r/canadaguns • u/yummybunnybear • May 25 '26
Buy recommendations Makasi, Carmel, Both, or Neither?
Both non-restricted 5.56 short-stroke gas piston semiauto accepting Stanag mags. Both taking orders with similar delivery dates. What is your choice and your reasons?
Edit: So to summarize what y'all are saying: - Makasi for AR aesthetics and compatibility, - Carmel for reliability, - Both if you hate money, - Neither because of potential bans.
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u/CLIMAXJONES May 26 '26
Im a neither guy . I know I’ll get dogged for saying this but until things are a little more stable I don’t have an extra 5K to gamble on two more possible safe queens . If they don’t ban these, awesome I can pick up the one with better reviews in a year .
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May 26 '26
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u/CLIMAXJONES May 26 '26
Yes I absolutely agree with you . It will never be “enough” for them . The good news is it seems that tide of public support for the gun confiscation program is at an all time low and the recent shootings in Sarina and the GTA have highlighted how many crime guns come from the states not legal hun owners. I think things will get so bad economically in this country that we will not have the stomach to spend even more on guy back backs and public safety measures that are just virtue signalling.
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u/Top_Importance6216 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
This doomer mentality is equivalenty tiresome.
If another person tells me I should do the semi auto conversion on my MRA rifles "cuz dey gonna get banned eventually" ill shit on their shoes.
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May 26 '26
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u/jwubadubdub May 26 '26
Provost is just the face/puppet/patsy
The true driving force is Marxism
If you're not dooming even a little at this point, you're either deeply asleep or retarded
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u/Prudent-Homework6245 May 27 '26
Calling an oligarchical system “Marxism” will always make me laugh
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u/jwubadubdub May 27 '26
Every marxist system in history produced a protected ruling class. Oligarchs existing at the top of the hierarchy is entirely consistent with how marxism repeatedly manifests in practice.
The pattern is collectivist rhetoric, censorship, disarmament, erosion of traditional structures, centralized control, then a politically protected elite living above the rules imposed on everyone else.
Modern oligarchs using marxist frameworks and tactics to build a surveillance-heavy quasi-feudal system fits that historical pattern.
Surprised you can laugh without choking on sand 🙂
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u/Cableguy613 May 26 '26
No dogging here, you made the right call. These will be banned. It is what it is.
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Jun 11 '26
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u/No_Promise_9803 May 26 '26
Team Makasi for AR components compatibility
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u/CanadianOcto May 26 '26
Team Makasi because I already placed an order and I'm too lazy to refund
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u/Flafson May 26 '26
I emailed the store I ordered from and they were happy to switch my preorder from Makasi to Carmel. No need to refund or anything else.
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u/Acc4Wtf May 26 '26
Yet ppl will cry about Tenda's service lol I don't get it, they're one of the best stores we've got and their customer service is stellar. Not saying you're crying about them btw just sharing your sentiment that they're easy to deal with.
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u/Aggressive_Leading31 May 28 '26
Rudest service I’ve ever had in my adult life. They acted like I was the worst person they ever met for buying a shotgun from them in person
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u/Ok-Regret6767 May 27 '26
Which parts are compatible?
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u/No_Promise_9803 May 28 '26
Barrel, trigger, bolt, grip, safety as far as I know
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u/Bloody_Leaches May 28 '26
Would you keep the makasi stick or switch out the trigger?
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u/No_Promise_9803 May 28 '26
I got a Triggertech Duty 3.5 lbs trigger for the Makasi
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u/Bloody_Leaches May 28 '26
Thanks will check it out! I will prob try the stock trigger for a bit before switching out
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
The Carmel looks SO much bigger than it should be and slightly out of proportion. The Makasi takes the cake on looks alone. It uses some AR parts and has had a decent track record state side.
Also any review that I’ve watched where the Makasi HAS given any issue, Brigade arms seems to be really on point with answering their phone and emails and getting things set straight.
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
Honestly I think they both look ugly but I'm going to get both eventually lol
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
I put a stock photo of it into Gemini and changed out the stock and added some things I’d be putting on it and it becomes REALLY nice.
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u/Agile-Delay-8770 May 26 '26
Is it possible if you could share the photo. I preordered the Makasi as well and looking to see what some possibilities are.
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
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u/Agile-Delay-8770 May 26 '26
Oh lord. That first one. Put a light with a tape switch on the vertical grip. Maybe a pec if you got night vision. Wish we had real suppressors but I’m sure you could get a faux suppressor for the aesthetic. I’m pretty sure surefire makes some flash hiders that don’t act as suppressors but look the same or something.
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
Yeah so Gemini isn’t full proof and wouldn’t let me use the TNA flash hider faux suppressor thingy, but you get the idea of what it would look like. In my opinion the Carmel doesn’t even come close.
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u/Agile-Delay-8770 May 26 '26
Are those surefire blast regulators legal in Canada? I’m not able to find much info.
Edit: nvm it is.
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u/to0tyfruity May 26 '26
Share it
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
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u/to0tyfruity May 26 '26
Okay that definately looks better than the iwi. I cant find what kind of stock you used for your image. Closest i found is the f5 gen 2 modular stock but still looks different.
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u/IndiscreetTreat May 26 '26
B&T Apc telescopic stock, they’re like 700 bucks and finding a 1913 adapter for them in Canada is a bitch 🥲
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u/to0tyfruity May 26 '26
dude that is so expensive, the magpul one is like 300 lol.....
and it isnt picatinny 1913
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u/Acc4Wtf May 26 '26
The Carmel has recently gone for $999-$1200 USD in the states, meanwhile the Makasi goes for about $1700 USD... The Carmel is $2500 CAD and the Makasi is $2400. Do what you will with that information. Oh and that chunk of plastic Carmel weighs 8.3lbs without a mag.
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
That premium goes towards FAL silhouette. Not firearm quality, MAC did reviews on both. I don’t think either one is far superior than the other.
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u/zaphodbssecondhead May 26 '26
I’ve shot a Carmel and it’s not great by any means. The premium on the Makasi isn’t that it’s an FAL hybrid that’s just the price. The Carmel is significantly cheaper because it has low demand due to its constant hiccups and can’t sell at a higher price.
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
What are the hiccups and why was it not great?
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u/zaphodbssecondhead May 26 '26
Jammy, charging handle that gets stuck, bad trigger that’s proprietary, feels weird to shoot which only will be worse with an 18.6” barrel.
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
Why would a non reciprocal charging handle stuck? When did you shoot it? What Ammon were you using? Was it silenced? I like to trust you but a 2 stage 5 pound trigger is bad? What do you consider excellent?
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u/zaphodbssecondhead May 26 '26
The charging handle gets stuck when a case jams, how else. It’s not about trigger weight it’s about trigger feel and the feel it’s about as good as an Ak or slightly nicer than an sks. I don’t care if you trust me or not. That’s your issue.
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
Ok. So keep it to yourself and buy the gun you like then. Do you think your opinions with no evidence or facts, just your feelings would matter to others? Are you that entitled?
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u/CurlyWurly61 May 26 '26
I can't get over how LARGE and bulky the Carmel is.... plus the fact that its fully polymer
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u/jollygreengiant1655 May 26 '26
If that polymer is capable of handling the worst conditions you could think of in military use, I'm pretty sure it will hold up to plinking on the range and a few hunting trips just fine.
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u/CurlyWurly61 May 26 '26
To each their own, personally it's already built like an oversized Nerf gun and the polymer adds to the mix lol
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u/jollygreengiant1655 May 26 '26
I think at this point that's the only way we are going to get a new semi auto rifle. Anything less and it will be called an AR derivative by our overlords and banned
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u/GodsGiftToWrenching May 26 '26
Now I did trust the Bren 2's plastic lower because... well from the Ukrainian war footage they seem to hold up well in warfare, but the rest of the arm is metal not plastic, where as the Carmel seems to be mainly plastic, so I'd be going with the Makasi
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
IWI plastics are metal reinforced. That’s why the plastic actually weighs more. Have you seen the disassembly of both? Carmel is so easy and tool free , I felt it was easier than sks.
I think Makasi really wins the game when it comes to aftermarket parts but I won’t keep spending on my semis, at least for now.
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u/Flafson May 26 '26
Fully ambi (I'm a lefty), looks better and by IWI. I had an order for the Makasi but I asked the store to switch it to the Carmel.
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u/Agonizing-Stroke1812 May 26 '26
Neither, no one would bat an eye at these if you could still buy AR15s. I also don't have a need for more guns that I can't shoot, and these are blatantly obvious targets for the next round.
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u/suckmeupp May 26 '26
I pre-ordered the Carmel over the Makasi for these reasons
Aesthetically I do like the Makasi more but from a reliability aspect I rather choose the more proven gun.
Firstly, iwi is a much more reputable then brigade manufacturing. Iwi has literally spent millions of dollars in research and development to make the Carmel as it was made for a military contract bid that didn't end up coming to fruition the Carmel has been around a lot longer than the Makasi so it has a lot more reviews and it's been tested a lot more. Yes, there are proprietary parts to the Carmel so you're not going to have as much flexibility as you would with the Makasi.
But the most important thing for me was if I'm spending $2,500 on a rifle I want it to be proven. And the Carmel gives me a lot more confidence in that aspect than the Makasi.
Again, I'm not saying the Makasi is a bad gun. But because reliability is most important to me, I chose the Carmel.
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u/King-Conn May 26 '26
Exactly. If SHTF I wanna be able to rely on my firearm with 0 doubts. IWI just takes the cake for now, until the Makasi has been around and abused long enough for me to trust it 100%
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u/Last-End-6508 11d ago
If SHTF let’s be honest are you gonna choose the giant nerf gun that’s “proven” or grab your SKS? Makasi may not be battle proven yet but the build quality is definitely there. 7LB all metal. It’s meant to last a lot longer than polymer
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
If you are planning to spend some more on bubba up your gun, Makasi is your cup of tea.
If you want great reliability and accuracy out of factory, Carmel is so much better.
I prefer Carmel for two reason:
I don’t plan on swapping out the trigger bolt barrel cause I simply don’t want to spend more on a risky spending.
I don’t think couple of Americans with a few CNC machine is better at gun manufacturing than a arsenal that’s been supplying firearms for active military actions for decades.
Your money, your choice, don’t let others make the choice for you.
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u/KalashnikovParty May 26 '26
Imo the Carmel is probably far superior to the Masaki. Regardless of political stance one thing that is undeniable is IWI’s excellent track record of developing and designing extremely reliable and durable firearms.
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u/jollygreengiant1655 May 26 '26
Yeah honestly IWI's track record of reliability would push me towards that option. Let some other guys try the Makasi out first
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u/GodsGiftToWrenching May 26 '26
Honestly seeing how the Makasi has been on the US market for awhile now, that's more than enough evidence for me. The canadian 180's wouldn't have lasted a couple months on the US market, if a PSA AR can work better than anything made here then that's a solid benchmark. And from what I've heard doing barrel swaps and part chamges on the Carmel is an absolute pain compaired to the Makasi which is really similar to the AR and has a decent amount of parts compatability
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u/Alternative_Two475 May 30 '26
Imo you are probably incorrect. Rifles can only be so reliable, and by all accounts the Makasi is incredibly reliable to the point that the Carmel cannot possibly be "far superior". Iwi's record of reliability and durability above all else has resulted in a bulky, outsized rifle weighing 8.3 lbs unloaded! The all-metal Makasi at least has a compact form-factor to go with it's proven reliability and AR15 Trigger, Bolt and Barrel compatibility....
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u/cdn_sentry117 May 26 '26
I decided to order both. They both have good reviews down south. But most importantly, I would rather have a rifle, even if it becomes banned, than never have had the rifle at all.
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u/Cre_AK47 Name Prohibited by OIC May 26 '26
I'm waiting at least a year until they iron out any problems it may have and it doesn't get OIC banned this December from our favorite professional victim.
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u/DougMacRay617 May 26 '26
The makasi has been around for years, there is nothing to iron out. And waiting a year isn't gonna do anything. You could wait a year, buy it then it gets banned.
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u/Gunny7707 May 26 '26
Carmel looks chunky compared to the Makasi.
That said, IWI does make some reliable guns.
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u/lunchbawkz Pineapple is the best pizza topping fight me May 26 '26
I ordered both, but recognizing I ran into a lot more disposable income than I ever normally would have.
If I had to pick one it would be Carmel simply because IWI has a proven track record of producing high quality firearms; so I can probably bet good money that the Carmel (which was meant to compete for military contracts) will be more durable and last longer than the Makasi.
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u/Alternative_Two475 May 26 '26
I have pre-ordered the Makasi over the Carmel for a variety of reasons. Foremost among those is the fact that the Makasi is conventional metal (aluminum and steel) construction, resulting in a smaller, more svelte and lighter weight package. The Carmel's polymer cladding over metal construction results in a larger, bulkier and heavier overall platform, exceeding 8 lbs bare bones.
On top of the overall size and weight, the Makasi is (in my view) the far better looking of the two platforms. The hybrid nature of the Makasi results in a more handsome firearm of a comparatively compact size and light (7 lbs) weight. By all accounts, reliability with the Makasi is excellent and accuracy with bulk ammo is acceptable at approximately 2 MOA.
I did not order a Carmel because it is little more than a conventionally- laid out IWI X95 with a short-stroke piston system rather than a long-stroke. I have an X95, so would be buying a rifle that I already own, so to speak. I'd much rather buy, examine and enjoy the new hybrid design that I am not yet familiar with....
I can always buy a Carmel later on down the road if it appeals to me. Out of the starting gate however, the Makasi is my first choice, hands-down!
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u/King-Conn May 26 '26
I ordered the Carmel. IWI makes pretty darn decent firearms, and has a larger production facility so hopefully more spare parts available. Less customization with the stock and handguard, but I think it looks like the ACR lol
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May 26 '26
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u/King-Conn May 26 '26
It does remind me of video game guns for sure lol. Maybe that's why I want it
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u/NL1839 May 26 '26
I know nothing about either of these but based on the photo the one on the right (I don’t even know which model it is) looks hideous to me. To each their own though
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u/Geralt-of-Rivai May 26 '26
I'm going with Makasi. I like the looks more, nicer handguard and sleeker, less bulky overall. Plus the AR compatible parts. There's tons on reviews about it, it's been in the US market for a while and seems all positive. The IWI will be great too, if you want that proven reliability of IWI, you know it will be a tank and it'll last and serve you well for a long time.
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u/Even-Somewhere-9554 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
I ordered Makasi this year. I will buy Carmel next year if my finance allows.
IWI is a reputable gun manufacturer but no bad reviews of Makasi at all
I think makasi would give me more options of modifications. I don’t want to get stuck with 1 stock and trigger group for the rest of its life
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u/tyler111762 Resident Certified Millennial Punk May 26 '26
CFET will be spooling up a test for the Makasi for those wanting an extensive review on one before pulling the trigger.
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u/ComplexEmergency1472 May 26 '26
Neither, I’m gonna put that money into the market instead until this government gets there shit together 😂
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u/gilgoolon4444 May 26 '26
Me carmel. IWI rocks. The 18.6"er looks kinda goofy but can always shorten barrel once we have a normal Gov. With proper gun laws
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u/GopherRebellion May 26 '26
Carmel is absolutely the better value. Nice adjustable stock and decent trigger out of the box.
It'd take at least a few hundred to get the Makasi up to a similar level of performance and ergonomics. There is some value in having a stock rifle to customize. We all like Lego.
With that said I'm probably going to buy whichever is ready to ship first.
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u/number75 May 26 '26
IMO, each rifle has their own pros and cons. I'm not going to gauge aesthetics, since that's personal.
The Makasi MK15 is a less well known and less reputable manufacturer. It's a lot more basic in its feature sets. However, a lot of it uses standard parts. It uses AR triggers, it uses an AR Bolt, it uses a Picatinny interface for the stock, and it uses a slightly tweaked AR barrel. It's also made entirely of metal. So while the quality of the manufacturing is undeniably worse than IWI, it's also a lot more customizable and repairable.
The Carmel is obviously made by IWI. The quality of the manufacture, components, and finish are almost certainly going to be better than the Makasi. It will almost certainly be more reliable. However, almost all the components are proprietary and the aftermarket for the rifle is pretty much non-existent. It's also made mostly of polymer, which some people might be worried about. If you don't like the rifle out of the box, then you're likely stuck with it as it is.
So those are the two main things to consider. Personally, I'd prefer the Makasi MK15 for aesthetic reasons; and because it seems like it's the most easily repairable/customizable of the two.
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u/Agile-Delay-8770 May 26 '26
Hey man, what do you mean by slightly tweaked ar barrel? I called them and they said it uses a standard ar barrel nut.
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u/number75 May 26 '26
According to the SmallArmsSolution review, the gas block location needs to be drilled for the gas block pin to pass through. I'm not experienced enough with modifying barrels to know how much work that would take, but I imagine it's not a lot. But it does need to be done to use another barrel.
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u/Agile-Delay-8770 May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Ahh I see. Thank you for your reply. Pretty much you can use any AR barrel as long as the outer diameter of the barrel is the same as the inner diameter of the gas black. The Makasi uses a government profile barrel and the gas block is installed on the position with a 0.75 inch diameter which is really standard for aftermarket barrels with a heavier and better profile like socom.
The only tricky thing is the Makasi uses a carbine length gas system and finding any socom barrel or heavier profile barrel that is non restricted length will be difficult in this configuration as they mostly exist in rifle length configurations. This is due to carbine length gas systems having more recoil as the gas is bled off near the chamber where pressure is the highest. This combined with a longer barrel keeps that pressure contained behind the bullet for longer so recoil impulse is relatively strong compared to a rifle length gas system and as such in a non restricted 18.6” + configuration most barrels are going to be a rifle length to limit recoil and increase longevity of the rifle. This is why you don’t typically see carbine length gas system barrels that are 16+ inches in length. Since we don’t have the luxury to be picky I really hope Makasi went with a rifle length system or intermediate length for us since it’s a longer barrel but I’d have to call and find out. Also if you were to convert it to a rifle length gas system you’d need a new op rod and likely new recoil springs as pressure of gas bled off will be less so you’d need a lighter recoil spring.
As for the roll pin install its quite simple and can be done with any barrel as long as the diameters match. It’s really just on the outside of the barrel and doesn’t need to be really deep.
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u/pr0cyn1c May 26 '26
Carmel - tested to be more accurate
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
Makasi - on the market for three years with proven reliability
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u/pr0cyn1c May 26 '26
Carmel available for at least two years and initially developed for the military
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
Makasi takes some ar parts and has little to no plastic
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u/jollygreengiant1655 May 26 '26
Why do people keep coming back to the polymer thing? If it's good enough for severe use in a military setting it's more than adequate for plinking at the range or hunting.
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u/Whispersfine May 26 '26
Scar also has a plastic lower. I bet suckers in this sub will pay 5k just to get their hands on that baby. Bren3 is also half plastic now, I will buy that beauty in a heartbeat. It’s just silly reason to show that they made the right choice.
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u/pr0cyn1c May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
And its heavier too because of that.
Edit: do you want an accurate tool you can carry all day? Or do you just want a cool looking FAL hybrid? For me i value the accuracy more.
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
If you looked the makasi actually weighs less than the carmel however I will get them both eventually lol so it doesn't matter to me
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u/pr0cyn1c May 26 '26
Oh hey you’re right about the weight. My bad. Regardless i still prefer the iwi for its accuracy.
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u/gspotcowboy May 26 '26
A lot of the weight is the Makasi stock too. Someone linked to it by itself and the weight was listed as 1.4 pounds. It is steel IIRC
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
Also the makasi has a nitride barrel which makes it lighter and more accurate then the carmel
However the chrome lined carmel barrel will last a long time and is better at resisting heat making it good for long term sustained fire
But I will get both so I will find out
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u/pr0cyn1c May 26 '26
I understood it was less consistent than the carmel across a wide range of ammo, subsequent less accurate.
But whatever…. I dont own either and am basing my choice on the reviews i have seen on the two.
Drop a review when you have acquired both and tested. I’d be interested to hear a real in-use comparison.
Like others, im sitting this one out for a bit to see what happens next. I already have a small pile of safe queens. Not looking for more.
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u/Relevant_Diver_3228 May 26 '26
Ok I haven't looked to closely at reviews for either I just don't have any cool rifles and I wanted some lol but I was basing what I said off of features and how those features usually preform
Also as a side note I think that both are kind of ugly lol but what can you do
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u/GodsGiftToWrenching May 26 '26
If you're buying either as NR status they'll be rebarrelled making factory accuracy a moot point. At least with the makasi you can just get a carbine port AR barrel and you're good
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u/Dumb_G_Artist May 26 '26
Makasi, not willing to hand over more cash to IWI. Plus I've always had a soft spot for the better L1A1
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u/Fuck_you_all22 May 26 '26
Fed has not banned anything since 24 ban. Crypto was a frt ban? Was crypto part of compensation program?
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u/ElectronicPositive92 May 26 '26
I’m waiting to see what the twist in the Carmel is. The Makasi has a 1/7 twist which is too much as I mostly want to shoot cheap 55 and 62 grain 5.56. I’m hoping the Carmel will have a 1/8 or 1/9 twist which I would much prefer
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u/KorporalKarnage May 27 '26
This is why they invented credit cards.
Buy now or weep later. Don't puss out and fear the blue-haired set. "They're gonna ban everything!! omg!!" Grow a pair f me...
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u/ii_ego_ii May 26 '26
Carmel is made by Jewish gun company that's spent years perfecting the platform the other is none of that
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u/Sudden-Tone3983 May 27 '26
Super suspicious that the Canadian government is doing this (since we know they do not have their citizens' interests in mind).
Why would they do this? The only answer is they want to collect tax revenue --> then band this. That's an easy 100 million+ take-home for them.
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u/CanadianDragonfly May 28 '26
I’m strongly leaning towards the Carmel…I‘ve owned a couple of TAR21s and CTARs and have really liked them. I am sorely tempted to pre-order but think I’ll wait a bit 1) to make sure they arrive and 2) that they don’t have any issues with the NR barrel (not that I’m expecting any). My 2026 gun budget has already taken a pounding trying to fill the OIC-sized hole in my collection so I don’t mind holding out a bit.(actually I do I just can’t afford not to!)
I wouldn’t say no to a Makasi either, and if things come together legislatively and financially I’d probably get both.
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u/Daedalus-N7 May 27 '26
I honestly wouldn't buy either until the end of the year. When we have more of an idea of what will happen
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u/Swellchapo95 May 26 '26
I’d probably go for the Carmel over the Makasi due to iwis rep but I’m probably not gonna get any of them cause it’s only a matter of time before they turn into paper weights and I’m out thousands of dollars
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 May 26 '26
I ordered both, but only because I don’t have any 5.56 rifles 😂