Caracal pistol
| Caracal F | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Caracal F pistol | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | United Arab Emirates |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2007–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Wilhelm Bubits |
| Designed | 2005 |
| Manufacturer | Caracal International LLC |
| Produced | 2006–Present |
| Variants | Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 790 g (28 oz) Caracal Enhanced F 750 g (26 oz) Caracal F 700 g (25 oz) Caracal C 650 g (23 oz) Caracal SC |
| Length | 178 mm (7.0 in) Caracal F 167 mm (6.6 in) Caracal C 160 mm (6.3 in) Caracal SC |
| Barrel length | 104 mm (4.1 in) Caracal F 90 mm (3.5 in) Caracal C 86 mm (3.4 in) Caracal SC |
| Width | 28 mm (1.1 in) Caracal F and C 23.5 mm (0.9 in) Caracal SC |
| Height | 135 mm (5.3 in) Caracal F 122 mm (4.8 in) Caracal C 112 mm (4.4 in) Caracal SC |
| Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum 9×21mm .357 SIG .40 S&W |
| Action | Short recoil, locked breech |
| Feed system | 18-round box magazine (9×19mm Parabellum, 9×21mm Caracal F) 16-round box magazine (.357 SIG, .40 S&W Caracal F) 15-round box magazine (9×19mm Parabellum, 9×21mm Caracal C) 13-round box magazine (.357 SIG, .40 S&W Caracal C) 13-round box magazine (9×19mm Parabellum, 9×21mm Caracal SC) |
| Sights | Fixed iron sights |
The Caracal pistol is a series of semi-automatic pistols manufactured by Caracal International LLC[1] a subsidiary of Tawazun Holding from the United Arab Emirates.
Development
[edit]In 2002, Austrian firearms designer Wilhelm Bubits who previously had designed the Steyr M pistol, began working with weapons experts from the United Arab Emirates, to develop a range of modern pistols and accessories. The collaboration led to the development of the Caracal pistol.[2]
Issues
[edit]Due to issues with heat treatment of slides and improper quality control, the pistols had a tendency for catastrophic failures.[3] Thus in October 2013 the original Caracal pistol line had to be delisted by the manufacturer.
Recall
[edit]On Sept. 9th, 2013 a recall was issued for all model C pistols made by Caracal stating:[4][5]
Caracal is now issuing this recall of all Model C pistols in all markets, following the completion of a full investigation. Caracal is initiating this voluntary recall of Model C pistols because the safety of its customers is paramount.
This recall affects all Model C pistols, including but not limited to those with serial numbers which start with the following letters: HM, AA, AD, AG, CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CI, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CP, CR and CS.
If you own or have access to a Caracal Model C pistol, PLEASE DO NOT LOAD OR FIRE YOUR PISTOL. Please contact Caracal customer care immediately to arrange to have your Model C pistol returned. Caracal will provide you with a full refund of the purchase price of your Caracal Model C pistol or vouchers for other Caracal products. Unfortunately, the potential safety issues cannot be addressed through a repair of the Model C pistol and all Model C pistols must be returned for refund.
In October 2016 Caracal USA announced that they will replace the recalled pistols with a Model F pistol upgraded with a redesigned trigger safety, trigger bar, firing pin unit.[6]
Adoption
[edit]The Caracal pistol series are the first pistols made in the United Arab Emirates and is the service pistol used by the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.[7]
In February 2007 25,000 Caracal F pistols in 9 mm were ordered by various armies and security forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.[8]
The Caracal pistol is now the new service pistol of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan as of April, 2008.
The United Arab Emirates and Algeria established on November, 17th, 2008 a joint committee in order to test the Caracal pistol for further adoption by Algeria.
Users
[edit]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Caracal International L.L.C. company website". Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ↑ Tarr, James (23 April 2012). "The Caracal Pistol". Hands Gun Magazine.
- ↑ McCollum, Ian (2024-12-04). "So Many Ways to Fail at Making a Pistol - Forgotten Weapons". www.forgottenweapons.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "BREAKING: ALL Caracal "C" Pistols Permanently Recalled – No Fix Available". Guns Save Lives. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ↑ "Caracal rolls out replacements for recalled pistols". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-30.
- ↑ "UAE Armed Forces Unification Day: Report". Emirates News Agency. 4 May 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- ↑ "Caracal International wins contracts at IDEX". Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ↑ "Première image du Caracal Made in Algeria". 12 December 2016.
- ↑ Gale, Ivan (1 July 2008). "Five companies to watch for". The National newspaper. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
- ↑ Jenzen-Jones, N.R.; McCollum, Ian (April 2017). Small Arms Survey (ed.). Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya (PDF). Working Paper No. 26. p. 55. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2017.
- ↑ Kemp, Ian (December 2008). "Individual Weapons - Combat Pistols: Poised for a Shift" (PDF). Asian Military Review. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
External links
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