IWI Gets into the AR Game with New U.S.-made ZION Series Rifles

The ZION Z-15 will be IWI’s first U.S.-made rifle. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Augmenting their distinctive Galil and assorted bullpup rifles, IWI is now the latest gun maker to wade into the AR-15 pool with their new ZION series.

The first M4-style rifle from IWI US, the ZION 15 was developed as an anchor of sorts for the company to ensure their products will be available here in the states should future restrictions shut the door to imported guns of certain types. It will be fully manufactured at the new IWI US facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania.

The rifle, which uses a 16-inch 1-in-8 twist barrel and a mid-length gas system, will be made in Pennsylvania.

“IWI/SK Group has invested a significant amount of time and money into this process in order to have a long-standing business venture in the United States and to continue to serve the American public with high-quality firearms well into the future,” said Jeremy Gresham, Director of Sales and Marketing of IWI US in a statement. “The ZION 15 and the manufacturing equipment it brings, fully establishes IWI US roots here in the United States.”

The ZION 15 uses a 16-inch 4150 chrome moly vanadium HB barrel with a 15-inch free-float M-LOK Handguard, along with an adjustable B5 Systems stock and grip. The rifle uses a mid-length gas system, includes a top Pic rail and ships with one 30-round Magpul PMAG.

The ZION AR will be made to military specs.

Weight is 6.5-pounds while the length varies between 33- and 36.25-inches due to the adjustable stock. The Z-15 is available in any color as long as that color is black.

MSRP on the ZION 15 series AR is $899.

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TS12 arrives in the U.S.

In other IWI news, the company says that their innovative TS12 bullpup shotgun has been shipping to U.S. retailers since late last year. First introduced at SHOT Show 2018, the new semi-auto Tavor TS12, in a nutshell, is a 15-shot self-loading shotgun that is just under 29-inches long overall.

The TS12 has finally arrived.

The onboard shells are arranged in a three-pack of 5-shot (using 2.75-inch shells) tubular magazines that automatically loads the next round in the 3-inch chamber when the mag is rotated into place. The 18.5-inch barrel is threaded for Benelli or Beretta chokes and one is included. Weight empty is advertised as being 8 pounds.

The TS12 includes a one-piece Picatinny top rail and M-LOK slots on the forward handguard, and the gun has a pronounced height when compared to 12 gauges with a more traditional layout.

The ambi design allows the user to quickly swap out for left or right controls and ejection, much like its Tavor rifle cousins.

The IWI TS12 has an MSRP of $1,399.