Montezuma, Iowa– March 2022– Caleb knows a lot about Fabrique Nationale’s special rifle, and the Brownells Gun Tech™ has the SCARs to prove it!
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The FN SCAR was born from a request by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for a modular rifle that can be easily adapted to any operational situation.
The “Special Operation Forces Combat Assault Rifle” or SCAR debuted in 2007, and today there are three common variants over here on this side of the Atlantic.
There are two versions of the military’s select-fire SCAR: the SCAR-L (Light) or Mk 16 chambered in 5.56 NATO, and the SCAR-H (Heavy) or Mk 17 in 7.62 NATO. The SCAR-H can be converted to other rounds like 6.5 Creedmoor, 7.62x39mm, and even 5.56 NATO. SOCOM has phased out the SCAR-L and now uses only the SCAR-H – Caleb explains why.
The semi-auto-only civilian SCAR comes in three flavors: the SCAR 16 in 5.56 / .223, the SCAR 17 in 7.62 / .308, and the SCAR 20S set up in a designated marksman rifle (DMR) configuration with extra-adjustable stock and longer barrel. The SCAR 20S can be had in .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor. There’s a lot of adjustability in the standard SCAR 16 / SCAR 17 folding stock.
The rifle CAN be fired with that stock folded because the short-stroke gas piston operating system is contained within the upper receiver. The barrel is VERY easy to change: remove a pair of screws on each side of the upper and the barrel comes off. Headspace is not a problem because there’s an AR-15 / M16 type barrel extension.
FN bills the SCAR as fully ambidextrous, but is it? Caleb weighs in.
The SCAR 16 / -L uses standard AR-15 / M16 / M4 magazines, but the SCAR 17 / -H uses its own proprietary mag. The flip-up front sight is mounted on the gas block. The rear sight simply clamps to the M1913 rail, so you can use any clamp-on flip-up AR-15 / M16 rear sight. The charging handle originally reciprocated with the bolt, but FN later developed a non-reciprocating handle and a retro-fit kit to convert older SCARs.
Every SCAR tells a story
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