"Give me a job," I said, "for I am a renegade among my kind and my saber is wet with the blood of my cousin."
R. Kipling. Kim
Weapons and firms. A material about CAR 816 carbines has just appeared on the pages of "VO", which caused numerous comments. Therefore, it is not surprising that today we will continue such an entertaining topic. However, we will start not so much with weapons as with the history of India in general.
This country is very rich. No wonder it was called the pearl of the British crown. But at the same time, it is also a very poor country, where 75% of the population still does not pay taxes. And that's a lot. As of October 2019, India was home to 1.3 billion people, one sixth of the world's population. On the other hand, India has managed to create its own nuclear weapons and has very difficult relations with its neighbors: Pakistan and China. Therefore, India has a large army, which its government is constantly trying to provide with modern weapons.
The British, when they owned India, very skillfully used the knowledge of its culture and customs in their own interests. For example, during the famous sepoy uprising, many Indians remained loyal to the English Sahibs, and fiercely fought for their interests, shedding the blood of their brothers without a twinge of conscience. So with weapons, the situation is the same as in the distant past: a lot is bought not because it is better or cheaper, but according to the principle “you are for me, I am for you,” that is, the right people are “respected”, appropriate “gifts are made "- practically nothing has changed here since the time of R. Kipling's novel" Kim ". Bribery in India has been the norm since the days of British rule: after serving 25 years in Delhi, British sergeants returned home to England as millionaires. True, now the country is actively fighting this evil. However, what is more important? Process or result? On "VO", this issue was also considered, for example, in the material "More on corruption in Indian arms deals" dated April 1, 2014), however, be that as it may in reality, a very high price for the machine guns of the company "Karakal" cannot but be alarming. But what this weapon is, we will just tell you today.
For starters, Caracal International, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is the regional leader in the production of small arms. “We manufacture high-quality next-generation firearms on state-of-the-art machine tools,” says the company's brochure, “using some of the world's finest CNC machines, quality control equipment and molding technology for metal and plastic parts. Every step of our manufacturing process guarantees high quality and that all our products comply with strict international standards such as NATO."
At the same time, the company is in constant creative search. According to the names of its managers, this is the only way to succeed in the modern arms business. Clients change, requirements change, technologies change.
“We are constantly improving our weapons so that they are constantly in line with the changing requirements of our customers. As a result, our products enable those on the firing line to have the firepower they require to succeed in whatever operations they envision.”
The CAR 816 rifle, also called the Caracal Sultan or simply the Sultan, is an automatic assault rifle chambered for 5, 56 × 45 NATO cartridges. The name "Sultan" was given to her in memory of the Colonel of the United Arab Emirates Sultan Mohammed Ali al-Kitbi, who died in battle during the Saudi intervention in Yemen.
The CAR 816 rifle, like many modern weapon systems, is also assembled from a pine forest, that is, in it you can find "a Russian hat, and Japanese boots, and American socks and tight Spanish trousers" - everything is like in the song from the Indian movie " Mr. 420 ".
After the American "arches" (AR) have spread across the planet, they, probably, are not released only except perhaps by the laziest gunsmith. Often they only differ from the base AR-15 with the emblem on the magazine receiver! Well, someone will put a different-shaped cover on the hole to remove the sleeves, someone will think of making grooves for the fingers on the same magazine receiver or expanding its neck, as the Arabs did on the CAR 816, but, in principle, some special there are very few differences from the "arch". Well, except that the direct exhaust gas is replaced by a piston mechanism.
It contains the features of the Adcor Defense B. E. A. R. Elite Tactical Carbine, Barret REC7, Colt CM901, and, of course, many design solutions taken from the German Heckler & Koch HK416 rifle. Which is also not surprising at all, by the way, since the main developers of the CAR 816 were Robert Hirt and Chris Sirua. Moreover, the former was instrumental in the development of the HK416, and then was hired by SIG Sauer to work with SIG engineer Chris Sirua on an improved version of the HK416 - the SIG Sauer SIG516 rifle. Hirta and Sirua were then invited by Caracal to design a rifle superior to both the HK416 and the SIG516. So they went from rifle to rifle and eventually made the model "816", which immediately entered service with the army of the United Arab Emirates.
The CAR 816 had a predecessor, the CAR 814, which was produced with three barrel lengths: a compact assault rifle with a 267 mm barrel, a carbine with a 368 mm barrel, and finally an assault rifle with a 406 mm barrel. Three types of fire: single, automatic, semi-automatic. Small weight - 3.05 kg without magazine. Outwardly, the rifle is very similar to the American M4, but in fact it is its analogue.
Well, CAR 816 was first shown to representatives of the Ministry of Defense of the Emirates in 2013, and to the general public in 2015, so today it is no longer the most modern example of small arms.
But on it, as already noted, the designers had to work more, so it even looks somewhat different outwardly. But the automation is traditional: a gas piston system with a short stroke. There is an adjustable gas valve with three positions. The first position for working in normal conditions. The second position is for unfavorable conditions, when using low impulse ammunition or when the system is dirty. The third position is for normal operation, but with the muffler installed. The rifle is available with barrels of different lengths, similar to the previous model, from very short for PDW (personal self-defense weapons) weapons and up to a carbine with a 406-mm barrel inclusive.
The CAR 817DMR rifle is also available. This is a sniper high-precision semi-automatic rifle, in all respects identical to all other systems that have gas-operated automation and a rotating bolt. Uses cartridge 7, 62x51 mm NATO (.308 Win). Meals are provided from 10, 20 or 25-charger magazines.
The CAR 816 is equipped with a telescopic stock that can be adjusted in length. There are 6 lockable positions. A similar buttstock is used on the Barret REC7 rifle.
The rifle has a full-length Picatinny rail, which allows you to install a lot of all kinds of accessories on it. Among them are collimator and night vision sights, laser designators, tactical flashlights, handgrips, bipods. However, it is unlikely that the Indian side will buy all this. The standard is the complete set of the rifle with a set of two removable folding sighting devices. With them, the effective range of fire is about 500 meters. The bullet speed is 850 m / s, the maximum rate of fire is 750-950 rounds per minute, practical - 40-100.
