fly. Hit the button, rotate the tube, and boom, you are rocking and rolling.

If you’ve fired the first tube till it’s empty, the bolt will lock to the rear. Once you rotate a fresh tube, the TS12 for sale will automatically load a fresh round from the new tube. It’s quick and easy.

I rotate the tubes counter-clockwise (you can do it either way), and this leaves the empty tubes to my left-hand side. This makes it easy for my off-hand to load the tube and for me to stay on target. You could effectively keep each tube loaded as you shoot and move. This allows you to keep your weapon loaded nearly infinitely effectively.

The trigger safety is a cross-bolt design that is easy to push in place with the trigger finger. It’s easy to switch off and get the gun into action.

The charging handle is placed on the left-hand side for easy accessibility for right-handed shooters. The weapon can be swapped out for left-handed use, but you have to send it back to IWI to do so.

Ergonomically the gun is very sound and well designed. As I said before, it keeps the best parts of a shotgun with the best parts of a bullpup. It’s short and sweet, but easy to load and utilize.

The overall length is only 28.3 inches, making it just two inches longer than a Mossberg Shockwave, but the TS12 gives you get a stock and three times the ammo (at about three times the price).

You can also unload the gun without having to cycle the action 15 times. Where the non-feeding tubes align on the side of the weapon, there are two levers that allow you to manually eject one round at a time. This could be done to safely unload the gun, or to pop a round out and load a slug for the next shot.

Range Time With the Tavor TS12

We already covered the reliability issues I have had with the gun, so this will be all the other range impressions.

The gun comes without sights, and the comb of the stock is straight like an AR-15, so for comfort reasons, you need an AR-height optic. I went with the SIG Romeo5 XDR. It’s simple and well suited for shotguns.

The TS12 has a landing strip-length Picatinny rail on top that makes it easy to pick and choose wherever you want to mount an optic. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

The TS12 is a gas piston gun, and recoil is quite soft and very manageable. The gas piston has two settings. One is light, and the other is for heavier loads. On the heavy setting, the recoil would be reduced for heavy loads.

With my reliability issues, I only swapped it to the heavy setting a time or two. It works, but I needed to maximize gas flow for reliability. For recoil management, I pulled the gun tightly into my shoulder. My normal stretch method felt a little risky for such a short semi-auto gun, and I didn’t want to get “KSG hand.”

The trigger is not good, but it’s a shotgun, so it’s not a huge concern. It’s that standard bullpup trigger with lots of mush to it, but a loaded and tactile break. The gun also cycles very fast, and speed is most certainly a big part of close quarters combat.

With that in mind, the short nature of the gun makes it quick to shoulder and easy to transition from target to target. Have you ever overshot your target when swinging your gun from one direction to another? That’s hard to do with the Tavor TS12.

It’s short and compact and gets on target quickly, and allows you to transition from target to target fast. It’s also an accurate gun, and with my favor FliteControl load, I was reliably dinging my gong over and over from 35 yards. It’ll get the shotgun job done and do it well. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

If only it ran as well as it was designed, then the IWI Tavor TS12 would be the ultimate combat shotgun. MAC seemed to have some issues with his gun and getting it broken in, too. I plan to dial into his channel and watch his video once more to see if I can take anything from it to break this gun in before I send it back to IWI for inspection.

If I get it running as reliably as I’d like, TTAG will be the first to know.

Specifications: IWI’s Tavor TS12 shotgun

Caliber: 12 Gauge
Operating System: Short Stroke Gas Piston
Capacity: 15 + 1 rounds
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
Overall Length: 28.34 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
Chokes: Mobil
MSRP: $1,399 (about $1,280 retail)

Ratings (out of five stars):

Ergonomics * * * * *
The TS12 could be an ergonomic mess, but in reality, it’s well thought and very well designed. You can alternate tubes with ease, load single shells when needed, and the controls are laid out for quick and easy use.

Accuracy * * * *
Within shotgun range, it does the job and does it well. The mushy bullpup trigger isn’t great, but the gun does well in the accuracy department.

Reliability * * 1/2
I’m pretty hard on a gun’s reliability when it’s made for defensive or tactical use. I expect little to no failures. The Tavor TS12 had a rough breaking in period, and while it’s improved, it still isn’t up to the point where I’d trust it for defensive use over my Benelli or even my 930. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

Overall * * *
The IWI Tavor TS12 shotgun is such a well-designed firearm. I’d love for this to be the Benelli M4 killer, but until it runs without failure, it’s just not there yet.

Review: IWI Tavor TS12 Shotgun

By FRED TOAST FROM walstonswitchguns.com

The world is witnessing a golden age of tactical shotguns right now, and IWI’s Tavor TS12 represents the cutting edge of new-shotgun design in a market dominated since 1887 by single-magazine-tube guns. Some such designs are even gaining favor. Why?

High-capacity, bullpup-style shotguns offer some obvious advantages over traditional models, including a shorter overall length for greater maneuverability and the ability to put more rounds downrange before reloading. IWI’s TS12 offers these traits in spades, and it also has something else civilian consumers want: Badass looks.

But, the TS12s uniqueness and devotion to correcting traditional scatterguns’ downsides did not come without a few downsides of its own. Here we’ll take an in-depth look at all facets of this fascinating new shotgun. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

What-in-the-Area-51 is It, and How Does it Work?
At the heart of the Tavor TS12 for sale is a short-stroke, piston-driven, gas-action semi-automatic shotgun, but that’s about where its similarities with traditional shotguns end. The gun’s central-design feature is its patented, three-tube magazine (each tube holds five 2¾-inch shells) that can be rotated into battery as each tube runs dry or another type of shell is needed.

As each loaded tube is rotated in line with the bolt, a shell is automatically released onto the carrier before being elevated and shoved into the chamber by the bolt that’s returned into battery via a recoil-return spring that’s part of the bolt assembly and hidden by the buttstock. As the bolt meets the barrel extension, it slides up an eighth of an inch to lock onto it.

When the shotgun is fired, gas enters ports in the barrel, then goes up into the gas regulator, where it is redirected and driven rearward, striking a piston that in turn strikes a 6.75-inch extension (called a skidder tube) that places sudden rearward pressure on the bolt. The bolt assembly is forced back and downward, so it is liberated from the barrel extension just before being slung backward, thereby extracting and ejecting the spent shell. The entire bolt assembly then slides rearward on a stationary, stainless steel bridge bar that is a continuation of the barrel extension and anchored by the buttpad. The bolt is then returned into battery to complete the cycle.

While the mechanics of TS12’s action are not revolutionary, its design in terms of how it all fits and melds into one seemingly seamless gun is. The bullpup design that places the receiver in the buttstock allows this semi-automatic shotgun to utilize a non-NFA 18.5-inch 4041 steel barrel, yet still boast an overall length of just 28.34-inches, or approximately a foot shorter than the average, traditional shotgun. These two features alone grant the TS12 15 rounds of 12-gauge firepower from an 8-pound platform that’s easy to wield around corners, keep at the ready or transport when not in use. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

Amazing Engineering
If you’ve glimpsed the TS12, you know it looks like it’s right out of an alien spacecraft or a battle-for-earth video game, what with its angular profile, straight-line stock and 90-percent black polymer build. While it’s true that this gun’s very best trait may be its stunning, futuristic looks, the engineering that went into developing it is nothing short of fantastical.

In fact, I’m hard-pressed to name a firearm of any make in any genre having more complex design elements. And for this alone, IWI should be commended. Every part is machined or molded for a perfect modular fit; every element has a purpose. What’s perhaps most impressive is that, despite the complexity of working parts. The gun can be field stripped without the use of tools.

A simple push of a recessed, spring-loaded button in the buttstock allows it to slide on a dovetail that in turn releases spring tension on a hexagonal nut (that also serves as a sling stud) so it can be removed by hand, thereby unlocking it from the receiver and allowing the receiver and bolt to be removed and cleaned. The entire process is as nifty as finding a hidden latch in a bookshelf that unlocks a castle’s secrets.

At the muzzle end, a shotgun-style barrel nut secures the fore-end to the barrel assembly. Once removed, the user gains access to the gas regulator, the barrel and the magazine-tube system. Further stripping requires one simple tool.

The body of the gun—I’ll call it the chassis receiver, including the buttstock’s lower assembly, pistol grip, magazine-tube guard and charging handle frame—is a one-piece, molded, reinforced polymer frame onto which an 16 inch, mil-spec 1913 Picatinny rail is attached.

The real marvel, however, is in the gun’s loading process. As each mag tube is emptied and the bolt is locked rearward on an empty chamber, the shooter uses the backside of their trigger finger to press forward the mag-tube-unlocking button, allowing it to rotate as clockwise or counterclockwise pressure is applied by the shooter’s support hand. When the fresh mag aligns with the receiver’s feeding hole, a shell is forced onto the carrier, where it trips the bolt-release button, thereby automatically releasing the bolt and chambering the round. The shooter is now ready to shoot five more shells before rotating to the next tube. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

While one tube is in battery, the other two can be loaded from either the right or left loading port individually or simultaneously. Furthermore, either tube can also be unloaded from either port by pushing its shell-release lever. Then, rather than springing out and hitting the shooter’s face and/or falling to the ground, each ejected shell is held until the shooter is ready to manually remove them or replace them with a shell of choice.

The TS12 features a manual safety that actually disengages the trigger assembly rather than merely blocking it. A full-polymer handguard protects the trigger as well as the entire hand. The shotgun comes with a cylinder-bore, Beretta/Benelli-style removable choke tube. It has four attachment points for sling swivel studs. But, most notably, its gas regulator features a knurled knob and two positions so the user can choose between “H” (for 3-inch magnum or high-power loads) and “L” for standard 23/4-inch or low-power loads.

The regulator limits gas for the high-power loads while maximizing piston push when set to “L.” It can be accessed through the handguard by using a simple flathead screwdriver. A non-reciprocating charging handle juts out from the left side of the receiver, and although the instruction manual says that it can be converted to left-handed use by the factory only, it is easily swappable by the user. Finally, the TS12’s handguard is rife with M-Lok attachment points for mounting accessories such as a flashlight and a laser-aiming device. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

Earthly Tests
Frankly, the Tavor TS12 for sale  is a shotgun that on paper seems like the most perfect CQB/home-defense arm ever contrived, with its 16 rounds of 12-gauge capacity from a gas-action semi-auto that measures a mere 28 inches in overall length. As such, I waited with the eagerness of Ralphie before Christmas to get my mitts on a production unit.

Yet, I found that paper doesn’t necessarily translate to practicality. There are several design traits that make this shotgun less-than-perfect for combat and/or home defense, including its ergonomics, functionality and, perhaps most significantly, reliability.

Effective Ergonomics
If you’ve ever fired a traditional shotgun with a buttstock that fits you reasonably well (so you can shoot it accurately with little thought while controlling its recoil so it doesn’t pound the demons out of you), then you’ll likely think the Tavor TS12 for sale is miserable in comparison. That’s because it is. First off, its stock forms a straight line back from the receiver that is way too high and mandates a high-mounted (AR-15-height) optic. The stock’s polymer comb is much too hard and narrow for comfort—especially when we’re talking 12-gauge rounds that produce anywhere from 20 to 55 ft.-lbs. of free-recoil energy.

It’s actually painful to shoot, and if you were to buy Tavor TS12 specs. The first thing I’d recommend would be to stick a thin foam cheek pad on the stock that would promote a firm, yet comfortable, cheek weld. It would do wonders to facilitate speed and accuracy in shooting and to also mitigate pain and headache after extended shooting sessions. I understand why IWI made the stock this way (a recoil-return spring that goes straight back into the stock is simple and it makes the gun look streamlined and futuristic), but it stinks for shotgun shooting. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

I do, however, admire some of the gun’s controls; its charging handle is well positioned, as is its ambidextrous magazine-unlocking lever that is ingenious in design; its dual loading gates are intuitive and seem to swallow shells just by getting them into the molded cutouts and giving them a shove.

But, there are also negatives to its manual-of-arms. While its large, square safety is positioned well, I do not prefer the position of its ambidextrous bolt-release button that’s found underneath the buttstock. It is simply tough to access with either hand, but I’m hoping it becomes more intuitive with practice. The gun’s Buck Rogers Photon-Blaster-like trigger lands toward the bottom of a huge pile of rotten shotgun triggers, breaking at 9.5 pounds. You can say shotgun triggers don’t matter, but there’s little doubt that lighter ones are easier to shoot well. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

Finally, and perhaps most annoyingly, the half-inch gap that forms as the magazine is rotated provides the perfect mousetrap to pinch the shooter’s finger or thumb depending on the direction it is rotated. And when it is pinched, the mag must be reversed to free the ensnared digit. I quickly learned to grip the mag assembly with my palm and first joints of my fingers—not my fingertips—to avoid getting them jammed in this dreaded trap. As such, the TS12 requires practice to operate smoothly. Still, it’s much faster than having to fully reload a traditional shotgun.

Final Thoughts
The Tavor TS12 review represents the pinnacle of technological advancement in CQB shotguns at this time, and it’s a marvel of modern engineering. Its ability to fire 16 shells without reloading is impressive, and the 12 gauge’s close-quarters power is unquestioned. This, combined with the fact that it’s less than 30 inches long overall makes it an attractive option for security forces who need maximum firepower carried discreetly, or for units that need a man armed with a shotgun for door breaching. For home defenders, it’s a powerful tool, indeed, as it’s short enough that it can be easily wielded around corners or slung and carried on the back if the hands are needed for other purposes. BUY IWI TAVOR TS12

In sum, I see the TS12 as a niche shotgun, because as strong as it is in these two areas—mobility and firepower—in other areas it is less strong. To be fair, the TS12 is so new, and I’ve used it so minimally compared with other guns that of course it’s going to seem difficult, just as an AR-15 was alien to me when I first fired it. But, the TS12 is no AR-15; its punishing stock design isn’t conducive to fast or accurate shooting with the significant recoil of a 12 gauge.

Its short-barreled, weight-back design exacerbates muzzle flip, resulting in slower follow-up shots, especially considering the fore-end/rotating-magazine tube hampers vigorous downward grip pressure. The thumb pinch I experienced was enough to make me worry about this pitfall each time I rotated the magazine, which did little for my confidence.

Concerning reliability, the Tavor TS12 price was not on par with other top-tier 12-gauge semi-automatics. Even after a break-in period of 100 rounds, I experienced about one jam per every 50 shells with heavy loads, and one jam per box with 11/8-ounce target loads. For a defensive/combat arm costing more than $1,300, this is pedestrian performance at best.

In total, I love my Tavor shotgun because it gets a ton of oohs and ahhs when my buddies see it in my vault or at the range. Certainly, it looks like the gun of the future, and in theory it is. If you’re looking for a cutting-edge shotgun that mitigates the most difficult element of defensive shotgun use—reloading—then the Bullpup shotgun is an intriguing new option. If you’re used to more traditional shotgun designs, you’ll have to train with the TS12 a bunch before you’re truly comfortable with it. With new designs come new problems, but also new opportunities.