I’m not the most emotional of gun bloggers. It might have something to do with my love life, which resembles nothing so much as a train wreck. OK two train wrecks. (And that’s just counting marriages.) I know it’s not in my commercial interest to remain silent on my emotional odyssey. Surfers gravitate to bloggers who bare their soul to strangers like fifty-something firearms journalists gravitate to hot Israeli girls. See what I mean? It makes me uncomfortable too. Anyway, anyone who spends 10 hours a day seven days a week hammering on a keyboard will eventually feel the need to share his f-f-f-f-feelings. Sigh. At the risk of going all Carrie Bradshaw, I really miss my gun . . .

Don’t get me wrong. I have a deep and abiding respect for my carry piece: a Glock 30SF.

I can bring my Glock out of its Raven Concealment Kydex holster in the blink of a [very slow] eye. I can hit what I’m aiming at with 2″ accuracy up to ten yards out. Or empty all 11 rounds center mass in less than two seconds up to five yards out. I can move and shoot without hesitation, deviation or repetition [too tight a group].

The 30SF fires a big ‘ole bullet with plenty o’ stopping power. It hasn’t malfed once through thousands of rounds firing any number of ammo brands. It’s easy to clean. I can use it at night (Trijicon sights). Hell I don’t even mind its form-follows-functions looks.

Bottom line: I bet my life on my Glock 30SF every day. And the life of my daughter. Not just when she’s with me. I depend on my gun to keep me alive so I can raise my youngest daughter, as I do, on my own.

I respect my Glock to infinitely [sic] and beyond. But I don’t love it. I love my Caracal.

You know how it feels the first time you hug an ideal lover/future owner of half of your [remaining] fortune? Not to get all sexual about it (much), the second you press together it’s like a key slotting into a lock. That’s how it feels everytime I wrap my hand around the C. It fits.

The Caracal C’s design places my hand towards the front of the gun; think of it as a mid-engined Glock. Call me a ballistic cyborg, but I become one with the gun. Point shooting? All day long. Left hand? Right hand? Look ma no hands! JK. But you get my drift.

Unlike the heavy-ass .45 caliber Glock that tries to put my pants on the ground (pants on the ground) the 9mm C sits on my hip like a parrot perching on a pirate’s shoulder. Without the poop.

Wait. This isn’t a gun review. It’s a love letter. Actually, it’s not that either. It’s a tragic tale of a gun owner and his ideal gun separated by . . . lawyers.

As some of you may recall, Caracal recalled the C. To wit this via carcacal-usa.com:

Caracal USA, LLC is advising its customers that it has determined that the production tolerances in the grip frames of a very limited number of Caracal F and C pistols could possibly cause these pistols to fire if dropped onto a hard surface with a round in the chamber.

I wouldn’t mind taking the risk on the drop safety issue. In theory. In practice, I can’t carry the C. If I deployed it during a defensive gun use the DA could find out that I knew the handgun was “defective” and carried it anyway. Not good.

Even worse: Caracal hasn’t sent me the coffin—I mean, posting box to send back the gun. So there she is, in my gun safe. Gazing upon her sleek sides is like looking at a loved one in a coma. We can’t hang out together. We can’t go out for a bite to eat or pick-up Lola from school. We can’t have fun at the range. We can’t dance. Oh, how we loved to dance!

Like a Lifetime movie, it gets even worserer.

In an effort to minimize the inconvenience to our customers, Caracal USA, LLC will exchange all affected pistols with brand new ones to avoid the delay associated with repairing and returning the pistols.

Shipment of these new replacement pistols is expected to begin in late December 2012, and to be completed by January 2013. Shipment of the replacement pistols will be made in the order in which the pistols were returned to Caracal USA, LLC.

Nooooooo! The trigger! OMG! The trigger!

Of all the things I love about the Caracal, her trigger tops the list. (Considering the joy and efficacy of her Quick Sights that’s saying something.) The C’s go-pedal’s got a short take-up, a light pull and then, well, let’s just say Nick Lowe would be smitten. As I am.

Was? Aye there’s the rub. Will the, gulp, new gun’s trigger be as responsive as the old gun’s? Will Caracal’s lawyers go one step further and force the gunmaker to increase the trigger pull and monkey around with the mechanicals so the C loses its sublime feedback and controllability?

If I didn’t have to I wouldn’t risk it. No. I’d keep this gun forever. Alas we must part. We were not meant to be, this Caracal and me. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

And here’s what I don’t tell her: I want her replacement. Bad. Like, now. Is that wrong of me? I suppose not. The C is, after all, just a gun. But I can’t help but feel . . . dirty. No, that’s not it. Horny.

Like I said, ew. Hey you asked. Didn’t you?

ALSO: Caracal USA tells me they’re introducing a .40 version of the C and F with Quick Sights at SHOT. And a carbine.

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32 COMMENTS

  2. * Sigh. *

    I still have my CQS locked up as well.

    I have not heard a single word from Caracal, after contacting them immediately when this all came about.

    I suppose I will not rush it, waiting eagerly to hear from others if the replacement Caracal trigger is better or worse.

    I know, some day, we will be re-united….. and I will hold her in my hands again….

    * Sigh *

    • Feelings, nothing more than feelings,
      Trying to forget my feelings of love.
      Teardrops rolling down on my face,
      Trying to forget my feelings of love.

      Feelings, for all my life I’ll feel it.
      I wish I’ve never met you, girl;
      You’ll Never Come Again.

      Feelings, wo-o-o feelings,
      Wo-o-o, feel you again in my arms.

      Feelings, feelings like I’ve never lost you
      And feelings like i’ve never have you
      Again in my heart.

    • Because the DA would more than likely try to convict you fr using an unsafe or modified firearm.
      Went through that crap after a DGU because I had a sawed off shotgun, even tho it was of legal length,etc per Federal regs. I had sawn it off myself so the DA was on that like pigeon shit on a statue!!

  4. You have my condolences. Enforced separation with your perfect gun should be a crime. I’m playing Halo 4 right now, and wonder what the Master Cheif’s reaction would be if his AI Cortana got recalled by her lab’s liability department.

  6. Well take the gun to the range empty. Have fun shooting it and than take it home empty. The dropping problem taken care of.

  7. This is similar to how I feel about my West German Police trade-in P7 PSP. When a handgun is right, it’s right. The difference is that someone is offering to fix your Caracal and it’s not even broken. My P7 probably cannot be fixed if/when it is broken. So you got that going for you.

    • Your P7 is one of the finest engineered pistols in the world (IMHO). I am always amazed at the simplicity of the design and how well all the little parts work together under the grips to make it all happen. I wish all pistols had as much time devoted to engineering as the HK P7.

      I still wish HK would do a new updated P7 using Polymer where possible to lighten it up a little. I would buy immediately.

  8. I feel your pain Robert. Mine wasn’t a gun, it was a car, but the saddness of having to say good by to it was worse than parting with most of the women in my life.

  9. I loooooooooved shooting that Caracal, but I wouldn’t own one until quality, reliability and customer service was proven over time. Guess what? The manufacturer has proven just the opposite.

    A modern pistol that’s not drop safe is hardly reliable, nor of high quality. And the customer service has been less than satisfactory. In fact, it’s been nonexistant. You’ve had that little cat in your gun safe for way too long, RF.

    The biggest crock is this: In an effort to minimize the inconvenience to our customers, Caracal USA, LLC will exchange all affected pistols with brand new ones to avoid the delay associated with repairing and returning the pistols.

    Avoid the delay? What a laugh! They’ve done nothing but delay. If they really intended to minimize their customers’ inconvenience, they would have handled the problem months ago. More likely, they spent the last couple of months struggling to find a way to fix the pistols, found out that they couldn’t repair them, so now they’re stuck.

  10. Not too off topic: Any word on the Caracal SC?
    THAT was the one I was hoping would bow at this years SHOT show….

    • Never mind, found it on their site:

      “Caracal will start the event by participating at SHOT Show Media Day at the RangeT, Monday, January 14, 2013 at the Boulder Pistol & Rifle Range, Boulder City, Nevada.

      Caracal will present its line of pistols, including the new Caracal F in Caliber .40 and the sub-compact model SC in 9mm. In addition, Caracal will introduce the CC10 carbine to the public. ”

      Can’t wait to hear your impressions of the lil’ guy…

  11. Here’s a thought: don’t return your caracal. Seriously. If you’re worried they’ll change the trigger, wait until they put the new models on the shelf and buy one then. If they change the trigger, you will now be the owner of one of the rare “pre-fix” 1st Gen caracals. Someday, some dude will trade you his kidney for your rare vintage. A new replacement caracal is $450. I say keep it.

  12. When I emailed them this week, I was given the option of full refund or replacement. I was pretty surprised by that.

    • I think that is noteworthy, sure waiting sucks, we hate it, but rather than try and jam the fix out badly, they are at least giving you that option.
      If their customer service is good, then I would call them a serious challenger.

  13. Such a sad story – but even so, the way you write is just too funny and I ended up laughing at your pain – sorry (and good luck).

  14. I am in the same boat, my C QS sits in the safe just waiting on a box to send it back. I am actually glad they are replacing the whole gun, however, as my extractor has problems giving me FTEs all too often. I was going to have to send it back for repair under warranty regardless.

  15. I know exactly how you feel, Robert. I own a lot of handguns and I enjoy shooting every single one of them. But there’s only two that I really love: My CZ-75b and my carry piece (Springfield EMP). Everything about those two guys is just perfect (to me) in the way they shoot and how they feel in my hand.

    I’d be heartbroken if I ever had to part with either of them.

  17. I’m taking my chances and keeping mine, and carrying it, until I hear back from someone who’s actually gotten the replacement that it’s every bit as good as the one I carry.

    In fact, I’m about to trade my XDm full size for an F.

  18. Spoke to customer service. Sent my Caracal C in in Feb. Checks should be out next week. BATF approval still waiting for the Caracal .40’s. Only chose refund as I needed the money, and I’d prefer the .40 of which I’ll soon get. Trigger and reset is excellent, less spongy than Glock. Low,low,low bore axis and clean smooth lines that I prefer over the blocky,chunky Steyr a1 series. Only negative for me was the rear sight is more narrow than I like. I don’t care where it’s made if it works well. Isn’t there a drop test provision in the German , NATO gun tests? Sleeper for sure…….

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