The Keefe Report: When Caracal Comes to Town

by
posted on September 7, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

I have been following the Caracal pistol since it was just a rumor of a handgun being produced in the United Arab Emirates. The gun, designed by Austrian William Bubits, who had a long affiliation with Glock and then was a designer for hire—think the Steyr M pistol as well as the Walther PPSwas really onto something.

The gun was ergonomically excellent, with a very high tang and a low bore axis. Add that the magazine in its polymer frame held 18 rounds and it had a good trigger, and you ended up with a gun that became very popular very quickly.

And that was despite difficulties with importers and importation. The efforts to get the guns onto the U.S. commercial market were amateurish and botched badly. Once importation was finally going well, sadly, there was a full recall issued by the company, likely prematurely, and the guns have been absent from dealers shelves. 

For Caracal USA, there's a new sheriff in town. His name is Jeff Spalding, and he is the company’s general manager. He was in our offices, and we had a chance to take the Caracal pistols and carbines to the range. In the accompanying video, we shoot a version of Caracal Enhanced F, a gun that is made in Newington, N.H. 

Interestingly, it has the Quick Sight system, which allows for a very fast flash sight picture. Although the gun is offered with conventional sights, the Quick Site has cuts in the top of the slide forward of the action port that make for what is akin to a scout configuration on a pistol. Your sight radius is only about 3 inches, but after going to the range with it, I can assure you it is indeed fast. While I was never a fan of the trapezoid sights of the Bubits-designed Steyr M, I think they are onto something here. We are looking forward to further testing of the U.S.-made Caracal pistols and rifles.

Additional Reading:
SHOT Show 2017: Caracal USA Enhanced F 9 mm Pistol  

Latest

Gunsmithing gear
Gunsmithing gear

5 Must-Have Tools for DIY Gunsmithing

These gunsmithing tools make it much easier to work on your firearms, whether at home or in the field.

Garmin Acquires Applied Ballistics

Garmin has acquired Applied Ballistics, a leading provider of ballistic research, projectile data and integrated solver technologies dedicated to enhancing shooting accuracy.

NRA Leaders Attend White House Dinner as President Trump Signs Orders Expanding Access to Public Lands and Waterways

NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin and Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director John Commerford represented NRA members at a White House dinner hosted by President Donald J. Trump.

The America 250th Longrifle: Creating One Tribute to America's Semiquincentennial

As part of the America 250th celebrations this year, one longtime American Rifleman contributor had to have his own special tribute to our country's semiquincentennial.

The Long & Short of It: Rock Island Armory's Pak-Out Platform

One of the latest designs to come from Rock Island Armory is its Pak-Out, a folding shotgun that is offered in several different configurations.

Gun of the Week: The New Taurus Judge

For 2026, Taurus USA took a fresh look at one of its most popular platforms, the Judge revolver, and updated it with a new feature set while retaining the versatility that made it popular in the first place.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.