India’s Unique X95 Tavor “Zittara” (I Did Not Expect the Magazine)

The Tavor has a history of being popular in service with high-end Indian military and security forces, and a deal was made to manufacture the X95 domestically. What makes it unusual is that it was to use the 5.56mm INSAS cartridge. This round uses standard 5.56mm NATO brass paired with a 64-grain bullet and loaded to about 60mm OAL – the maximum that can fit in an INSAS magazine. This is too long to fit a regular STANAG magazine, though. So IMI actually made a specially stretched receiver to fit a slightly lengthened magazine for the Indian contract. As far as I can tell, the planned Indian domestic production never took place, but I can’t be sure.

Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film this for you! The NFC collection there – perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe – is available by appointment to researchers:
https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/

You can browse the various Armouries collections online here:
https://royalarmouries.org/collection/

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