IWI CSR18 Carmel non restricted rifle with 18.6” Barrel

Well I guess if it's made it for 3 years without being prohibited it's as close to a safe bet as any firearm.

It was just a filter + download of the FRT db. no frt no download.

But know what. How often do you change laptop? IT equipment got refreshed every few years. if you can run this very hard for a year it is money well spent.
 
Based on what?
Trigger, Barrel and Bolt are all proprietary receiver is plastic, with SKS, you get a proven platform that is built like a tank with lots of spare parts availability, not sure if you have any more substance to your opinion.

If it's built anything like a Tavor/X95 spare parts aren't really much of an issue for the average or even competition shooter. Nor is using plastic. The IWI rifles I owned were indeed built like tanks and would run thousands of rounds without malfunction and only really need a cleaning when you feel bad for them.

I have had at least a dozen SKS and of them, 4 SKS built as you described (mag adapter, modern pistol grip stock) and it's true they are built well and digested tens of thousands of rounds without much hiccup. They were also less ergonomic than a Tavor or any other modern rifle, there has never been a 100% excellent SKS optic mounting solution, they use a 7.62x39 round which is not nearly as versatile as a 5.56 and the ammo is often corrosive which causes some people anxiety. Plus unless using handloaded ammunition, SKS accuracy can be questionable.

I have never held a Carmel so I am basing my opinion on previous IWI rifles and making an assumption that they have the same degree of reliability, but if this is the case, a modified SKS will not be able to compete with ergonomics, ease of optic/accessory mounting, accuracy with bulk ammo and likely weight.
 
here is the answer why the Carmel looks so thick.

It appears it is a steel + aluminum "skeleton" inside a plastic shell. You can see that the skeleton receiver is connected to the barrel trunnion.

Basically they took the same idea from TAVOR / X95 over - but they are now using a clamp for the barrel trunnion. X95 / TAVOR is the same thing, it is a plastic shell wrapping around an aluminium box receiver.

The question is why - the answer is because you cannot get CZ Bren 3

CARMEL.jpg
 
Trigger, Barrel and Bolt are all proprietary receiver is plastic, you just trying to troll?
Most of my rifles that are in OIC jail have proprietary triggers, barrels and bolts, and have significant plastic components so I literally could not care less about that. Heck, other than pins and springs the entire hammer group of my FS2000 is plastic. I like SKSs—they’re great rifles, for what they are. And if you prefer an SKS that’s cool. But most folks looking for a modern semi-auto rifle will be better served with the CSR18.
 
So does it feel chunky? Is it heavy? It looks chunky and heavy but looks can be deceiving.

It is IWI so would be surprised if it isn't well built and doesn't run well.

I didn’t think it felt chunky at all, and the weight was very well balanced, I think one of our overwhelming issues in this community as a general rule, we tend to compare it to other existing firearms without looking at the actual benefit of the new one.

gadget
 
here in 2020
https://imrmedia.in/israeli-assault-rifles-arad-carmel-set-to-be-manufactured-in-india/

he Print magazine has reported that two latest Israeli assault rifles — the Arad and the Carmel — are set to be manufactured in India.

The assault weapons are to be produced under the ‘Make in India’ initiative in Madhya Pradesh, where a plant had been set up in 2017 by Israel Weapons System (IWI) in a joint venture called PLR Systems.

While Punj Llyod originally held 51 per cent shares in the joint venture, it was bought over by a company called Fouraces System India Private Limited with the Indian conglomerate facing debt issues.

The joint venture is aiming for contracts from the Special Forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force besides the central armed police forces and the state police, sources said.

Interestingly, PLR systems, now run by Col Ajay Soni, already manufactures number of small arms like the Tavor series, the mainstay of the special forces, in India along with others like the Galil sniper rifle, Uzi Pro submachine gun, Masada pistol and the Negev Light Machine Gun (LMG) with indigenous content ranging from 40-60 per cent.

The Army had last year contracted American Sig Sauer 7.62x51mm assault rifle, SIG 716, under a Fast Track Process (FTP) for 72,400 units after a long quest to change its INSAS rifles.

These rifles are to be used by the frontline troops while it has selected AK 203, a 7.62x39mm rifle, to be built in India under a joint venture between state-run OFB and Russian Kalashnikov Rifles, for the rest of the force.

“The plan is now to manufacture the Arad and Carmel, which are the latest offering from the IWI, in India through the joint venture,” a source in the know of the development said.

The sources said unlike in other cases where Make in India happens based on orders from the country, the PLR Systems are manufacturing the arms in India and then offering them for trials.

The company has already delivered various units to forces under the Home Ministry and the plan is now to offer Carmel and Arad.

Carmel and Arad

Carmel is a multi-purpose, modular, 5.56X45mm caliber assault rifle for modern warfare, which has been supplied to many customers around the world.

According to IWI, the rifle can be easily customised, depending on the operational needs, military or law enforcement tasks — vehicle patrol, CQB (close-quarters combat), undercover missions, short and medium combat engagement, diverse police operations, VIP protection, and more.

It is meant to be a fully ambidextrous platform, equipped with military standard 1913 Picatinny rails on all sides to allow compatibility with any available sights, devices or accessories.

Arad is an M4-type Assault Rifle, intended for all kinds of combat scenarios with its ability to change calibers. The rifle can be changed to shoot two different caliber bullets — 5.56 and 300 BLK.

The sources said the joint venture is also looking at export of the products it manufactures in India.


and now in 2025 here:
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-871501


The Indian Army is procuring 425,000 CQB carbine assault rifles from PLR Systems, a joint venture between Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) controlled by Samy Katsav through the SK Group holding company, and Adani Corporation, the owner of Haifa Port. The deal includes the purchase of rifles for about $3.3 billion from the same joint venture and Bharat Forge. Delivery will begin in September 2026 and end by 2028.

The division of the deal between the companies includes 40% (about $1.32 billion) of the deal volume for the Katsav-Adani joint venture and about 60% for Bharat Forge. This is a huge deal even in Indian terms, stemming from a demand made by the Indian Ministry of Defense in Delhi for the purchase of about 425,000 new 5.56 mm rifles.

Dr. Lauren Dagan Amos, a researcher on India's foreign and security policy at Bar-Ilan University and a member of the Deborah Forum, says that the deal is within the framework of the Make in India program, which means: the product must be designed and manufactured in India, with at least 50% local content (or 60% if not designed locally). "This is a clear expression of the self-reliance policy in security, which is being led by the Narendra Modi government under programs such as Make in India and iDEX," explains Dagan Amos. "The deal also illustrates Indian-Israeli cooperation in the defense field."


Think they eventually picked Galil ACE
 
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