IWI Carmel

The IWI Carmel was originally designed as an assault rifle capable of fully automatic fire, but the final design became a semi-automatic rifle. It is manufactured by Israeli Weapon Industries, and exported by IWI US to the U.S. commercial and law enforcement market.^[1][2] It was first revealed at the LAAD Defense & Security exhibition in Rio in April 2019.^[3]

IWI Carmel
Type	Assault rifle Semi-automatic rifle
Place of origin	Israel
Service history
Used by	See users
Production history
Designed	2019
Manufacturer	Israel Weapon Industries
Unit cost	$1,799 USD (MSRP)
Variants	See variants
Specifications
Mass	8.125 lb (without magazine)
Length	26.74 in (stock folded) 33.75 in (stock collapsed) 37.25 in (stock extended)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO
Caliber	5.56 mm (.223 in)
Action	Gas-operated short-stroke piston, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	700–1,000 rounds/min
Feed system	30-round STANAG box magazine
Sights	Iron sights, and various optical sights by the use of Picatinny rails

Design details

The IWI Carmel is a short-stroke, gas-piston operated rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm, similar to the CZ BREN 2 and the FN SCAR-L. The free-floating barrel is chrome lined and cold hammer-forged, with a 1:7 twist rate and available in a variety of barrel lengths: 10.5", 12", 14.5" and 16".

The IWI Carmel features fully ambidextrous firing controls, an adjustable gas regulator, and a foldable polymer buttstock. It is compatible with any STANAG magazine, and available in black or desert tan.^[4]

At the SHOT Show in January 2023, IWI revealed a variant for the U.S. civilian market, with a 16" barrel and a M-LOK handguard replacing the original MIL-STD 1913 handguard.^[5][6] The overall length measures 37.25 inches (stock fully extended) and weighs 8 lb 2 oz unloaded.^[7] MSRP for the rifle is US$1,799.