Caracal pistol

These tests were carried out by the Federal German Armed Forces Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen, Germany[4] which included metallurgic and composite analysis, functional fitness-for-purpose and quality evaluation, endurance firing, environmental exposure, safety and accuracy tests.

A certificate was issued by the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in May 2006 after the pistol successfully complied with the NATO D14 standard, the German Federal Police Standard and the German Federal Armed Forces Technical Purchasing requirements.

In February 2007 25,000 Caracal F pistols in 9 mm were ordered by various armies and security forces of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

[10] According to Caracal's commercial director Saeed Ali Al Shamsi, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gave its approval for sales in the United States in May 2009 and the company plans to embark on a soft launch of the firearms in America in 2010 with the handguns selling for up to US$720 (AED 2,650) in North America.

At the IDEX 2009, the company announced that work is being carried on to manufacture the Caracal pistols in .45 ACP, and that an SCHV (small-caliber/high-velocity) ammunition, along the lines of 5.7×28mm and 4.6×30mm, is also under study for military customers.

Due to issues with heat treatment of slides and improper quality control the pistols had a tendency for catastrophic failures.

Participants from the Italian police and military forces included members of: During Defence & Security 2009 (4–5 November 2009) in Thailand, a demonstration has been held on a local range where members of the armed forces, law enforcement and International Practical Shooting Confederation shooters have tested and evaluated the different models.

Caracal products were formerly imported by Waffen Werks in Knoxville, Tennessee and Steyr Arms, Trussville, Alabama.

[1] The lower forward edge of the frame has a mounting-bracket or rail interface system for mounting accessories.

This low bore axis principle is also found in the Glock, Steyr M and in the later developed Arsenal Firearms Strike One pistols.

[1] The pistols have a fully supported chamber and fixed iron sights featuring straight- straight-eight pattern contrast enhancements of which the front element can be adjusted for windage.

The pistols can be supplied with grip inserts in several distinctive colours (black, gray, green, blue and orange) that can be used for identification purposes.

[20] The metal parts of the U.S. produced Enhanced F receive a QPQ salt bath nitriding process.

[24] There are however also two-tone Caracal pistols available with bright metal slides that did not receive the "Plasox" plasma-based nitriding surface treatment.

[21] The Caracal is a striker fired semi-automatic pistol, meaning the trigger system is of the hammerless short double-action-only type.

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.

Caracal F with orange grip insert
The Caracal F superimposed over the HS2000 pistol contour