Caracal C Review & G19 Comparison

[plouffedaddy]

I've often posted here with high praise for the Caracal pistols so I figured I'd knock out a review of the guns with the Caracal C going first. The C model seems to be the one people ask about the most and frequently the question is, "Is it better than a Glock 19?" We'll get to that a little later but first I'll lay out some of the pros and cons of the gun.

Pros:
-Reliable. The gun has well over 1,000 rounds (not sure on the exact count, I've let many people borrow the pistol to try out) with only 1 malfunction which was a bad primer with Brown Bear ammo. I put the same round in my G17 and it didn't fire with that gun either so I'm putting the blame solely on the ammo
-Price. This gun is available online for $399 shipped with box and two mags. In my opinion it's the best handgun deal on the market today (CZ 82 second).
-Accurate. This gun is like a 1911 in that it tends to make average shooters shoot like good shooters
-Very low bore axis (see comparison pictures with my P229 below) resulting in the softest shooting 9mm (along with the F model) I've ever shot
-Excellent trigger. It's smooth with no stacking. It breaks extremely cleanly and has a positive reset
-Great finish. The Plasox (with nitriding) finish is holding up very well thus far
-It has a loaded chamber indicator on the top of the slide allowing the user to check that it is loaded without having to conduct a press check
-Very good ergonomics. Everyone that has shot the gun seems to comment on how good it feels in their hands
-15+1 capacity while only weighing 25oz
-Passed the WTD 91 (German armed forces) testing in 2006
-Has been adopted by several nations' standard military sidearm; many police agencies in Italy and Germany have adopted it as well
-It's classified as an IDPA production gun
-Easy to clean and maintain. Requires very little lubrication as well
-Interior parts are coated with the Plasox finish as well
-Ambi controls (except for the slide lock)
-Spare parts including springs are available from Caracal-USA now (this is relatively new)
-The Caracal C can use F 18 round magazines

Cons:
-Little aftermarket support
-Night sights are not available in the US currently. I spoke with Caracal USA last week and they said they are working with several manufacturers currently but they don't have a date yet as to when they'll be released
-The rear sight is part of the firing pin assembly. This will either make aftermarket sights more expensive or limit some to front sight only
-The guns are made in the UAE and Germany. The UAE made guns are the only ones available in the US currently. (I don't care about this but it's a common point brought up so I'm including it so people don't say "you didn't mention where it was made....")
-In order to detail strip the gun you have to deal with roll pins. Not a big deal but I'd prefer not to if I didn't have to
-The slide lock protrudes to far. I hit it with my thumb about 50% of the time if I'm not conscious of it and many people I've let shoot it have the exact same issue

Now, back to the original question---is it better than the G19? In terms of familiarity, factory customer service support, sight availability, and aftermarket support---no, it's not. In terms of factory trigger, cost (non-blue label program), and perceived recoil---yes it is. I'll give them a tie for reliability, simplicity, and accuracy.

The best way I can answer the question is to say if I never fired a handgun and was given a Caracal C and a G19 to shoot for a day and asked to pick only 1 which would I pick? I think I'd pick the Caracal C. That said, I've been shooting Glocks for years and am very comfortable and relatively proficient with them so now I slightly prefer Glocks but I wouldn't have any reservations about trusting my life to a Caracal.

Here's a video of me shooting the gun, a tabletop review with some comparisons to other 15 round 9mm guns (G19 and SIG P229R), and a chronograph test with some popular defensive loads:



Chrono numbers:
Speer 124gr Gold Dot JHPs: 1127fps, 350 ft/lbs energy
Federal 124gr HST JHPs: 1092fps, 328 ft/lbs energy
Winchester 115gr Ranger JHPs: 1095fps, 306 ft/lbs energy

Caracal bore axis:

SIG P229R bore axis:

Thoughts? Opinions?

[lhowland.40]

Good review...

These guns seem to be getting more and more praise everyday.
I'm sure most will say it won't come close to the g19 in reliability without years of torture test's and what not but everytime I hear about them they intrigue me more and more.

Keep up the good reviews.

[plouffedaddy]

I agree but it's done pretty well so far. It's been in military service for years and all reports thus far are good. It hasn't built a (deserved) reputation like Glock yet but time will tell.

[FUNDAMENTALS]

I have fired the C model (Compact). Presently waiting for the F model
with the QAS,(Quick Acquisition Site). Outstanding Pistol. The one thing
I noticed was the length on the rails that the slide moves on are much
longer. Your review was excellent. I have also checked out reviews on
Youtube. One more thing, the ergonomics are great for a men and women.
Since the design was the brainchild of the same fellow that worked for
Glock, then the designer for Steyr, Wilhelm Baubits, not sure of the
spelling.

[Emptymag]

Maybe Springfield should buy the rights to put their name on the slide?

Anyone recall the "Glock copycat" before it was a Springfield XD and nobody wanted them because they were just a "cheap, foreign gun"?



Thanks for the review!

[dkf]

Maybe Springfield should buy the rights to put their name on the slide?

Then they can double the price just like they did when they took over distribution of the now known XD.

Honestly I think the Caracal looks like a nice gun and I really like the low bore axis and Glock like features. If they were not made in or in any way affiliated with the UAE and had a couple more caliber choices I would consider one. The first reason is a major deal breaker for me. There are too many other good guns out there for a little more made in a country I do not mind my money going to.

[medsteele]

For only $400, seems like a winner. I'm intrigued.

[workingmanjeff]

P-daddy

Nice Review - Ive not seen one of these in person, but now want to.

I know you said trigger is best one youve used on a striker fire gun ( youve obviously not tried my MP-40 ) , any idea what poundage it is ? just curious if its more duty oriented or competition

also

What are the magazines like ? easy to load ? able to get 15 in em', well built ?

Thanks for your efforts

Jeff

[warpath9809]

I bought the Caracal F after watching p-daddy's review & the review on the Military Arms Channel. Both were great reviews & thus far this is a great pistol. I can't wait for the SC model.

[ddevdaman]

I have a caracal F that I got for an amazing price at tanners. I am absolutely in love with it. It fits my hand so well and balances so nicely its a dream to shoot. I call it the Arabian glock and honestly, it is just as good as a glock for every reason we love them, but has a better trigger and ergonomics. I just wish someone made a nice IWB holster for it...