UAE Gunmaker Caracal has recalled their model C pistols. [Press release after the jump.] Previously, on Who Wants to Carry the World’s Most Ergonomic 9mm Pistol Even Though Ralph Has Reservations About The Gun’s Reliability, the striker-fired firearm had drop-safe issues. The company took the guns back and, eventually, sent out new ones (to customers who didn’t opt for a refund). This time ’round there’s no new gun, only cash money. Actually, that’s not strictly true . . .
Caracal’s replacing those pesky C’s—and the rest of their lineup—with new guns. The F, C and SC models are gone, replaced by the CP660 (full-size nine, above), CP661 (compact nine) and CP662 (sub-compact). Caracal’s also adding two completely new pistols to the team: the hammer-fired 1911-esque CP663 (full-size, heavy ass nine) and the CP664 (9×19 and 9×21 calibers). All with “new safety units.”
C owners can apply their refund towards the new gats. [gunholstersandgear.com has all the pics and specs.]
Unfortunately, the kick ass Quick Sights are nowhere to be seen. And Caracal’s not answering the phone right now (or can’t answer the phone becuase they’re too busy answering the phone). So what will your humble Caracal C schlepping scribe do now that his gun is firearm non gratis, I mean non grata? Watch this space . . .
UPDATE
Caracal Model C Pistol Product Safety Warning and Recall Notice
Caracal International LLC previously instituted a recall of Caracal Model C pistols on March 28,2013 for batch numbers from SC188- to SC222.
Caracal is now issuing this recall of allModel C pistolsin 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 otherCaracal products. Unfortunately, the potential safety issues cannot be addressed through a repair of the Model C pistol and all Model C pistol’s must be returned for refund.
Step 1 –Please contact customer care in accordance with the below details and provide your name, address, telephone number and details of your purchase.
For USA Customers
Contact us at +205-655-7050 [ED: voice mail] or [email protected]
For International Customers Additional numbers will be published shortly; however please contact us on [email protected] in the interim.
If you have sold or transferred your Caracal Model C pistol to any other person, we ask you to please contact us in any event and provide us with the name and contact information for the person to whom you sold any Model C Pistol so that we may also notify that person of this recall.
Step 2 – Customer care will contact you to arrange for a refund in accordance with the above.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause and thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Thank you.
Caracal International LLC
I smell ATF importation shennanigans.
My totally random,unsupported theory:
Caracal was able to import and sell the 9C until one day,an ATF flunkie pulled a 180 and revoked their import paperwork.Somehow that meant they needed to get the old guns back until the paperwork could be cleared up,except that ATF flunkie was VERY persistent.
So,they had to start over with brand new guns.
But that’s a CONSPIRACY THEORY!
I think these guns are the product of ole haji goin to pray and forgetting what step he was on in the assembly process and skippin the one he was sposed to be on just to come back to it and rush it when he remembered.
Who says you have to return it? I wouldn’t, not if I have something else I could carry, anyway.
Tom
Yup… I say keep the dang thing… it’ll be a real collectors item, even if it is a “safe queen” …or not so safe in this case.
That’s what I would do. Scarcity drives up collectibility.
Good grief, what a load of crap! Of course I just bought a holster and spare mags for my gun.
They seemed to be fairly certain they had it narrowed down to a specific range of guns, and I haven’t seen any indication things have actually changed, other than how they want to deal with the problem. So for the time being I’m just going to hold onto mine until it’s clear how (or rather that) the rebate program is going to work.
Buy pistol for $600
it is now used
Sell to buddy/stranger for $500
He turns it in.
Nobody has a gun
He has $100
You have -$100
How does that work if that is what happened?
Robert, nice handgun you’ve got there its only had to be returned for recall / repair what twice now?
You’d have been far better served just a plain old Glock 19.
I say do not get another UAE made handgun.
Smitty
Yep, and he had been carrying that perfectly good G30SF. With 200 grain WFM gas-checked hard=cast lead bullets that would have been fine for Montana bears, but nooooh, he had to take a pistol that will go boom if the bear knocked it out of his hand in the Glacier Gas ‘n Go parking lot.
Lead bullets and polygonal rifling? nonononono
Shoulda gotten a Steyr S-A1 pistol in the first place – same designer from a proven manufacturer.
Please send back all firearms we have ever made. Also send large samples of every brand of ammo you have ever used or thought of using in your firearm. For, uh, testing purposes. We will be send every unit to Syria, uh, our testing laboratory in the Middle East. We will get you a refund or a different firearm when the war is over, I mean, when our analysis is complete. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
In an unrelated announcement, please send any unneeded anti-aircraft, uh, self-defense weapons to Syria, um, I mean our Middle Eastern Testing Facility before the US Congress votes on airstrikes, I mean, in case something bad happens over here.
Sorry Robert. It’s tough when you find a product you’re in sync with and think you can rely on and it doesn’t go right. We feel for you man.
Yep. That was me and my Springfield EMP.
Since replaced with a Glock 19.
AGAIN?
Holy Crap.
Just get a G19 already.
Roger that.
How about a nice new G30S? 10 rounds of .45ACP with the new narrower LIGHTER slide?
Where? Been trying to get one for a while now.
I feel your pain Robert. Heck as a fellow Austinite, it is only proper for me to offer you my PPQ as a loaner until you get a replacement. Friends don’t let friends go unarmed.
Or a nice M&P compact.
Red’s South location will get you set-up with a Glock 19 Gen IV and righteth soon. Not far from you in Lakeway.
+ whatever number is larger than a trillion.
+ whatever number is larger than a trillion.
That would be the National Debt.
Heyoo!
Zing!
One trillion one, one trillion two, one trillion three…
I would keep the C. If everyone turns theirs in you will have quite the collectors item.
I do not buy ANY firearm from untested, new manufacturers. Obviously a good decision.
This is the kind of thinking that leads to people saying hot brass to your forehead is a feature!
I didn’t see anything about the ability to swap for a new model. They’re saying they’re a year out.
Of course, I still haven’t gotten my box for the first recall, so maybe by then they’ll be out.
The CP663 and 664 look like CZ-75s with the slide riding the frame on the outside, not the inside, which means the controls have to be slimmer.
Whoever bought these coulda avoided all the drama by buying a CZ-75 to begin with 😀
I bought one a while back, now I have 5. I swear they multiply faster than Glocks sometimes.
I’m not sure what image you guys are looking at, but the CP663 images on Caracal’s website show a pistol with a traditional slide-outside-of-frame design.
http://www.caracal.ae/new/caracal_CP663.php
Note the third image.
That’s what I said.
Got my first in December. I want a PCR or a P-01 to carry, but I can’t find any.
In stock P-01: http://www.kygunco.com/category.cfm/keenes/CZ-Handguns/InStockOnly/Yes
PCR available here: http://www.mishoot.com/estore.html#!/~/product/category=6228185&id=26620005
Good day to carry a 102 year old pistol design. I imagine most of my recalls we’re handled before WWI.
Yeah, except until somebody decides to “improve” it … Some of which work well (grip safety bump, anyone?), others, well …
Headline
Breaking: thats present tense.
Broken: would have more clever.
Or for good ergos, maybe a CZ.
So what are the odds that this is related to another report of a gun exploding in Pakistan, and Caracal wants to make the whole C model series just disappear in hopes of distancing themselves from the idea their guns explode? It’s just my guess, but it’s the only thing I can think of.
Of course the decent thing to do would be to use the new CP661 as replacements for those of us still waiting for C replacements. Not this refund, or voucher bullshit.
Actually the thought of American weapons ending up in Syria, in the hands of Al Queda is utterly impossible, one would need someone with major diplomatic clout like a long time Ambassador to pull that off! Never Happen!
As to the Caracal, face it, they are JUNK and as bad as a 1970’s-90s S&W auto!
But I’d be dammed if I would send it back to the ME after it’s been tagged to my name and home addy. There is some bad JuJu going down with this Caracal operation, I don’t like the smell of it one bit.
you supported an islamic nation and the gun failed…HMmmmm
give me something made here and easy to have serviced, or parts to make and effect my OWN repairs..
Caracal ??
NOT WANT!!!!!!!!!
In their defense, the Emirates are generally decent folk. Quite moderate and accommodating to us westerners. I don’t know anything about their guns save what I’ve read here from RF…
The Germans were generally decent folk as well, what’s your point?
Just sayin man…why does it matter that the gun comes from an Islamic country? The UAE is not bad…and the Germans are still decent folk.
Lovely.
I have to ask: What about the Caracals made in Germany? Are you telling me a German handgun was lacking in engineering finesse. Come to think of it, they all were engineered there, but just some manufactured there.
The AUG was a finely engineered and manufactured rifle so then how did the ones issued to the Australian Armed Forces have to be withdrawn and rebuilt?
The Ozzie Govt insisted on paying less than the going rate and negotiated an OZ specific AUG using a different plastic formula, plastic that melted at a slightly lower temperature, a temperature commonly reached during FA fire.
It’s quite easy to mess-up a well designed plastic firearm
Love my Witness .40 S&W and my Sararms K2P 9mm.
Wait, so it is a total product line recall because of a malfunctioning drop safety, that mysteriously can’t be remedied? My pistol doesn’t even have a drop safety… oh, the irrational fear of the gun…
Sorry to here about this always like to have more gun makers making good guns hopefully they come back.
On the bright side, this does put my XDs kerfuffle in perspective. Sure, I miss the little fartknocker, but at least he’s gonna come back soon.
You have my sympathy, Caracal C owners.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….. I’m liking my 1911 A1 more and more. It always goes bang and I’m pretty sure that there have been no recalls in my lifetime.
Yea, but that fact never seems to impress the plastic pistol crowd.
Oh I own a Glock also, a 1st generation 9mm bought new about 25 years ago. I like that one too, but I really can’t carry both, so by a slim margin, I’ll take the 1911 when needed (it’s got better sights)
Why would you trust your life to a bunch of camel jockies that have only been making guns a few years. Take your crackle C and toss it in the garbage and get a real gun.
“Camel jockeys”? Racist much? That’s no different than calling Tiger Woods a “shoeshine boy”. Maybe you’re just incredibly stupid, who knows?
As for “only making guns a few years”, again, stupid, stupider and stupidest. Egypt has been making guns since the 1820s, and Iran, since the 1920s. Search engines are notoriously bad at finding this sort of data, but I found those two in a couple minutes. If you know how to use one.
Please not to open ignorant mouth until completion kindergarten grade, Boss Man.
…not to mention the primary design engineer is an Austrian who had a hand in designing the Glock and Steyr M/MA-1 series pistols. Ever heard of those? Actual time in business = not a concern…. especially after you have fired one of these beauties!
During the Afghan war, “camel jockey” smiths were making antiaircraft weapons by hand. These were used with great success against the Russian Havoc gunships.
India and the Middle East invented metalwork when Europeans were still living in caves and knapping flint.
There is always a balance between function, cost and ease of production. Apparently someone missed the mark.
This happens. I wish Caracal great success in future.
Russ I’ll forgive your Europhobia which spilled into your Guns Of The Khyber Pass gush but as to Caracal, the company has re-introduced or recalled the majority of it’s product line, their AR being a redressed AR-15/M-4 and that High Point PCC rip-off? Meh
If the line was safe to fire one could argue about it’s place in the industry but I doubt that their alloy receiver 50BMG rifle will have many (surviving) fans.
Fill me in again. What’s the must-have new hotness about this particular plastic krunchenticker?
Methinks you had your own question answered at “new”.
I think I’m just going to stick to Springfield and S&W. At least their recalls are limited in scope and short-lived.
I would add Glock to the mix, but I don’t like that grip angle as much and I despise the out-of-the-box sights.
In Soviet Russia, pistol never malfunction; is operator error. If operator argue, operator is recalled.
So I looked on Caracal’s website, –granted the US site is under development, I still don’t think they’re doing the community any favors by calling their long distance rifles, “sniper rifles”; or their semi-auto rifle, an “assault” rifle…
At any rate, I like their new pistols.
When people keep their C, drop it and it fires, we can have some more irresponsible owner segments!
Perhaps it’s only my memory but I do not recall such wide spread fire arms recalls in the past. A few certainly and a couple of those high profile. . . but with the XDS pistols in recall, the Shields, and now this I’m forced to wonder; Unrelated coincidences, rushed/poor design/production, over abundance of caution in a litigious society. . . what gives?
There are pictures of blown-up Caracal C pistols on a Pakistani gun forum complete with the owners laying there bloody after half the slide hit ’em in the cheek:
http://www.pakguns.com/showthread.php?12034-Catastrophic-CARACAL-Failure-IInd-reported-incident
http://www.pakguns.com/showthread.php?10862-Catastrophic-Failure-ALL-CARACAL-OWNERS-PLEASE-READ-AND-BE-SAFE
It appears that these guys were particularly enthused about buying a handgun from an Islamic source. Whoops.
All the haters need to simply google “pistol goes kaboom” and click images. Page after page of Glocks, HK, Sigs, Springfield, Ruger, etc, even the “all mighty” 1911 and revolvers of all makes and models, 1 Caracal. Literally EVERY gun maker has had a recall, or an “update” at one point. Caracal instead of covering up their issues or blaming it on user error, has decided to own up and fix it. I’ll wait for the new line up.
well Im not turning mine in, I also believe in the “conspiracy theory” with atf, My C was in the batch was supposed to be OK , at that point I had 7000 rounds through it and nada a problem , guess what its now just of 10,000 rounds , changed out the guide rod (cheap plastic broke) got a stainless steel one from bt guie rods, also got one for my glock 22 (cheap plastic broke) , maybe there was a problem on a selct gun , guy was shooting handloads that were too hot, in some third word shithole , oh well, Im keeping mine , My Colt Series 80 .45 acp had some kind of recall back when I had about 3000 rounds through her , slides cracking or something (i have 20,000 + now) , maybe I got lucky , but Im betting a bad comes across me and my Caracal C , he wont be bad anymore , he’ll be dead and if Im dead it wond be because the Caracal malfunctioned ,it will be because I did!
Was cold weather a factor in their breaking, possibly? I remember I had an ultralight fishing rod I used for years, until one cold Christmas Day, when it snapped like a toothpick.