Now that we have a user base, I'm thinking a single thread to capture all the little things the users learn about working with this gun that aren't necessarily covered in official training.
Some of mine in no particular order:
1) the stock sling attachment points are soft metal. If you attach a sling using an HK hook or MASH clip (particularly the MASH clip) you will eventually eat through the factory loop, which deadlines the gun. Use something like the Blue Force wire adapter or the Urban ERT paracord adapter if you must use the factory attachment points.
2) Re slinging: IMO the best arrangement is to put some kind of rail-mounted attachment point up front as far forward as you can, and use the CAR-type loop on the back of the stock as the rear attachment point. I have experienced some 'airspace deconfliction' problems with the forward end of the sling mounted more toward the mag well. It is possible, with vigorous enough movement, to snag the sling on the charging handle and move the bolt out of battery enough to cause a failure to fire if the sling is mounted closer to the handle.
3) If your trigger sucks, shoot or dryfire the gun a bit. Mine felt like two pieces of 220grit being dragged against each other until about 300 rounds, then it suddenly smoothed out. It's now about like a good stock Colt M4 trigger, which is fine for what I want to do with it.
3) Don't SLAM the stock open except in emergencies. Standard procedure should be to depress the latch while opening the stock. No, you won't break it if you do it once or twice or maybe even a hundred times, but why put the stress on the mechanism if you don't have to? Replace the latch with the aluminum TangoDown part for added insurance.
4) Stuck cases can be mortared out just like an M4 - collapse the stock all the way and be sure to strike the ground squarely on the heel of the stock. No worries this way.
5) The H magazine floorplates will slide off. Best cure is to get 7.62 Magpuls and a hair dryer, and put them on sideways (loop running fore and aft). No more problems, plus your $40 magazines aren't crashing into the deck completely unprotected. (If you aren't dropping your magazines because they're $40, you're a fag.)
6) All M4 grips can be made to fit the SCAR. You simply sand about 1/16 off the bottom of the grip tang. Don't panic. A stripped lower is $45 from FN if you think you ****ed it up, but if you're too dumb to do this you probably shouldn't be trusted with any power tools at all. ALSO: Do NOT gorilla-torque the pistol grip screw down. You WILL crack the grip tang. The technical manual calls for UNDER 20 in-lbs, so if you need to (or are worried about it) put a TINY dab of blue Loctite on the screw before you install it. Without a torque wrench, just finger-tighten it, then snug it a quarter-turn past where it stops while just turning it lightly with your fingertips. That's it.
7) Scope mounts such as LaRue or ADM need to be reversed so that the throw levers are on the opposite side from the side you are running the charging handle on. Unless you enjoy constant skinned knuckles, that is.
8) Mark ALL bolts/screws/fasteners with a paint pen. The factory ones don't move, but anything you added to the gun can and will loosen. This ain't your daddy's Oldsmobile, and it will beat the shit out of just about everything you attach to it. That's the cost of a 7.5# 7.62 rifle.
9) on that note, make SURE anything you mount to a rail is pushed FORWARD firmly before you lock it down. If you don't (no matter how tight you have the latch) , it will slide forward under recoil and batter the rear edge of the next rail slot. Ask me how I know. :-\
10) The factory brake, while it does reduce recoil, is absolutely deafening. Don't be afraid to replace it with a flash suppressor. The gun doesn't recoil so much more that it hurts, and your ears will thank you. This PSA brought to you by the Current Sufferers of Brake-Induced-Tinnitus Association.
11) if the stock rattle bothers you - one place you can address it easily is the buttplate. Take a piece of bubble wrap and stuff it into the bottom cavity in the stock toe and reinstall the buttplate. Now the only thing you have to silence is the cheekpiece.
More as I think of them... and feel free to add yours!
ETA: Spare parts available here: http://www.hi-desertdog.com/fnh-acce...17-parts-.html
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