Calico M100
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.91 kg
- Introduced
- 1986
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Calico M100 is a blowback-operated semi-automatic .22 LR carbine designed by Mike Miller and manufactured by Calico Light Weapons Systems. Introduced in 1986, its defining feature is a top-mounted cylindrical helical-feed magazine holding 100 rounds, with a spiral spring driving cartridges down a rotating central follower. The carbine pairs a folding wire stock, prime-cast aluminum receiver, and glass-filled polymer furniture for a futuristic appearance that made it a frequent prop in 1990s science fiction films.
The Calico's distinctive helical magazine - patented by Michael Miller and Warren Stockton in 1988 - wraps cartridges around a spiral spring like rounds on a screw thread, making the gun look so unmistakably futuristic that it appeared as the sidearm of choice in 'Total Recall,' 'RoboCop 3,' and countless cyberpunk-flavored productions of the era.
The M100 and its 9mm sibling the M900/M950 were affected by the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban due to their 100-round magazines. Calico went largely dormant in the 2000s before resuming limited production under new management. The M100FS is the current production folding-stock model.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Calico Light Weapons Systems
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1986
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 406 mm
- Overall length
- 909 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.91 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 2.58 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 100
- Magazine
- Drum
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Slide
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Anodized black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 411 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 219 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
- Maximum range
- 250 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Helical top mounted magazine
Folding stock
Ambidextrous bottom ejection
Notch rear sight
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 409 carbines | 1.91 kg | 3.00 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 407 carbines | 909 mm | 895 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 423 carbines | 406 mm | 406 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 423 carbines | 100 | 21 | Among the largest capacities |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Calico M100
How much does the Calico M100 weigh?
The Calico M100 weighs 1.91 kg (4.20 lb) empty and 2.58 kg (5.70 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Calico M100?
The Calico M100 is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Calico M100 hold?
The Calico M100 holds 100 rounds, fed from a drum magazine.
How long is the Calico M100?
The Calico M100 is 909 mm (35.8 in) long overall, with a 406 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Calico M100?
The Calico M100 is made by Calico Light Weapons Systems (United States). It was designed by Michael Miller.
When was the Calico M100 introduced?
The Calico M100 was introduced in 1986.
How does the Calico M100 operate?
The Calico M100 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Civilian sport shooters
- 1986
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/calico-m100' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "calico-m100", "name": "Calico M100", "manufacturer": { "id": "calico-light-weapons", "name": "Calico Light Weapons Systems", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1982, "website": "https://calicofirearms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "updatedAt": "2026-05-04 12:38:54", "version": "8d20a5811486ffac5d70b8f87797cc2294e05b742a277eb82c35f0276d59bff5" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1986, "barrel_length_mm": 406, "weight_empty_g": 1905, "action_type": "blowback"}