Caracal USA‘s Idaho-based operations continue to ramp up, producing more of the UAE parent brand’s pistol components domestically. Their all-new Enhanced F models will be hitting the market soon sporting some significant upgrades.
https://youtu.be/QWHdsVYoWsk
Perhaps the biggest spot of news is the grip frames.
Frames in FDE, OD Green, and black will now be manufactured in the U.S.. They offer improved ergonomics and a more aggressive, yet comfortable texture as compared to the previous frames.
The ones seen in the photos here are still prototypes as the production molds are being finished, so while the overall look and shape is correct the sort of “toy-like” appearance will change the and overall quality will be much better on the production models.
A standard-spec Picatinny rail takes the place of the single-slot, slightly unique-spec rail of previous models.
The grip is extremely thin, yet still accepts Caracal’s 18-round magazines. This new texture pattern felt very good in the hand. Note “Made in U.S.A.” adorning the bottom of these new frames.
All models, including the Quick Sights versions, will be available with Tritium night sights (or a Tritium night sight, as the case may be).
Models with extended threaded barrels and suppressor-height sights will be hitting the market soon as well.
All of these guns feature upgraded slide serrations as compared to most previous Caracal models. They’ve also switched back to the unique, side-springing striker block safety. This improves the trigger feel over the last generation Caracals.
Like previous gens, the serialized component is an internal chassis that can be swapped into different grip frames. Buy one “firearm” and swap it into frames of different colors and sizes.
Overall, I think every change made to these guns is, indeed, an actual upgrade and I look forward to shooting one suppressed when they’re ready.
Please, Please, Please, no More Caracal. Ever. Please
I want to like this gun, but that rail looks like crap on this formerly beautiful piece. Yeah it shouldn’t matter, but in the current saturated market I can have my cake and eat it too.
Speaking of ugly on this gun: I had my hands on the limited addition recently and that quick site system is remarkably effective. I was going to buy the non-quick site version strictly for the cleaner lines, then I got my finger on the trigger and said heeeeeellll no! They gotta fix that trigger, I hope the news here is true and I hope they do a version with standard sights and no rail. Original compact size, please…also.
Somebody wake me up when the release it in .45 ACP.
On another note, how’s the state of the right to bear arms in Caracal’s parent country, UAE?
Considering they’re absolute monarchies, probably nil, less than Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, and all those other great places where your favorite guns are made.
The UAE allows ownership of firearms including full auto firearms to citizens on a license issued by the government, along with a No Objection Certificate from their Ministry of Defense. One permit allows you to own any number of firearms as you can buy. Having a firearms card also entitles you to carry. It is a big market for personal use small arms from all over the world.
Other countries in the region including Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar also allow their subjects to own firearms, with similar rules.
Who the hell is going to buy these? I have no doubt they’ve made improvements across the board, but there are 1,267 other plastic striker-fired pistols on the market to choose from, from companies that didn’t completely fuck up their first try at bringing a pistol to the market.
It’s a shame, too, because this looks like it might be an interesting gun. But would you give your money to a company that’s so ridiculously bad at doing their job?
Their first gun was great. Awesome. It just wasn’t totally drop safe. We’ve seen the biggest names in the business make the same mistake. These new Caracals seem even better than the original, and are obviously supposed to be drop safe now.
Let’s not forget the exploding slides.
But the main problem with Caracal isn’t that their first gun had design problems. It’s that they bungled the recall more thoroughly than should have been possible. It’s one thing to have a faulty product. It’s another to string your customers along for months while you fumble around trying to figure out how to handle it. Sig had a drop-safe issue, and had a plan in place to fix it within a few days that didn’t involve misleading their customers about what they were going to do.
Add in a couple of years of “any day now” vaporware announcements, and it’s pretty hard to trust these mopes. If this gun were truly special, one might overlook it and take a chance. But like I said, they’re an iffy company that’s batting .000 so far, selling a “me, too” product in an overcrowded market. Good luck with all that.
Caracal ‘Grocks’ weapon design.
I do not understand why, when Glock was designing their 9mm single-stack, why they couldn’t round the boxy profile that Glock is (in)famous for.
If they had just rounded it up like Caracal did, it would conceal a lot better with no sharp angles printing.
(And dare I say it, more people would want one if it wasn’t as butt-ugly Glocks naturally are. And I bet more women would want to carry one…
Arg.
Make that “Caracal ‘Groks’ weapon design.”
I thought you did “Grock” on purpose.
Much funnier that way.
Huh. They’re like three miles from my house.
Learn something new every day.
I really liked the first Caracal, never got to try the version with the funky sights though, always wanted to. Seemed like they’d be really easy for fast, short range work.
I really like the threaded model. I wonder what the price will be like on one of those? They look pretty good.
Make one in 357 Sig and I’m in.
I have been carrying a HK p7m8 since 1992, and have been looking for something to replace it with. The HK for me is amazing, but parts are stupid expensive, and polymer weight is hard to beat.
Every time I go to buy a replacement, I just walk away from the counter. On paper, the Caracal seems like a possibility but haven’t handled one.
Any suggestions on some likely candidates…or just keep on keeping on?
Had a very early Caracal C with Heine-type sights imported by Waffenworks. Slide never exploded, dropped and never
went off. The trigger was the best I’d shot and I’ve shot the PPQ since and I would rate the Caracal better. Too bad there were serious questions about the design. I sent mine back along with extra mags and Caracal sent me a check, no questions asked, for the entire amount. Would consider a new C but given the time that’s elapsed and the guns that replaced it, I guess there’s no new Caracal in my future.
I recently bought a Caracal Enhanced F and it has been flawless.But the trigger is crap and hasn’t improved passed 500 rounds.Caracal better have a better trigger on the next release of these pistols or its going to be a flop.You have to completely let the trigger out before it resets,just not impressed.
Wake me up when Farago writes about or reviews a caracal again.
Everything else is just filler before the red meat.
I was off of your bus at UAE. I’m not going to choose to support a country that supports our enemies. Before anyone spouts off with something stupid like oil being used in my vehicle, I don’t want to walk a mile in your shoes. I also don’t want to walk to work every day.
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