I think QuietShootr and Greg nailed it here...
What parts have been breaking on civilian SCAR 16s? Again, just looking for some data. I understand some folks have a strong desire to have extra parts on hand - do you need all those parts if the ones on the original gun last for 20,000 or 30,000 rounds? How many people will actually shoot that much (I know some here will) on the same gun?
Spooky
I don't think it is a testament that Army is f-d up. No matter how good 1911 is and how much I am fond of it, neither Army nor units who were loyal to it are fielding it anymore. You don't carry it anymore either, Bob.
SCAR was designed with intent to be more reliable and more serviceable than M16, just like Glocks are more reliable and more serviceable than 1911s en masse. The difference is that SCAR was never given a chance to be fielded widely enough to truly prove or disprove that, to work out the kinks that M16 had 40 years to fix, and to let non-civilian users to form a truly informed opinion. How many MK-16s were fielded, 1000, for a period of 2-3 months, before they were canned? Is it really enough?
Is the SCAR 16 dead? No.
Is it "better" then the M4? I'm not saying it is or it isn't, as I have no opinion on the matter. However, what we do know is that the Military has been "testing" the SCAR for a while now. It has been lab tested, and field tested. It has been used in combat in the real world. And still, at the end of the day, after all that testing and money spent, there is still a fairly new RFP for a new individual carbine that is being run concurrently with the M4 PIP. Obviously, not everyone agrees about "better."
We'll see.
Quick change barrels are a gimmick to all but a very few Military users. The ones that know the mission enough in advance and have time and a range to confirm zero when they change it out.
I think the real issue is the price-to-improvement ratio. Piston guns are usually better when SBR'd and suppressed. Sounds like the SCAR is perfect for that role. Should the military spend more for a standard weapon that really doesn't offer a major improvement? That is the issue.
That is also an issue that will be debated for a long time.
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