IWI CSR18 Carmel non restricted rifle with 18.6” Barrel

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IWI Carmel non restricted rifle with 18.6” Barrel. 2499 is a pretty decent price. It has been out in 2023 it is good to see it here finally

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/2023-shot-show-iwi-carmel-sa.2344989/

IWI CARMEL SA - 2023 Q2 release, MSPR about the same as X95

Americanized - Changeable Pistol Grip, M-lok longer straight forward handguard without the weird funky tuna fish styling. Excellent ergonomic fixes from US input. Bore to optic heigh is still a bit higher than say CZ Bren.

SCAR manual of arms.

Excellent out of the box trigger - big surprise from IWI but this is on par with CZ Bren. Nothing even close to X95. Better than Stock AR.

Double ejection bolt design.

I am a buyer.[\quote]
 
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Back in 2023 shot show I got to handle the American version it had one of the best out of the box trigger. It looks a bit clunky in picture, but it is not as bad in real life. I got to open my wallet for one of these.
 
There is an awful lot of "girth" in that Receiver set. Bigger generally means heavier, although with Polymer components that may not be the case. Still, it is awfully "Chunky" through the middle which has me wondering why? Why design a rifle that looks as woefully ugly as this one?

Normally I am down for anything semi-auto centerfire so long as it's reliable and reasonably accurate. That said, I am having a very tough time working up any anticipation nor excitement for this particular offering. I would much rather try (and will), the Makasi Rifle when it delivers later this Summer. The Makasi provides an interesting new blend of influences and features that the IWI Carmel does not.
 
Looks "Future Warfare" chunky. I like the Taipan style and less likely to get a ban. Hope I'm wrong about that, assuming it got an FRT and that 'remains' w-o revision.
 
There is an awful lot of "girth" in that Receiver set. Bigger generally means heavier, although with Polymer components that may not be the case. Still, it is awfully "Chunky" through the middle which has me wondering why? Why design a rifle that looks as woefully ugly as this one?

Normally I am down for anything semi-auto centerfire so long as it's reliable and reasonably accurate. That said, I am having a very tough time working up any anticipation nor excitement for this particular offering. I would much rather try (and will), the Makasi Rifle when it delivers later this Summer. The Makasi provides an interesting new blend of influences and features that the IWI Carmel does not.
Reminds me a lot of the Beretta ARX100/160 rifles, not sure if it is required but it seems most polymer short stroke piston designs all end up kind of chunky for some reason.

The Makasi does seem more innovative and new, but the Caramel looks to be just a different updated AR180 short stroke piston design.

It is interesting for being a polymer rifle, but meh.
 
Are these being mil issued? A big one up on the makasi if so

How so? Until somebody does side-by-side testing to destruction of a reasonable sample size, we will likely never know which is the "better" rifle. "Better" is a relative term anyways - entirely dependent upon the priority and value assigned to each rifle's performance, features and characteristics.

I don't need all of that to substantiate one rifle over the next. If I want both, I will eventually buy both. The Makasi as produced to date, has received sufficiently positive reviews from the likes of "Small Arms Solutions" that I am confident it is a solid platform that will provide many, many years of reliable and accurate performance as a general utility rifle, a livestock loss-prevention tool, as a competition rifle and as a general plinker.

I suspect that the exact same favourable things could be said of the IWI Carmel if one were inclined to defend it over the Makasi. I am not so inclined, given the lack of aesthetic appeal of the Caramel and the poor cost to value ratio of polymer-framed rifles in general.

Military adoption and/or use in combat is highly over-rated as an indicator of satisfactory performance, IMO. To begin with, military firearms tend to get carried far more often than they are fired in both training and in "anger". The quality of individual operator maintenance has a significant bearing on the reliability, accuracy and longevity of military small arms. In my personal experience as an Infantry soldier of 30(+) years, military service is far more a testament to a rifle's durability than any other particular attribute. At the end of the day, most armies treat their small arms like any other tool, not as prized, personal possessions.
 
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Another possible consideration for the Carmel is that a lot of the components are said to be proprietary. So you can't really swap things out if you want to, and sourcing parts might be a problem. Meanwhile the Makasi takes AR Triggers, uses an AR bolt, and has a pic interface for the stock, which makes it a bit more customizable and easier to maintain.
 
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