Well all this AR piston talk, my AK fetish, and the fact that the legislature of Colorado is hell bent on pushing through an AWB this year prompted me to order a PWS Mod1 assembled lower last night. The MK116 upper will be purchased later. Considering my satisfaction with my 516, I certainly don’t need it but I have always wanted one in 556 (I have the 308 rifle) and it will be interesting to compare the long stroke to the short stroke systems….
I would get the Caracal. It intrigues me because it was designed by one of the designers of the HK416 and is supposedly an improved version. It is definitely lighter than the HK416 uppers. I believe that the Caracals for sale in the US are partially manufactured in the US and have a different barrel than the ones made in the United Arab Emirates. For some reason I don't think that the made in USA version has a hammer forged barrel like the version made in the UAE.
If I were looking to buy one of these I might just go for the 11.5" upper to run with my SBR lower.
I already have 2 old school HK416 Uppers--one with a 10.5" barrel and another with a 14.5" barrel. I ran the 10.5" barrel in a Pat Rogers class. The 14.5" HK416 upper now has an S&B 1.1-4 power Short Dot as its optic.
This was an HK family picture taken in 2014 before I got an HK P30L and several versions of the VP9.
Attachment 116521
Just the 11.5”, they don’t sell a piston .300 at this time.Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleLebowski
Their mil/LE discount is generous, I've got this on the way.
https://caracalusa.com/product/car81...omplete-upper/
Also, if you want one, just call them. Really easy to work with.Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleLebowski
Whoa. That is a generous discount. I love it when the programs include us lowly honorably discharged vets who didn't stay in long enough to retire. Pretty much the only veteran benefit I got was my VA loan for my first house. I may just jump on one of those uppers and throw it on my legacy LMT lower.
Does anyone know for sure if the civilian Caracal rifles have cold hammer forged barrels like the military ones? I can’t find a definitive answer online. The website doesn’t state that they are CHF barrels and I feel like that’s a desirable enough feature that they’d be prominently displaying it if they did have CHF barrels.
I don’t think so, I’d recommend calling them.Quote:
Originally Posted by WobblyPossum
I got my Caracal 816 running yesterday and I’m honestly extremely impressed. I only shot one mag using the piston’s normal or 1 setting, then I remembered to switch to Suppressed or the 3 setting, fired off a forty round mag. No issues whatsoever on either setting and the no gas to the face thing is amazing.
Adjusting the piston is very easy to do one handed. Unlike other piston guns of this sort, the weapon is light and slim, and yet does not have the heavier HK416-like recoil impulse. I’m extremely impresssed with this upper and the Eotech Vudu 1-10 SR5 I bought for it. Daylight bright, bright nice FFP scope, quick to adjust.
Attachment 117063
Sweet setup! I found that with my 516, the gas adjustment is easy to turn when clean but after a couple hundred rounds or so becomes crusted with carbon so it requires a tool to adjust. I have tried using anti-sieze on the threads but seen no affect. Wonder if they have solved this issue (if it really is an issue) on the most recent evolution of the design?Quote:
Originally Posted by LittleLebowski
I got my PWS about the same time and am likewise extremely impressed.