IWI CTAR-21
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 380 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.23 kg
- Introduced
- 2001
About
What it is, and why it matters
The IWI CTAR-21 (Commando Tavor) is the short-barrelled carbine variant of the Israeli Tavor TAR-21 bullpup assault rifle, chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and produced by Israel Weapon Industries. Originally developed for special forces and commando units who needed a more compact weapon than the standard 460mm-barrel TAR-21, the CTAR-21 trims the barrel to 380mm (15 inches) for an overall length of just 640mm - comparable to a folded MP5 - while retaining full 5.56 NATO ballistics, select-fire capability, and the long-stroke gas piston action of the larger Tavor. The bullpup configuration places the action and 30-round STANAG magazine behind the trigger group, allowing the carbine to remain fully shoulderable despite its very short length. The CTAR-21 became unexpectedly popular with regular IDF infantry beyond the originally-targeted commando role, and saw extensive service with paratroopers, Givati, and Golani brigade units before being progressively superseded by the Tavor X95 (Micro-Tavor) from 2009 onward.
The CTAR-21 was originally meant as a niche commando carbine - a Tavor for tank crews and door-kickers who couldn't swing the full-length rifle in tight spaces. But Israeli infantry quickly noticed they could lose 175mm of length and a kilo of weight with no real loss of effective range, and the CTAR ended up displacing the standard TAR across whole brigades long before IWI officially declared the X95 its replacement.
The CTAR-21 retains the TAR-21's rear-set magazine release (located behind the magazine well, AK-style), a feature later moved forward of the trigger guard in the X95. Standard sighting was the ITL MARS reflex/laser combo or a Trijicon ACOG TA31 mounted to the full-length top rail. The CTAR can mount the IWI GTAR-21 underbarrel grenade launcher. Cyclic rate is generally cited between 750 and 950 rpm depending on ammunition. The carbine is suppressor-compatible via a removable A2-style flash hider.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Israel Weapon Industries
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Israel
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 2001
- Variant of
- Carbine
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 380 mm
- Overall length
- 640 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.23 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.70 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 890 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1583 J
- Effective range
- 450 m
- Maximum range
- 2400 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Bullpup configuration
Long stroke gas piston
Rotating bolt
Select fire
Stanag magazine compatible
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Cold hammer forged barrel
Picatinny top rail
Ambidextrous operation
Reversible ejection
Qd sling points
Suppressor compatible
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.23 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 640 mm | 920 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 380 mm | 449 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the IWI CTAR-21
How much does the IWI CTAR-21 weigh?
The IWI CTAR-21 weighs 3.23 kg (7.12 lb) empty and 3.70 kg (8.16 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the IWI CTAR-21?
The IWI CTAR-21 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the IWI CTAR-21 hold?
The IWI CTAR-21 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the IWI CTAR-21?
The IWI CTAR-21 is 640 mm (25.2 in) long overall, with a 380 mm (15.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the IWI CTAR-21?
The IWI CTAR-21 is made by Israel Weapon Industries (Israel). It was designed by Israel Military Industries / IWI engineering team.
When was the IWI CTAR-21 introduced?
The IWI CTAR-21 was introduced in 2001.
How does the IWI CTAR-21 operate?
The IWI CTAR-21 uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Israel Defense Forces
- 2003
- Indian Army Special Forces
- India
- Georgian Armed Forces
- Georgia
- Macedonian Special Forces
- North Macedonia
Provenance
Confidence in this record
83%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/ctar-21' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ctar-21", "name": "IWI CTAR-21", "manufacturer": { "id": "iwi", "name": "Israel Weapon Industries", "countryCode": "IL", "foundedYear": 1933, "website": "https://iwi.net", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:49", "version": "99400997db16ab67d64d5ef07850d5523b1c5564f57f018fb6990dfbddc6da12" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "IL", "year_introduced": 2001, "barrel_length_mm": 380, "weight_empty_g": 3230, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}