The Smith and Wesson SD9-VE is a tried and true semi-automatic pistol, and has a reputation of a solid performer at a reasonable price. If you are looking for a feature-rich, reliable, easy to operate 9mm pistol that can be used in any application, then look no further!! The SD9-VE offers the following benefits right out of the box.
A Stainless Steel slide and Barrel with a Loaded Chamber Indicator
One thing that is key in firearm safety is knowing the status of your weapon. The SD9 has a visual peep-hole that allows the operator to see if a round is in the chamber. The rim of any chambered round is shown
Stainless Steel Slide and Barrel
through a cut-away in the stainless-steel ejection port, indicating that the pistol is in a “hot” state. In addition, the stainless steel slide and barrel construction makes it more impervious to oxidation and moisture, so there are no worries when carrying the SD9 in the hot sweaty Georgia summers.
A polymer frame reinforced with Metallic Frame
The SD-9 is a polymer framed weapon, and this molded technology allows for three things. First it allows for light weight, compared to a steel or even aluminum framed pistol. This makes the SD9 easy to carry for long periods. Second, the polymer frame is molded around a metal inner frame structure, enabling it to withstand the rigorous pressures and forces associated with the 9mm slide recoil, and endure years of faithful service. The third benefit of polymer construction technology is the integration of aggressive tactile patterns on the strap and grip surfaces, which help the shooter maintain firm control of the weapon, either with one or both hands.
Accessory-rail to accept aftermarket add-ons
If you want to go the tactical route (and who doesn’t), the SD-VE is ready to accept any laser, flashlight, or combo on the market today. There is even a rail-mounted pistol bayonet, if one wanted to go total apocalypse. The integrated rail in front of the trigger guard enables easy index finger control of any tactical equipment you want to mount. No need to add-on a rail to accept add-ons with this pistol. Right out the box it can be upgraded to meet tactical mission requirements.
Accessory Rail SD9-VE
Crisp and consistent trigger
The striker-fire trigger on the SD9-VE is crisp and consistent. It is around 7lbs, with a fairly short crisp audible reset. This trigger has been enhanced significantly from the original one on its predecessor, the Smith & Wesson Sigma, which were notoriously bad. Smith and Wesson heard the market, and reacted to improve the trigger feel and function for the SD9 family. Now that being said, the “SD” in name stands for self defense, so this is not a competition trigger. It is ideal for police and security detail, or home defense. In short, its right on the mark for what it is intended to be.
Easy take-down and assembly: Similar to other more expensive models on the market
It’s well know that the Sigma and SD variants got their “inspiration” from the Glock. So much so, there was some litigation that resulted in Smith and Wesson paying money for their inspiration. Even so, many of the features and details of the SD family are identical to the Glock, including the striker fire trigger, slide controls, and the take-down lever. Some even argue that they are even – dare it be said – IMPROVED! Hence, those that own some of the more expensive makes on the market will be quite comfortable with the SD9-VE.
So, just to sum up, the Smith and Wesson SD9-VE is the latest variant of the SD family, and is certainly a solid performer. Though its predecessor versions had some problems, the SD9-VE inherited all their fixes, resulting in an affordable pistol for those that don’t want to pay Glock or Sig prices. Some call the Smith and Wesson SD-VE a knock-off, but if imitation is the best form of flattery, what do you call a refined improvement at half the price? Hmmm.
I have always been a big fan of bullpup rifles. On paper, they seem to be the best of both worlds for a combat style rifle: shorter overall length with a full-length barrel, along with optimal muzzle velocity and stand-off range. What’s not to love, right? Ok, well in life there will always be compromises. So, who needs easy reloads, or a smooth/crisp trigger, or light weight, or simple internal mechanics and maintenance? It looks “cool.” Well, since the mid-seventies many countries have adopted different variations of the rear-magazine rifles. From the French FAMAS, or Austria’s famous Steyr Aug (think of the movie “Die Hard”), to Great Britain’s SA80, all have their strong points, and have served well in many combat theaters all over the world. The latest addition to this elite club is Israel’s Tavor X95, which is the latest civilian version of the Tavor Combat Rifle developed by Israel Weapons Industry (IWI), and adopted by the Israeli Army in 2013.
Because this is a range report on the Tavor X95, there will be no in-depth analysis on the different versions of the Tavors, or its contemporaries; as there is plenty of internet fodder to addresses that. The focus of this writing is on how the new Tavor X95 shoots, handles, and compares to other conventical sports rifle platforms. So, if you are on the fence about the Tavor, and are looking for additional data-points to make up your mind, continue reading.
Size and Handling for Tavor X95 – Score: bullseye 10 points!
After seeing the Tavor X95 on the rack next to the AR variants in my local gun store, I was impressed with the handling and feel of the rifle; even compared to the short barreled rifle (SBR) AR15’s. And, seeing as you don’t need to submit for a federal tax stamp to own one (at least for now), it’s like getting a SBR without having to wait for 6-10 months, while paying $200 for the privilege. The overall length of the Tavor X95 compared to my AAC AR15 9in barrel SBR is about the same, and you get a full 16in barrel.
Trigger for Tavor X95 – Score: 8 Ring
Now, triggers are somewhat subjective when it comes to true shooting snobs. Some like minimum travel and clean break, while others like multi-stage travel before a light break. The one thing that the Tavor X95 trigger has is short clean and audible reset after each press. Now, because this evaluation is for a combat-style rifle, it will not be winning any precision rifle matches (but more on that later). I will say that IWI got the trigger right for its intended purpose. For combat accuracy shots, this trigger has a smooth and controllable creep right before the release. It’s very easy to feel and manage while holding the sight picture. Overall it’s a respectable trigger, especially for a bullpup.
Operation and Controls – Score: 6
This is an area where the Tavor X95 actually improved over the previous versions. IWI made some enhancements to make the X95 more “AR Like.” For one, they moved the magazine release to the same location as an AR, which is actuated by the trigger finger on either side. The older Tavor had a wonky 2nd trigger in the rear to release the mag, which was often pressed unintentionally, due to its horrible location behind the pistol grip. The non-reciprocating charging handle is like the previous Tavor models, and located on the side, similar to an MP5. The one ding on this design is the bolt catch/release switch, which is located on the underside of the rifle behind the magazine well. The oversized rocker-button is easy enough to hit with your hand after reloading a new mag, but it’s very difficult to operate when you are just trying to keep the bolt open for maintenance or checks. You actually have to support the rifle against something (like your body), and pull it out with one hand, while holding the charging handle open with the other hand. Unlike the AR, where these two controls are at least near to each other, it can be done a bit easier. However, the X95 bullpup layout makes this much more of a clumsy operation to pull off. I imagine if one practices, they could come up with a quicker and effective way to do this, even under stress. Other than that, the safety/fire switch is the typical thumb rotation type found on the AR15 models. I should also mention the fact both right and left handed models of the Tavor X95 are available, with the selector switch, charging handle, and ejection port, being on the opposite side. However, either version can be reconfigured as needed with the necessary factory offered components.
X95 Bolt Catch/Release
Features and Benefits – Score: 9 Ring
One of the more interesting features of the Tavor is the integrated back-up iron sights (BUIS). They are deployed by manually unfolding them from their Picatinny rail storage pockets. The good point of the sights is they actually work quite well, and are easy to align, allowing for impressive groupings (as you will see later). The bad points are that they are, one, not attractive – more like an afterthought. And two, could be easily damaged in a harsh environment, because they are literally vertical posts that stick straight up from the top surface, with no protection whatsoever. I can just see a shooter forgetting they were up and slinging the weapon, only for them to catch on something and be bent, or ripped off altogether. You definitely only want deploy these if your primary optic goes down.
Iron Sights on Tavor
Another plus, the Tavor X95 has more Picatinny mounting surfaces than you will ever need. So, just about anything on the market today can be attached to the X95 to enhance your shooting pleasure. The rails are even hidden by a clever spring loaded covers that are easily removed to access the mounting surfaces. Mounts are on the top, sides, and even the underside of the rifle fore grip. You could really go Rambo-Norris with this rail setup if you wanted!!
Innovative Rail Covers
And if you weren’t already convinced, the X95 has integrated quick-detach holes built into the body of the rifle. They are (5) different locations along the length of the rifle, along both sides that enable you to customize the sling setup of the Tavor to your liking. Get this – it even ships with (2) quick detach swivels in the box!! Speaking of the body of the rifle, the color schemes for the rifle are traditional black, OD, and FDE. Though furniture colors are nothing new to sport rifles, the fact that much of the rifle has color, along with its distinctive form, makes it pop.
You say you don’t like the pistol grip and hand-guard of the Tavor X95? Well, change it! Yes, another improvement IWI threw in for its fans was the ability to change out the rifle to meet different tastes, and physical requirements. You can reconfigure the rifle to have a standard pistol grip without the hand-guard if you desire. In addition, you can change out the pistol grip backstrap to fit smaller or larger hand sizes. Obviously, this is the trend most major pistol manufacturers are currently following, so it make perfect sense.
Tavor X95 shown with Alternate Grip
Shooting and Accuracy – Score: 9 Ring
OK, down to the real question; how does the thing shoot? Well, I can say that my range time with the Tavor X95 was very satisfying – right out of the box. I took the nubie gun to my favorite outdoor range, and put it through some paces at 25 yards, as I was only looking to get a feel for its combat accuracy. In future postings I may do some long range 100-yard work and report.
My first order of business was to check the muzzle velocity out of the X95 with the 55 grain Federal .223 ammo I had that day. As you can see it was clocking at a consistent 2880ish FPS. One thing to note is the first shot taken with my AAC suppressor resulted in a misfeed-failure, possibly due to the increased back-pressure. However, after removing the mag and conducting function-check, all following shots with the can were fine. I should also say that the extra weight of the can on the barrel changes the balance and feel of the rifle, adding ballast to the weight of the rearward magazine and bolt assembly. This noticeable change was not an improvement; just different.
All shots on target were all done with iron sights, with about 5 different sets of 5 shots each. For comparison, I also dusted off my full length AR15 300BLK rifle. However, the 45deg sights on my AR rifle are crappy, but this fact also shows how nice the iron sights are on the Tavor X95. I also shot some groups my SBR AR15, just to compare as well to the X95. The results were not as good as the X95, as the Tavor’s consistent trigger and iron sight combination made for some tight groups, once I got the hang of the rifle. I think with practice and the right ammo, I could get sub 2-MOA fairly easy.
AR15 SBR Grouping
Tavor X95 vs. AR15 300 Blackout
Overall, the Tavor X95 is a bullseye! Scoring 42 points out of 50 points makes this a solid contender for a sporting rifle. Add in the benefits of having a compact and easy to handle SBR-type weapon, without the hassles of the tax stamp and waiting period. The only other ding of the Tavor X95 is the price, as it was retailing around $1700 at the time of this writing. You could easily get two midgrade AR15’s for this price. However, what fun is that when you can have the latest semi-automatic rifle technology that harnesses the piston reliability of the AK series, with the modularity, functionality, and accuracy of the AR platform. Win-win!! Hopefully this unscientific but reasonable comparison helps some folks make their purchasing decision, as the Tavor X95 is definitely a solid platform for anyone at any shooting level. There will be more shooting comparisons published soon, and the X95 will certainly be included. Stay tuned.
2STnD – 2016
