[IDEX 2021] Caracal from the United Arab Emirates

The past year, and the beginning of the current one, has seen plenty of in-person events being canceled due to the pandemic. The organizers of IDEX and NAVDEX, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, decided instead to put in place rigorous health protocols and still welcome the biggest players of the defense industry. Here we’ll first see the products of Caracal, the local firearm manufacturer, part of the Edge Group ( formerly EDIC).

The main reveals were an updated semiauto pistol and a completely new semiauto precision rifle. However, an interesting chat with the R&D engineers manning the area allowed TFB to dig into some further details on existing platforms.

All of the above examples have in common the fact of being manufactured by companies with relatively small output, they are therefore quite rare. A company with the resources of the Edge Group, committing to developing and distributing such a rifle can really leave a mark.

Let’s look at the rifle now.

Technical Specifications:

The advanced prototype presented at the show is an AR-style rifle built around a piston-driven system with rotating bolt, suitably sized to handle the magnum caliber. The weapon is designed to allow reliable operation when suppressed and over the gas port, it features a two-position push selector that easily switches between normal (N) and silenced (S) modes.

In order to keep the profile of the handguard slim and contain the overall weight, the full trunnion area has been redesigned compared to common AR-derived approaches. How exactly this has been accomplished was not revealed at IDEX, as it’s being patented. Close inspection of the area between the upper receiver and handguard, however, shows what appears as steel tabs, possibly working together with other elements hidden by the bottom cover. This component, currently manufactured by SLS 3D printing, also protects an ARCA rail.

Developing a firearm in the UAE means having direct experience with heat, humidity, and very fine sand. The designers put quite some effort into reducing to the minimum the potential for sand getting inside the action. The dust cover on the ejection port is spring-loaded to stay closed shut, while the slot the non-reciprocating charging handle rides in has internal skirts covering the opening. Likely a solution similar to the one on the right side of the Galil ACE.

The magazine is proprietary, it rocks-in AK-style and locks the bolt open after the last round is fired. Stock, grip, and sights are off-the-shelf items. The muzzle brake, shared by the CSR338 bolt action, allows the installation of a QD suppressor that we’ll see below.

While developed primarily for military use, the CSA338 is also supposed to reach the civilian market. If it manages to keep its promises at an acceptable price range, it can be a winner for Caracal.

It would be really interesting to see how the system behaves under strenuous use and when dirty. Hopefully, Caracal will look into manufacturing it in their American branch for the civilian market. Surely here someone would love to put it to the test.

The internal design of the silencer is supposedly fairly standard with stacked baffles, either of steel or aluminum alloy depending if rated for full auto or not. The external surface with rectangular divots is patented as well, as a means to increase the cooling surface.

Despite the mostly metal stock, the CSR338 still claims the title of lightest rifle in its class at 6.35 kg (14 lbs), according to Caracal. The thick rubber padding on the buttstock helps to deal with the consequences of the low weight.