• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Guns Holsters And Gear

Guns Holsters And Gear

honest reviews and news on firearms

  • Home
  • Black Friday Gun Deals [2019]
  • SHOT Show 2019
  • Gun News
  • Reviews
    • Ammo
    • Books
    • Flashlights
    • Guns
    • Hearing Protection
    • Holsters
    • Knives
    • Survival Gear
  • Resources
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Review Policy
    • Site Index

Caracal CAR 816

You are here: Home / Rifles / Caracal CAR 816

by: Richard Johnson 2 Comments

The Caracal Assault Rifle 816, or CAR 816, is a piston-operated M-4 type carbine that was introduced earlier this year.  The gun uses a two-position gas port for normal operation and suppressed shooting.  Rate of fire is listed as 850 rpm. (Ed. note:  See the September 2013 update at the bottom of the article regarding the gas port and rate of fire.)

Caracal CAR 816

The CAR 816 is chambered in 5.56 NATO and comes in three barrel lengths:  10″, 14.5″ and 16″.  The barrels are chrome lined and cold hammer forged from chromolybdenum steel.  The barrel uses a 1:7″ twist.

The barrels are threaded, and come with a “standard muzzle break [sic].”  From the photos, it appears the muzzle device is a standard A2 type birdcage flash hider.  Of course, with so many different muzzle devices on the market today, it is hard to say for certain from the photos alone.

According to Caracal, the rifle comes with a magazine release on the right side of the receiver, but an ambidextrous option is available.  The gun uses STANAG-compliant magazines, and ships with a 30 round mag.  The rifle is shown with a PMAG, but it is not known if Magpul magazines ship with the gun, or more pedestrian USGI mags.

Caracal calls the 816 a “modular assault rifle” due to the fact that it is equipped with “standard interfaces” for the buttstock and pistol grip.  A four-position, adjustable buttstock is standard.  Some images of the stock show a M-4 style stock, while others show a different stock.  It is unclear which stock will whip on production rifles.

Caracal CAR 816

The rifle is equipped with a quad-rail fore end and a Picatinny rail upper.  Folding sights are standard, which should work well with an optic like the Trijicon ACOG.

There is no information at this time regarding any plans for a semi-automatic version of this rifle being made for the civilian market.  While shown abroad, the rifle is noticeably absent from the Caracal USA website.  Additionally, the carbine was not shown at the 2013 SHOT Show.  It will be interesting to see if this rifle is on display at the SHOT Show in 2014.

CAR-816

CAR Assault Rifle

CAR 816 carbine

September 2013 Update

Caracal changed the rate of fire to 780 rounds per minute – down from the previous 850.  No reason was given for the change, but it likely was done to improve reliability.

Additionally, the gas port is now listed as having four positions:  normal, silencer hi, silencer lo, and off.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Most Read Articles

  • SHOT Show 2019 - New Guns, Rumors & News
    SHOT Show 2019 - New Guns, Rumors & News
  • Taurus 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver: .38, .357 and 9mm
    Taurus 692 Multi-Caliber Revolver: .38, .357 and 9mm
  • Am I Required to Apply a Serial Number to a Homemade Firearm?
    Am I Required to Apply a Serial Number to a Homemade Firearm?
  • Smith & Wesson M&P 9EZ Shield
    Smith & Wesson M&P 9EZ Shield
  • Welcome to GunsHolstersAndGear.com
    Welcome to GunsHolstersAndGear.com
  • Ruger EC9s - A New Inexpensive 9mm for Concealed Carry
    Ruger EC9s - A New Inexpensive 9mm for Concealed Carry
  • DeWalt AR-15 Nail Gun: Great Gag!
    DeWalt AR-15 Nail Gun: Great Gag!
  • Taurus Spectrum Review: Not Ready for Prime Time
    Taurus Spectrum Review: Not Ready for Prime Time
  • Smith & Wesson Model 66 Review: The Modern Combat Magnum
    Smith & Wesson Model 66 Review: The Modern Combat Magnum
  • Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Holster List
    Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Holster List

About Us…

GunsHolstersAndGear.com provides honest shooting gear reviews and only the most interesting news coverage on the firearms industry. My annual SHOT Show coverage is among the best in the industry.

Click here to read more about the site and writers.

Copyright © 2019 GunsHolstersAndGear.com
GunsHolstersAndGear.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com