Caracal pistol, new service pistol

[Edmond]

New kid on the block.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_bv000002.jpg (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/bv000002.jpg)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_671906.gif (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/671906.gif)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_671900.jpg (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/671900.jpg)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_671904.gif (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/671904.gif)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_671898.gif (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/671898.gif)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_671902.gif (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/671902.gif)

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_CaracalF.jpg (http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/CaracalF.jpg)


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Shoot'in by DCB (http://www.dcbshooting.com/shoot-in/shoot-in.html)
Caracal pistol info ( http://www.caracal-consulting.com/caracalpistollinks/index.html)

[gilgoul]

Looks a lot like a glock, beside the cocking indicator.

[SMGLee]

More like a Styr M series pistol in exterior

a modified glock striker system

ala SIG P250 or S&W M&P internal frame design.

looks nice, but wonder how is the quality, especially made in UAE....

[Edmond]

Steyr M and Caracal are kinda cousins. Same designer. The Caracal pistol passed the German Federal Police and the Bundeswehr ( German Armed forces) procurement tests as well as the NATO D 14 test. No other pistol has passed them alll in a row, at first trial and with flying colors yet.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Handguns/M9.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/CaracalF.jpg

[Polyshot]

The Caracal pistol passed the German Federal Police and the Bundeswehr ( German Armed forces) procurement tests as well as the NATO D 14 test.

So the company contracted the Germans to test the Caracal for them?

[Edmond]

there is no better way to know about your product's quality (or lack thereof)

http://www.bwb.org/01DB022000000001/Docname/Dienststellen_HomeEN (http://www.bwb.org/01DB022000000001/Docname/Dienststellen_HomeEN)


The Bundeswehr Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) belongs to the BWB organization. It is located in Meppen (Lower Saxony) and was founded in 1957.
WTD 91 is the technology competence center for weapons and ammunition used by the Bundeswehr.
WTD 91 covers an area of 200 square kilometres and is thus the largest instrumented firing range in Western Europe.


The Bundeswehr Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition

conducts experiments and analyses as well as integrated compliance demonstrations as defined by the CPM (Customer Product Management) procedural regulations;
manages research and technology (R&T) projects;
provides technical support for armaments projects;
and is responsible for the technical support of defense material during the in-service phase.During the years since its establishment, the test center has grown into a multi-purpose institution for investigating, testing and evaluating:

weapons and weapon systems, any type of ammunition, rockets and missiles and UAVs;
optical and optronic equipment for reconnaissance and fire control, acoustic devices as well as meteorological and geodetic equipment;
shelters and protective installations, matters related to armor protection.In the fields of ballistics, acoustics, optronics and meteorology, WTD 91 is the only center of competence within the armaments sector.

[Edmond]

in order to answer to a few questions I received:

1) Yes, the Caracal pistol has a fully supported chamber.
2) The holster seen in Visier and a few other magazines is the Ghost III modular system holster

Ghost III modular holster for Caracal (http://www.caracal-consulting.com/caracal-accessories/caracal-accessories.html)

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/Caracal_holster_Ghost_modular_syste.jpg

[Edmond]

Some beautiful pictures in the latest brochure.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/Caracalbrochure001.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/Caracalbrochure002.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/Caracalbrochure003.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/Caracalbrochure005.jpg

[Edmond]

Waffen Werks in TN (previously HS 2000 importer) now imports the Caracal pistol.

[martinexsquaddie]

do any other modern pistols come with shoulder stocks thought that idea died out a long time ago?

[1984]

What are the sights like?

[Edmond]

Just received my new toys, large quantity of ammo to be delivered within days.Stay tuned for the results of the test.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/EdsCaracalF-1.jpg


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/EdsCaracalC-1.jpg

[Edmond]

I had a lot of fun defeating the rate of digital cameras shooting in burst between 3.7 and 5.2 pictures per second while staying in the A zone of an IPSC target @12 meters.

You never forget some things once you learned them.

I did have some serious reliabilty problems with a F and a C, Failure to feed, Failure to fire, erratic ejection and slide stop was locking before magazines were empty. 18 incidents with the 155 first rounds using NATO ammo, FN mfg then I switched to Sellier & Bellot, CBC (MagTech) and MFS commercial ammo and I had less problem.
I identified the causes, I will take 3 more F pistols to the range tomorrow, I have a competition during the weekend. I'll take the risk using one of them for Vitesse Militaire event ( Service pistol CISM Rapid Fire )
I'll make a more complete report later.

Enjoy some pictures.


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5136.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5137.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5138.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5139.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5140.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5146-Halfsecond.jpg

[highdiver_2000]

Robert De Niro?

[Edmond]

Is he a good shooter?

[SineJustitia]

What are the sights like?

Good question. I see vertical markers (the white dots) on front and rear sights, in stead of vertical markers as on a Glock.

As someone who usually aims too high or low (in stead of left or right), these sights would be even worse for me... And I thought most people have more trouble with horizontal aiming than with vertical aiming. But that could be just me.

Come to think of it: why not horizontal AND vertical markers?

[Edmond]

The batch tested this weekend at the range.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5306pb.jpg

[Edmond]

I did not finish last, sure I did not finish first but I had fun during the competition.
These pistols have a lot of potential but some things have to be ironed out.
I like them, just not love at first sight ;-)
Sights are one of those things that are not up to the accuracy of the barrel,
these pistols deserve better than that when using them for more than defensive use at short distance..


http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5354.jpg

Some people make fun of me when she is shooting with such tactical protective equipment (Bollé goggles resisting to high speed grenade fragments)

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Shooting/SMGColt635.jpg

just because I do not want to see my loved ones with damaged eyes or hearing.
Thanks to my Rodenstock specialty tempered glasses.
It cost an arm but it worths the cost when using a milling machine or having spent case coming straight to the eye like today.
I should have stopped firing when I received the second case in a row on the forehead.
I knew the ejection was quite erratic but that one had a less erratic ejection than the others.
I think the serie I received may be one of the first batches.
it bears Merkel USA, Trussville, Alabama engraved inside.
My overall opinion is good about them and so is the feeling of those who used them today, I got some orders.
but with such a price tag here, it is better not to give a chance to the competition to tarnish the reputation of a product.
They did that already before these pistols reached our shores.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_5364.jpg



First magazine (18 rounds), 9mm NATO ammo, FN Mfg, Rapid Fire, 25 m, isoceles stance. Caracal F , SN BM 300.
Yes, I know! There's one miss on top right.That was the only one of the day, one too much.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/First18roundseverBM300.jpg

I shot a lot today, I have a sore thumb from presssing the slide release (Ok, slide stop)
The C has seen now 500 rounds through it and I had only 2 failures for the last 100 rounds (locked slide when not empty and unlocked slide with empty mag)
I finished with 147 grains ammo and had no problem.

For the 3 F pistols, I did use Wilson Combat Ultimate lube as well and I had"only" 6 failures through 750 rounds, none for the last 80 rounds through each of them except erratic ejection that finally broke my glasses after hitting twice my forehead and much more my white shirt ( Note to self, when you are not shooting your favorite 10mm that has a tuned ejector, do not wear anything white)

Looks like they needed all a break in.
I am still less satisfied than with my P 99 or my Steyr M9 for the time being.
Most dissatisfaction comes from the rear sight not up to the accuracy of the pistol.

[Kilo1-1]

Only basing the results off of this one report, it seems the Caracal isn't quite living up to the hype/promotion it had. The ejection issue of it shooting brass back to the shooter's face is reminiscent some of the older Steyr M9's extractors had(later fixed). The other failures you mention isn't very encouraging either.

Maybe there's a production issue and they're working on it. They've better figure out the issues before they export it to the US.

In such a competitive market, new handguns need to be 100% out of the box....or be sold at an insanely low price.


Thanks for the report though, Edmond. Keep us updated if you find other developments going on.

[Edmond]

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/IMG_6166-1024.jpg

[Edmond]

I have ironed out the bugs on the one I decided to keep for personal use and demo.

Some tuning of the ejector and extractor solved the problems this pistol had.

From some You Tube still frames, it seems it is not only the batch I recceived that has these issues.

I have done more testing with a F and Geco, Sellier & Bellot and reloaded ammunition, 115, 124 and 147 grains.


The trigger is way better than it was right out of the box. I only had one failure to lock slide with empty magazine.

I still have the cases hitting me in the head 5 times for 300 rounds fired.
The shooter next booth told me it was flying just above my head, I tried to have him take pictures but I prefered to let him try the Caracal than my EOS.
Once more verified, an expert's camera does not make a skilled photographer especially indoors.

[Edmond]

click on thumbnails

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_T025.jpg (http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/?action=view&current=T025.jpg)
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/th_525.jpg (http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z69/Quickload/Caracal/?action=view&current=525.jpg)