Last week I talked about the Goncz auto pistol. This time we will take a peak at the Calico. This one was one of the more radical ideas for the 1980s and one I handled quite a bit back in the day. The pistol fed from a helical mag attached to the top and ejected from the bottom. You could get them in 50 or 100 rounds. I didn’t find it to be very handy or easy to use and not at all reliable. But it looked cool to a lot of people.

They made some variants in .22 long rifle. I handled one of those as well but never shot it. Other offerings were some carbines and submachine guns. You don’t hear much about them anymore but they actually still exist and make products.

American Made Calico firearms incorporate the Helical Feed System with the option of using a 50 or 100 round drum magazine. Even fully loaded with the 100 round capacity, in the 9mm versions, they are lighter than the UZI or MP-5. The Helical feed magazine can be loaded and stored indefinitely without spring fatigue, and with the Calico speed loader, the 50 round magazine can be loaded from an open box of ammo in less than 15 seconds and 30 seconds for 100 rounds

Both the pistol and carbine have virtually no muzzle climb, even with rapid firing. Spent cases are ejected straight down in front of the trigger guard for close quarter operation. This is very important in a combat or law enforcement tactical operation as shells ejecting to the right give away your position. A fully ambidextrous safety, a static charging handle with no external moving parts, and a comfortable nylon web sling offer superior handling of the Liberty III pistol and the Liberty series. All models field strip in a few seconds without tools and feature an adjusted front sight for windage and elevation. The Liberty III pistol is comparable in weight to a big bore pistol, except the Liberty III pistol has 50 rounds of ammunition.

The Liberty I and II carbines have a comfortable sliding steel butt stock that locks solidly into position for added accuracy. A full length, glass filled polymer butt stock is available.

The bolt is a delayed blowback type similar to the ones used on the MP-5 sub machine gun, except ours was specifically designed for the 9mm cartridge and is significantly smaller and lighter. It is manufactured from high strength, heat treated, S-7 tool steel that easily withstands shock, wear and corrosive fouling. The bolt, striker, springs, and buffer drop out of the receiver as a single unit with no loose parts.

As exciting as the 9mm Calico firearms are, don’t forget about our line of .22 firearms! All models feature a lightweight aluminum alloy frame and helical feed magazine, which are available in 50 round and 100 round capacities and can be stored fully loaded indefinitely without spring fatigue. The magazines are constructed of space age, high impact, fiber reinforced, and thermoplastic – the same material used in the 9mm series. The M-100 carbine has perfect balance… The placement of the magazine puts the center of gravity above the recoil, which counteracts muzzle lift and improves accuracy.

If you liked plinking with a semi-auto .22 when you were a kid, then you’ll love taking one of our M-100 series .22s on your next camping trip or weekend at the range! TIN CANS BEWARE!! All our products are Made in America

Since it was a unique looking gun and anti-gun Hollywood loves them some cool looking guns, it showed up in several action movies.

Like the Goncz, the Calico is in Total Recoil. In perhaps the saddest point of the film, it kills the hooker with three tits.

My favorite film to feature the Calico is the Sci-Fi action classic, I Come In Peace. A fun action film about an alien drug dealer.