The rise and fall of the SCAR.

[ryr8828]

Never noticed heavy recoil out of my 17. Less recoil than my .450 Bushmaster

Haven't destroyed any of the lpvo's I've put on it and none of them have been high dollar

It's as accurate as my 3 Daniel Defense 5.56 rifles.

I must have got the best one.

[MadAngler1]

This was already posted, but I am going to post it again. Everyone should watch this about the SCAR Mk 16:



It sounds like had actual end users had input from the get go, and if FN was allowed to make changes, it would have been adopted.

I own a Belgian made 2012 SCAR 17 and a new 2022 SCAR 16 NRCH. I have had zero issues with either platform thus far, minus the lack of a shoulder on the end of the 17’s barrel when mounting Surefire SOCOM flash hiders.

SCAR 17: 3k rounds now (not more since I work 60-70 hrs a week). Zero malfunctions. With 168 gr match ammo it is a 1.5 MOA battle rifle. I find it softer shooting with an appropriate grip and stance than any G3 clone, FAL, M1A that I have tried. The LMT MWS has more recoil, whereas my DD5V3 and a friend’s KAC that I have tried has less. I shoot almost exclusively suppressed with a Surefire SOCOM 762 (and now I also have a SOCOM RC2 762K). Zero issues. The two optics I have used are a Kahles 1-6 in an ADM delta mount and now a VCOG 1-8. Zero issues.

Things I don’t like about my 17: need to add everything out of the box (handguard, Geissele trigger etc). FN should have installed a better rubber back plate or buffer system to reduce the impulse and shock on the receiver when the large bolt carrier cycles. The lack of a barrel shoulder can cause grief when installing certain muzzle devices, and I bought mine before the KBA ring came out unfortunately . Last, FN failed to develop and support the platform early on and refuses to warrant their products when shooting suppressed.

SCAR 16 NRCH: So far so good. No issues; up to 1000 rounds mostly suppressed with a Sandman K. Have not done accuracy testing yet on it.

Anyone who runs suppressed with appreciate the superior heat mitigation of any piston driven system over DI. It’s the entire reason I bought the NRCH 16 last year. I think FN could have updated the stock, offered caliber conversions, an AK mag lower , and a few other things early 2010s. This platform would have gone more places. I am hoping for the LICC project to reach fruition in 5.56 NATO etc

[Possum 20]

Great video. I was curious in the first video when the Rangers had cases get into the receiver. I am shooting Pmags with cracked lips and on hot days have had double feeds, but never that bad. That would be a thing. Putting the NRCH on it would be a great improvement. I just have not had enough trouble to justify the $800 expense. Just to claify what I posted earlier, my 17 really is about a 1.5 MOA gun with good ammo. Thing is my 20 was about the same before the EC tuner brake. That was a real disappointment!

[sinister]

If you do a goggle search of the interwebz today for the SCAR in USSOCOM service you may identify who wanted it bad enough to use their own parent service's money to buy or keep them.

My money is you'll see more M4 variants than anything else.

Mother Army will provide every Special Forces and Ranger Soldier an XM7 if adopted. My guess is you'll see a repeat of what you would find in an Australian SAS Regiment Squadron arms room -- pristine AUGs in the rack, and modified camouflaged go-to-war M4 variants in the field.

European Union NATO armies can buy whatever they want without import tariffs or taxes -- including their own antique designs.

They're choosing AR clones -- including Colt Canada and Knights', some LMTs, but mostly HK 416s and 417s.

[JoshNC]

If you do a goggle search of the interwebz today for the SCAR in USSOCOM service you may identify who wanted it bad enough to use their own parent service's money to buy or keep them.

My money is you'll see more M4 variants than anything else.

Mother Army will provide every Special Forces and Ranger Soldier an XM7 if adopted. My guess is you'll see a repeat of what you would find in an Australian SAS Regiment Squadron arms room -- pristine AUGs in the rack, and modified camouflaged go-to-war M4 variants in the field.

European Union NATO armies can buy whatever they want without import tariffs or taxes -- including their own antique designs.

They're choosing AR clones -- including Colt Canada and Knights', some LMTs, but mostly HK 416s and 417s.

Nothing does it all better than a good AR variant.

[SteyrAUG]

If you do a goggle search of the interwebz today for the SCAR in USSOCOM service you may identify who wanted it bad enough to use their own parent service's money to buy or keep them.

My money is you'll see more M4 variants than anything else.

Mother Army will provide every Special Forces and Ranger Soldier an XM7 if adopted. My guess is you'll see a repeat of what you would find in an Australian SAS Regiment Squadron arms room -- pristine AUGs in the rack, and modified camouflaged go-to-war M4 variants in the field.

European Union NATO armies can buy whatever they want without import tariffs or taxes -- including their own antique designs.

They're choosing AR clones -- including Colt Canada and Knights', some LMTs, but mostly HK 416s and 417s.

Those Australian F-88s did not have a good service record, the CQ was pretty bad.

[MadAngler1]

If you do a goggle search of the interwebz today for the SCAR in USSOCOM service you may identify who wanted it bad enough to use their own parent service's money to buy or keep them.

My money is you'll see more M4 variants than anything else.

Mother Army will provide every Special Forces and Ranger Soldier an XM7 if adopted. My guess is you'll see a repeat of what you would find in an Australian SAS Regiment Squadron arms room -- pristine AUGs in the rack, and modified camouflaged go-to-war M4 variants in the field.

European Union NATO armies can buy whatever they want without import tariffs or taxes -- including their own antique designs.

They're choosing AR clones -- including Colt Canada and Knights', some LMTs, but mostly HK 416s and 417s.

Agree

This lowly civilian would also choose an HK 416 A5/A7 variant if HK sold such a product stateside. LMT’s piston gun doesn’t come close. FN gives us the real deal at least, not the MR556.

I can run my SCAR 16 as fast as my two go to DI ARs. Only difference is the charging handle position. Everything else is the same.

[georgeib]

Agree

This lowly civilian would also choose an HK 416 A5/A7 variant if HK sold such a product stateside. LMT’s piston gun doesn’t come close. FN gives us the real deal at least, not the MR556.

I can run my SCAR 16 as fast as my two go to DI ARs. Only difference is the charging handle position. Everything else is the same.

Genuine question. In your experience, and opinion, what do you think the SCAR 16 brings to the table over and above the AR?

[MadAngler1]

Genuine question. In your experience, and opinion, what do you think the SCAR 16 brings to the table over and above the AR?

In 2023, my SCAR 16 NRCH does a few things better than my similarly set up 16" DI AR:

1. A cooler system and handguard when running suppressed with a normal baffled can (Surefire or Sandman K)
2. Less carbon build up in the receiver when running suppressed than a DI rifle
3. Larger more robust bolt.....check out the Battlefield Vegas thread on ARFCOM. These rifles can run for tens of thousands of rounds without breaking parts.

The most important thing for me is running suppressed. A piston gun has advantages over a DI system using traditional baffled cans. Now, I have not tried a FLow 556K yet. Perhaps that will tilt the favor back to a normal DI rifle.

Of course, if you don't run suppressed, there is no advantage in my opinion besides the fewer stoppages the original Army tests showed pre-2010 on the SCAR and XM8 platforms over the M4. Not sure if that would still hold true today with the current generation of mid-length ARs on the market.

[SpecWired]

Had a SCAR 16S maybe a decade+ ago early in its release. I pre-paid for it at $2700ish I think. Showed up with a pretty bad anodizing job, and the shades of FDE were all over the place. Presentation aside, the charging handle was annoying to work around, the hand guard/rail was way short, and it took awhile for factory SBR barrels to appear at $1000 a pop. I ultimately sold it. Nothing about the SCAR demands the current $3000+ asking price.

In 2010 it had plenty of hype and press and novelty. In 2023 it's a non-starter for me.