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Slater
09-04-19, 21:10
Just picked this up from my FFL today. $707 shipped from Rainier Arms, and interesting that MSRP on these was $1300 just a couple years ago. Figured I'd buy one since they seem to have gotten good reviews and this particular model may be discontinued. Marked "CARACAL USA NEWINGTON NH" and was actually shipped from New Hampshire even though Rainier Arms is in Washington state. This gun has the so-called "extractor guard" or "extractor button" that sits against the extractor when the bolt is in battery. In the event of an overpressure event it prevents the extractor from disengaging the case rim and (theoretically, I guess) prevents the kaboom from damagng the receiver or shooter. Caracal advertises it as being "Over The Beach" certified. Has the standard Magpul furniture and a Troy (?) type rear sight.

This has the nitrided barrel whereas the UAE-produced weapons have a chrome-lined CHF barrel. Did they cheap out? Maybe, but Chris Bartocci says that testing showed no significant differences between the two processes. I'm not educated enough to debate one side or the other.

Came with the USGI-type mag, made for Caracal. Says "Caracal Made in USA" on the floorplate. One side of the mag is stamped "09130142 MADE IN USA" and the other side is marked "6M9N8 .223/5.56 AL" Appears to be a Teflon-type finish.

Also came with an Otis cleaning kit marked with the Caracal logo.

Gun appears well assembled. The anodizing job on upper and lower isn't the greatest though, with a couple odd-looking areas that almost look touched up (if you can do that with anodizing?).



https://i.imgur.com/riwYUCZl.jpg
LowSpeed_HighDrag
09-04-19, 21:18
What was the reason you bought this?
Tx_Aggie
09-04-19, 23:01
After watching Chris's video on Caracal rifles I've been curious about the guns they're selling in the US. That price at Rainer might just be too good to pass up.

I'd love to hear what you think of the rifle after you've had some time to shoot it a bit.
tim808
09-05-19, 01:50
Was the $1300 msrp for the free float rail model? I assume it had a nice two stage trigger for that kind of $$ difference or that rail is really great!

The piston 816 has been as low as approx $1k 9 months ago but now seems to be out stock.....probably due to bartocci’s review
RobertTheTexan
09-06-19, 02:38
No difference between a nitride barrel and a CHF barrel? Was that an examination of the completely different processes whereby they’re made or was it more about accuracy or more about durability/longevity? I haven’t heard or read any info that made or alluded to any of those statements. (Or however he compared them.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Slater
09-06-19, 07:45
No difference between a nitride barrel and a CHF barrel? Was that an examination of the completely different processes whereby they’re made or was it more about accuracy or more about durability/longevity? I haven’t heard or read any info that made or alluded to any of those statements. (Or however he compared them.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This was in reference to Bartocci's conversation with the engineer that worked on the Caracal rifles (in terms of overall longevity/durability) He mentions this in his latest video on Caracal.

Here, starting at about 4:10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNAw7vBohiQ&t=331s
RHINOWSO
09-06-19, 12:58
Mag is C-Products

Cage Code Company Name Address 1 Address 2 City State Zip Country Status Code Type Code
6M9N8 C PRODUCTS DEFENSE INC 6115 31ST ST E BRADENTON FL 34203-5316 UNITED STATES A F
Slater
09-06-19, 16:17
This picture is from Caracal's UAE website, and appears to show the same code on the tan mags pictured. Which is somewhat surprising since I had thought that Caracal made everything in-house:


https://i.imgur.com/jPvenbZl.png
ABNAK
10-05-19, 20:51
No difference between a nitride barrel and a CHF barrel? Was that an examination of the completely different processes whereby they’re made or was it more about accuracy or more about durability/longevity? I haven’t heard or read any info that made or alluded to any of those statements. (Or however he compared them.)


That part caught my attention too. I think he may have misspoken. You can have a CHF chrome lined barrel, and you can have a CHF nitrided barrel. The way he put it it sounded like CHF was one way a barrel could be made and nitride was the other. Surely Bartocci knows that nitriding is a surface treatment after the barrel is made and CHF is involved in the actual manufacturing process of the barrel. That's why I think he misspoke.
RAM Engineer
10-06-19, 20:42
That part caught my attention too. I think he may have misspoken. You can have a CHF chrome lined barrel, and you can have a CHF nitrided barrel. The way he put it it sounded like CHF was one way a barrel could be made and nitride was the other. Surely Bartocci knows that nitriding is a surface treatment after the barrel is made and CHF is involved in the actual manufacturing process of the barrel. That's why I think he misspoke.

I think that’s probably true. He misspeaks a lot in his videos. His writing is a lot clearer and less stream of consciousness.
JoshNC
10-08-19, 23:07
OP I hope you enjoy your rifle. I’m truly not trying to pee in your Wheaties. I can’t see a compelling reason to choose a Caracas over other options. Caracal external piston ARs look like re-badged Sig Exeter 516s. Toss in the fact that Caracal is a UAE-owned company and no thank you. If I want external piston I’m grabbing my SCAR16, SIG 551, SIG 553, FNC, or AUG. If it must be an AR15 external piston, I’m going HK416 or piston LMT mrp.
rpoL98
10-09-19, 23:16
Caracal piston upper, I was installing a brake, some pics:
https://i.imgur.com/JpPuIYC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vUYdD4D.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/I5e7QGb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/z43ebXm.jpg