CARACAL F Review

BigCat · 07-19-2012, 07:11 PM

Just received my Caracal F (Full size) from buds. I succumbed to my insatiable curiosity and had to get one . The price was right, I called and they matched to lowest price I could find on the Internet. Anyhow...I was impressed when I first held it, it felt good in the hand. The finish is nice a tennifer like finish and its very clean, well machined and fitted. not a quick assembly line type piece. The side is tight but not too tight on the frame, the slide runs on a metal (? not sure of the composition) insert in the poly frame which also houses the trigger group. the front sight is neatly dovetailed into the slide. it has a glock style trigger safety lever and a 4.8 pound buttery smooth trigger...no other safety. Ambi mag releases an 18 round magazine. The loaded chamber is seen thru the top of the slide via a small window that you can see the case rim if loaded. also is a cocked indicator on the rear of the slide. the action is a partially cocked system like that of a Glock. I rummaged thru the ammo locker and came up with 15 types/brands of 9mm luger ammo, 8 hollow point and 7 FMJ. some brass and some steel cased. The Caracal proceeded to spit them out in randomly mixed order and never missed a beat. The recoil is unremarkable, which is to say i didn't even notice the recoil enough to comment on it, which is a good thing. The trigger was excellent and the steel poppers rang out shot after shot.
So far so good, in my initial feeling, it is better than I anticipated in almost every way. I am well pleased with the quality, and it is a simple piece with 28 parts total including the 4 parts in the magazine. looking forward to more range time to judge accuracy, and run the round count up on it.

link to another online review: http://www.defensereview.com/caracal...-at-the-range/

gundoc · 07-19-2012, 07:34 PM

Great review on this gun. I had one through the shop I work at. the trigger is impresive for out of the box. I mounted a front fiber optic sight from an XD with a little bit of work. The gun through the shop was a compact and I would like to shoot the full size version myself. Let us know how the accuracy with this gun is at say 25 yards and 50 yards please.

**wash** · 07-19-2012, 07:39 PM

Nice review. Appreciate the detail. I look forward to trying one out.

BigCat · 07-19-2012, 07:43 PM

I forgot to mention , it has a flat wound recoil spring...Iv'e heard of that on a special Wilson tactical , but have never seen one...

Mudcat · 07-19-2012, 07:48 PM

I have heard some good things about this gun. My question to you is about the sights, I know they are different but how are they? Do yo like them or prefer the traditional sights?
By the way thanks for the review.

BigCat · 07-19-2012, 08:28 PM

BigCat · 07-19-2012, 08:56 PM

A Caracal is a Cat , By the way....

Shilo_00 · 07-19-2012, 10:37 PM

Great review. Does Bud's normally price match online prices? Or did you have to make a big fuss about it?

BigCat · 07-19-2012, 10:58 PM

actually i just emailed a sales rep thru the link on the site...told him what I was interested in and what price i saw it for and my phone number....they called me and said sure, and I placed the order on the phone.....pretty easy.

Shilo_00 · 07-19-2012, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCat

actually i just emailed a sales rep thru the link on the site...told him what I was interested in and what price i saw it for and my phone number....they called me and said sure, and I placed the order on the phone.....pretty easy.

Wow, thanks for the info. Last month I was looking at an XDM for around $530 during the week. Went there the Friday before Father's Day weekend and they had it listed at $605. I told them about their online price. We pulled it up in the store and it had increased to $580 in one day! They told me their prices update like every 20 min. They did match the online price. Next time I will make sure I have another price from another dealer before I go in. I can't complain too much, it was cheaper than nearly every other place I looked.

Mudcat · 07-20-2012, 07:04 AM

You have the more traditional type 2 dot sights. Those aren't the ones I was thinking of. Maybe it is the compact that has the weird sights.
Very interested in a long term, high round count review looking forward to it.

figaroa03 · 07-20-2012, 11:18 AM

THe compact has different sights available. The front and rear sights are both near the muzzle end of the gun. The rear sight sits just in front of the bore block.

Mudcat · 07-20-2012, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by figaroa03

THe compact has different sights available. The front and rear sights are both near the muzzle end of the gun. The rear sight sits just in front of the bore block.

Those are the ones. I would like to see what people thought of them.

gundoc · 07-20-2012, 01:14 PM

The compact model that I put a front sight on had the same sights as the full size gun pictured. The rear sight is made into the rear cover plate from what I saw on the "C" model gun that I looked over and worked on.

BigCat · 07-20-2012, 04:00 PM

there is a "Quick Sight" option available on the Compact.

ssracer · 07-20-2012, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCat

I forgot to mention , it has a flat wound recoil spring...Iv'e heard of that on a special Wilson tactical , but have never seen one...

HK's are the same

A-BOMB · 07-21-2012, 08:32 PM

http://centerfiresystems.com/CARACAL-CS.aspx

BigCat · 07-30-2012, 10:18 AM

review by Rob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdHuzWJaryo&feature=g-all-u

Grinch · 10-16-2012, 04:36 AM

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead but any updates on the carcal f? Anyone have a couple thousand threw it yet? I'm very curious about this gun but can't find any to rent or even hold and dont want to buy unseen. I have a walther ppq as my daily carry and love it, and this gun reminds me a lot of it but at a much more wife friendly price lol

BigCat · 10-16-2012, 04:26 PM

500 rounds in...no malfunctions yet...even with steel cased russian ammo..

finnegan · 10-18-2012, 01:45 AM

Thanks for this. I've been debating on springing for one of these for a couple of months. Might try looking for a used one. I really like firearms with a lower sight radius (CZs), so this might work for me.

07-19-2012, 07:11 PM	#1
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	CARACAL F Review Just received my Caracal F (Full size) from buds. I succumbed to my insatiable curiosity and had to get one . The price was right, I called and they matched to lowest price I could find on the Internet. Anyhow...I was impressed when I first held it, it felt good in the hand. The finish is nice a tennifer like finish and its very clean, well machined and fitted. not a quick assembly line type piece. The side is tight but not too tight on the frame, the slide runs on a metal (? not sure of the composition) insert in the poly frame which also houses the trigger group. the front sight is neatly dovetailed into the slide. it has a glock style trigger safety lever and a 4.8 pound buttery smooth trigger...no other safety. Ambi mag releases an 18 round magazine. The loaded chamber is seen thru the top of the slide via a small window that you can see the case rim if loaded. also is a cocked indicator on the rear of the slide. the action is a partially cocked system like that of a Glock. I rummaged thru the ammo locker and came up with 15 types/brands of 9mm luger ammo, 8 hollow point and 7 FMJ. some brass and some steel cased. The Caracal proceeded to spit them out in randomly mixed order and never missed a beat. The recoil is unremarkable, which is to say i didn't even notice the recoil enough to comment on it, which is a good thing. The trigger was excellent and the steel poppers rang out shot after shot. So far so good, in my initial feeling, it is better than I anticipated in almost every way. I am well pleased with the quality, and it is a simple piece with 28 parts total including the 4 parts in the magazine. looking forward to more range time to judge accuracy, and run the round count up on it. link to another online review: http://www.defensereview.com/caracal...-at-the-range/

07-19-2012, 07:34 PM	#2
gundoc Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Valley Station, KY Posts: 1,504	Great review on this gun. I had one through the shop I work at. the trigger is impresive for out of the box. I mounted a front fiber optic sight from an XD with a little bit of work. The gun through the shop was a compact and I would like to shoot the full size version myself. Let us know how the accuracy with this gun is at say 25 yards and 50 yards please. __________________ KY CCDW instructor, See me in Louisville to set up a class. Contact me for classes anywhere in the state as I will travel for a larger class. Yes I am an Ahole, I have always been an Ahole in fact I was born an A**hole. If you use this same logic you should not be mad that I called you stupid "If you have more rails on your M4orgery than a train wreck you might be a Mall Ninja" If you have things on every rail you are a mall ninja! http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=53517

07-19-2012, 07:48 PM	#5
Mudcat Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 712	I have heard some good things about this gun. My question to you is about the sights, I know they are different but how are they? Do yo like them or prefer the traditional sights? By the way thanks for the review. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

07-20-2012, 07:04 AM	#11
Mudcat Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 712	You have the more traditional type 2 dot sights. Those aren't the ones I was thinking of. Maybe it is the compact that has the weird sights. Very interested in a long term, high round count review looking forward to it. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

07-20-2012, 01:14 PM	#14
gundoc Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Valley Station, KY Posts: 1,504	The compact model that I put a front sight on had the same sights as the full size gun pictured. The rear sight is made into the rear cover plate from what I saw on the "C" model gun that I looked over and worked on. __________________ KY CCDW instructor, See me in Louisville to set up a class. Contact me for classes anywhere in the state as I will travel for a larger class. Yes I am an Ahole, I have always been an Ahole in fact I was born an A**hole. If you use this same logic you should not be mad that I called you stupid "If you have more rails on your M4orgery than a train wreck you might be a Mall Ninja" If you have things on every rail you are a mall ninja! http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=53517

07-19-2012, 07:43 PM	#4
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	I forgot to mention , it has a flat wound recoil spring...Iv'e heard of that on a special Wilson tactical , but have never seen one...

07-19-2012, 08:28 PM	#6
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492

07-19-2012, 08:56 PM	#7
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	A Caracal is a Cat , By the way....

07-19-2012, 10:37 PM	#8
Shilo_00 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Lexington Posts: 54	Great review. Does Bud's normally price match online prices? Or did you have to make a big fuss about it?

07-19-2012, 10:58 PM	#9
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	actually i just emailed a sales rep thru the link on the site...told him what I was interested in and what price i saw it for and my phone number....they called me and said sure, and I placed the order on the phone.....pretty easy.

07-20-2012, 11:18 AM	#12
figaroa03 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Louisville Posts: 365	THe compact has different sights available. The front and rear sights are both near the muzzle end of the gun. The rear sight sits just in front of the bore block.

07-20-2012, 04:00 PM	#15
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	there is a "Quick Sight" option available on the Compact.

07-21-2012, 08:32 PM	#17
A-BOMB Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 6,962	http://centerfiresystems.com/CARACAL-CS.aspx

07-30-2012, 10:18 AM	#18
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	review by Rob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdHuzWJaryo&feature=g-all-u __________________ . . .

10-16-2012, 04:36 AM	#19
Grinch Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 151	Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead but any updates on the carcal f? Anyone have a couple thousand threw it yet? I'm very curious about this gun but can't find any to rent or even hold and dont want to buy unseen. I have a walther ppq as my daily carry and love it, and this gun reminds me a lot of it but at a much more wife friendly price lol

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10-16-2012, 04:26 PM	#20
BigCat Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Louisville metro area Posts: 492	500 rounds in...no malfunctions yet...even with steel cased russian ammo.. __________________ . . .

10-18-2012, 01:45 AM	#21
finnegan Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 52	Thanks for this. I've been debating on springing for one of these for a couple of months. Might try looking for a used one. I really like firearms with a lower sight radius (CZs), so this might work for me.