Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Caracal CP

Semi-Automatic Service Pistol [ 2007 ]

The Caracal CP series of semi-automatic pistol marks the first such weapon to emerge from the United Arab Emirates.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/08/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image courtesy Caracal marketing material; All Rights Reserved.

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The Caracal CP name represents a new line of semi-automatic pistols, the first such weapons to emerge from the Persian Gulf nation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For decades, the country relied on importation of foreign military goods to stock its inventory. The CP represents a move to a more indigenous military-industrial base for the Gulf nation. The first pistol mark arrived in 2007 and customers have since gone on to include Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Jordan, Libya and the UAE. Design work on a new, locally-produced pistol began in 2002 with attribution given to Wilhelm Bubits (1954-), an Austrian-born gunsmith who also lent a hand in the creation of several Austrian Steyr Mannlicher-branded semi-automatic pistol designs. Evaluation of the service pistol was extensive and tested viability of all functions of the pistol including NATO standards for possible European suitors.

The CP is a very conventional-looking semi-automatic pistol utilizing a full-length metal slide above a polymer frame. The grip is integrated as part of the frame and well-contoured to fit in the hand. The trigger ring is purposely large to allow use of a gloved hand. A ribbed section along the rear portions of the slide allow for a firmer grip when managing the slide component and a visible marker at the rear of the slide provides instant identification of a loaded chamber. The gun sports typical semi-automatic functions such as a safety (trigger safety plus two internal safeties), take-down lever and a magazine release - the controls are all made ambidextrous to serve left- and right-handed shooters equally. The CP fires from a short recoil operation utilizing a locked breech. The base model weighs a manageable 750 grams with an overall length of 7 inches and barrel length of 4 inches. Sights are of the fixed iron type (tritium low light sights are available). The lower frontal frame section supports a mounting bracket for using laser aimers, tactical flashlights and the like.

The CP is primarily chambered for the ubiquitous German 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, a standard among semi-automatic pistol sidearms. Other chamberings have since appeared in 9x21mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W forms to further broaden the weapon's mass-market appeal. Such a variety of supported ammunition types invariably leads to variable magazine counts - the 9mm Parabellum allow is offered in counts of 18, 15 and 13.

There are three recognized frame forms led by the standard, full-sized model followed by a compact body form and a super-compact body form. As their categorization suggests, compact versions are both lighter and dimensionally smaller, making them ideal for concealed-carry by specialists and security personnel. Official models as of January 2014 are the Caracal CP660 (9x19mm, 18-rounds), CP661 (compact CP660 with 15-round magazine), CP662 (concealed-carry, high-capacity), CP663 (double-action hammer, 18-rounds) and CP664 (9x19mm, 18-round magazine).

The Caracal CP line has now reached both American and European shores for civil market sales. The company also offers a line of hunting, sniper and assault rifles.

Specifications

Service Year

2007

Origin

United Arab Emirates

Classification

Semi-Automatic Service Pistol

Caracal International LLC / Caracal GmbH - UAE

(View other Arms-Related Manufacturers)

National flag of the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi; Algeria; Bahrain; Dubai; Iraq; Italy; Jordan; Libya; Turkey; United Arab Emirates

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Pistol / Sidearm
Compact design for close-quarters work or general self-defense.

Overall Length

178 mm
7.01 in

Barrel Length

104 mm
4.09 in

Empty Wgt

1.65 lb
0.75 kg

Sights

Iron Front and Rear.

Action

Semi-Automatic; Short Recoil; Locked Breech

Semi-Automatic
One shot per trigger pull; self-loading or auto-loading action aided by internal mechanism; trigger management (and initial cocking) typically required by the operator; subsequent shots are aided by the unlocked / moved bolt.

(Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information)

Caliber(s)*

9x19mm Parabellum; 9x21mm; .40 S&W

Sample Visuals**

Graphical image of a 9mm pistol cartridge

Graphical image of a .40 S&W (Smith & Wesson) pistol cartridge

Rounds / Feed

13-, 15-, 16- or 18-round box (model dependent)

*May not represent an exhuastive list; calibers are model-specific dependent, always consult official manufacturer sources.
**Graphics not to actual size; not all cartridges may be represented visually; graphics intended for general reference only.

Max Eff.Range

130 ft
(40 m | 43 yd)

Muzzle Velocity

1,215 ft/sec
(370 m/sec)

Caracal - Base Series Designation

Caracal F - Full-Sized Variant Frame

Caracal C - Compact Variant Frame

Caracal SC - Super-Compact Variant Frame

CP660 - Black matte finish; polymer with steel; 9x19mm support with 18-round capacity magazine.

CP661 - Compact form; polymer/steel body; based on the CP660; 9x19mm; 15-round magazine capacity.

CP662 - Super-compact form; black finish; 9x19mm; 13-round magazine.

CP663 - Double-action hammer; 9x19mm, 9x21 or .40 S&W chamberings; 18-round magazine support (9x19mm); intended for sport shooting or special forces use.

CP664 - 9x19mm, 9x21mm or .40 S&W chamberings; 18-round magazine support (9x19mm).

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