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IWI Factory Tour

by Ed Friedman - Wednesday, July 22, 2015

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IWI Factory Tour

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A lot goes into building a rifle like this Galil ACE in 7.62x39 mm. Click through to see how IWI makes its firearms in the company's high-tech factory.

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Here's one of many rows of advanced CNC machines at IWI's Ramat HaSharon, Israel, factory. Quality control stations are visible at each machine to ensure proper specs through every stage of manufacturing.

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IWI Factory Tour

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Here's a look inside one of the CNC machines as it turns a piece of steel into a Galil receiver. Each fully automated machine uses computer-controlled inputs to ensure perfect consistency among parts.

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From a solid piece of bar-stock steel through several machining processes, parts of the firearm begin to take shape. Here are the steps to build a magazine well.

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The large reddish cylinder is a piece of raw steel. Sitting atop the steel is a Negev LMG receiver machined from a similar piece of bar stock. The leftover steel is recycled.

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Some steps in the manufacturing process still require human interface. Here, a worker attaches Tavor barrel extensions to completed barrel assemblies.

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IWI Factory Tour

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A worker attaches the Tavor's piston-guide housing to the barrel. The holes into which he drives the pins were bored out via a CNC machine to ensure consistency.

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In every part of the IWI factory, screens like this one display efficiency meters for every workstation. This not only motivates employees and managers, it also illuminates areas of production that may require fine-tuning.

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Final assembly is performed by hand. Here we see an employee putting together an Uzi Pro pistol destined for the US market.

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IWI takes quality control extremely seriously. Optical scanners are used to examine parts, which are displayed on monitors and electronically compared to a standard model. Any tolerance variances are noted and parts not meeting spec are rejected.

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IWI Factory Tour

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Here, a magazine well undergoes a quality-control check. The machine uses a device to precisely measure every surface of the part to ensure it is to spec. The process can take up to an hour, but it would take a person using a micrometer several days.

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IWI Factory Tour

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Serial numbers, model identification and other details are all laser engraved in large machines capable of performing the task on multiple parts. The entire process is fast and precise, ensuring maximum efficiency.

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IWI Factory Tour

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IWI manufactures its own barrels. Here we see the first step in the process as pre-barrel cylinders emerge from a machine that has cut them to the correct dimensions from large pieces of bar stock. They will eventually become hammer-forged pipes for rifles.

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Does this seem a bit large for a barrel? Yup, but that's because it is destined to be a barrel for IWI's grenade launcher, which mounts beneath a Tavor, X95 or Galil and can also be used as a stand-alone weapon.

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These finished Galil ACE rifles are destined for a military customer. Each will be fired multiple times to ensure proper function before final shipment. IWI uses the same testing procedure for guns headed to the civilian marketplace.

We had the opportunity to visit the Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) factory in Ramat HaSharon, Israel, to see how Tavors, Galils, X95s, Negev LMGs, Uzis, Jericho pistols and even grenade launchers are made. To read more about IWI products available to the American consumer, visit IWI US.

IN THIS ARTICLE

IWI Tavor Uzi Jericho Galil IWI factory Israel Weapon Industries Ed Friedman

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