 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms |
| Founded | October 1982 (1982-10) |
| Defunct | 2024 |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Firearms,Magazines,Speed loaders, other firearm accessories |
| Website | www.calicolightweaponsystems.com |
Calico Light Weapons Inc. (CLWS) was an American privately heldmanufacturing company based inElgin, Oregon, that designs, develops and manufactures semiautomatic firearms. It was established in 1982 inBakersfield, California, and released its first production weapon in 1985. In 1998 its operations were moved toSparks, Nevada, where replacement parts for existing weapons were produced.[1]
In 2006, it was sold once again and moved to Hillsboro, Oregon, where full firearm production resumed. It implemented aCNC machining process and upgraded materials used in manufacture. There were also minor redesigns of some production models to increase durability and reliability.
The company went out of business in 2024.
Calico was one of the largest manufacturers of large (50- and 100-round) magazines for automatic and semi-automatic weapons in 2011.[1]
CLWS produced a line ofpistols and pistol-calibercarbines that feature a top-mountedhelical-feed 50- or 100-round magazine that ejects spent shells from a bottom port, making abrass catcher practical in various situations. Nine millimeter pistols, carbines and submachine guns use theroller-delayed blowback principle used in theHeckler & Koch series of firearms.[1][2]
TheCalico M950 is apistol manufactured in the United States. Its main feature, along with all the other guns of the Calico system, is to feed from a proprietaryhelical magazine mounted on top, available in a 50 or 100-round capacity.[2] The factory sights enable accuracy to about 60 meters (197 feet).
The Calico Liberty is a roller-delayed blowback-operatedsemi-automatic rifle (Liberty II) orpistol (Liberty III) chambered for the9 mm Parabellum. Thesefirearms use an unusual 50- or 100-roundhelicalmagazine that allow for a large number of rounds in a relatively compact and convenient package. The spent cartridges are discharged in an unusual fashion as well: downward, ahead of thetrigger guard. This makes it relatively easy to fit an effective device to catch the cartridge cases, which can then be reloaded. A full-automatic (machine gun) version was available for military, police, and other government agencies.
At the 2012SHOT Show, Calico exhibited a prototype 12-gauge shotgun with top-mounted helical magazine.
Current
Discontinued
Cancelled