Calico Light Weapons Systems

Projects and operations

Calico was one of the largest manufacturers of large (50- and 100-round) magazines for automatic and semi-automatic weapons in 2011.

CLWS produced a line of pistols and pistol-caliber carbines that feature a top-mounted helical-feed 50- or 100-round magazine that ejects spent shells from a bottom port, making a brass catcher practical in various situations. Nine millimeter pistols, carbines and submachine guns use the roller-delayed blowback principle used in the Heckler & Koch series of firearms.

The Calico M950 is a pistol manufactured in the United States. Its main feature, along with all the other guns of the Calico system, is to feed from a proprietary helical magazine mounted on top, available in a 50 or 100-round capacity. The factory sights enable accuracy to about 60 meters (197 feet).

The Calico Liberty is a roller-delayed blowback-operated semi-automatic rifle (Liberty II) or pistol (Liberty III) chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum. These firearms use an unusual 50- or 100-round helical magazine 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 the trigger 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.