Released for 2010 is the highly anticipated SCAR 17S now available for civilian purchase. Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO (308 Win.) and slightly heavier than the SCAR 16S, this unique carbine offers long-range accuracy, exceptional reliability and match winning versatility.

Both SCARs have fully ambidextrous operating controls, a free floating, cold hammer-forged Mil-SPEC barrel with hard-chromed bore; a receiver-integrated MIL-STD 1913 optical rail plus three accessory rails for mounting scopes, electronic sights, lights, or lasers. The side-folding polymer stock is fully adjustable for comb height and has six settings for length of pull. The SCAR also features a tactically advantageous reciprocating charging handle for quick ammo and magazine failure response.

SCAR 17S (top) and its smaller brother the 16S.

Earlier this year FN gave dealers the chance to pre-order a limited edition black SCAR. One dealer is trying to sell one of these for $9,999!

Now, it appears, that the black SCAR is going into full production and will be offered as a standard model, not a limited edition. I suspect there will be some unhappy customers who pre-ordered a limited edition, only to find it is now a full production model.

Other than the opportunists on Gun Broker, I have seen the black SCAR listed for between $3000 and $4000. When it is actually available, it will probably sell for the same as the tan, aka. Flat Dark Earth, colored model ($2500 - $3000)

Interestingly, early prototypes of the military SCAR had a black finish:

Military prototype.

UDPATE: Replaced top photo with better quality image. Thanks Elaine.

Reciprocating Charging Handle
I remembered to keep my thumb down most of the time, but while practicing switching back and forth between strong hand and week hand, the charging handle caught me.
My thumb slowed it down enough that it caused a FTF.
It was not painful enough with 5.56 to learn my lesson.
I did it again with 7.62. That hurt.

…

“Softness/Brittleness” of plastic
The polymer is very dense.
It is a little on the soft side, so it is not likely to crack very easily.
It is not so soft though that it bends or deforms easily.
It feels like a pretty good balance in strength and rigidity.

…

Bottom Line:
The SCAR is a good system. I’m not ready to give up my M4.
As the SCAR evolves over the next couple years, it will be a top-of-the line rifle.
I’m not convinced that it is worth the cost to purchase and train on a completely new system.

I highly recommend reading the whole review. It is very comprehensive.

Big thank you to Jay for emailing me the link to the review.

Rangers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, G.A. stand at attention on the infield of the Lowes Motor Speedway as they are honored for their service to the nation during the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR pre-race military appreciation show in Concord, N.C. on May 24, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by Trish Harris, USASOC News Service)

A large high resolution version of the photo can be seen here.
Can anyone tell me what the device attached onto the muzzle is? I am guessing it a device to prevent the gun firing or chambering a round?

Hat Tip: Defense Tech

About 600 members of the 75th Ranger Regiment will soon take the Special Operations Combat Assault Rifle into battle.

The 600 SCARs are the first of 1,800 that U.S. Special Operations Command began fielding in early April, SOCom spokeswoman Air Force Maj. Denise Boyd told Army Times.

The first photo I saw of the SCAR in the “wild” was when Defense Tech linked to this Navy photo taken last month showing a SEAL with the SCAR replica (see update below) slung over this shoulder.

090415-N-6403R-006 SEAL BEACH NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, Calif. (April 15, 2009) Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen (SWCC) assigned to Special Boat Team (SBT) 12 conduct an equipment check before getting underway for a training exercise at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua T. Rodriguez (Released)

UPDATE: Turns out that the above photo shows a replica SCAR. From a Wikipedia discussion:

“I received an email from FN confirming that the image appears to show replica weapons (FN mentioned Independent Studio Services, the same company that the earlier editor did). Actual FN SCAR rifle stocks are solid plastic in “Flat dark earth” color – solidly that color throughout, not a paint or coating over a darker black color. The FN employee has some of the ISS replica weapons and confirmed that they are manufactured in a solid black base material then painted the flat dark earth on top of that. He also confirmed that ISS has made replica SCARs for the SBS teams for training, and that SBS and SEALs routinely do use replica weapons in this manner to avoid training wear and tear on actual rifles.”

Thanks to Anon for the link to the Wikipedia discussion.

Bolt Carriers

Bolt Faces

SCAR carrier disassembled.

Many more photos here.
Many thanks to Jay for emailing me the link.

Press release here.

Apparently, the initial factory run of SCAR upper receivers went to anodizing and came back way too “gold” for FN’s specs. (Look at all advertisments, videos and such for the actual FN spec color of the upper, the upper and lower should pretty much match). It has been described to me that the anodizing of parts in FDE is tricky and can come out very “gold” looking if the process isn’t done correctly.

So anyways, FN gets its first commercial run of uppers back from anodizing and they are very “gold”. FN decides to go ahead and sell this huge batch of “gold” uppers and to call it a limited edition so that they can sell them without having to have them blasted and re-anodized…HAHA!

The next production run will be in the correct color for the uppers. So in a nutshell, the people paying $4500 for a “limited edition” are getting rifles that were actually screwed up and made in the wrong color. Smart move on FN’s part. They took a botched run of uppers and turned them into a “gold” mine. No pun intended.

Limited Edition SCAR.


Standard color scheme

This is just a rumor, and is not confirmed. If it is true it was a stoke of genius by the marketing department. I actually like the gold look a lot.

Many thanks to Jay for the link.

If Joe has 1000 oranges and you really really want one how much would you pay? If Joe has 1 orange and you really really want it how much would you be willing to pay?

I never forgot the story of the guy with oranges that “I really really wanted”. Anyway, here is a modified version of the story:

If Joe has 1000 SCAR 16s rifles and you really really want one how much would you pay? If Joe has 1 SCAR 16s rifle and you really really want it how much would you be willing to pay? Answer: $9500

Checkout this gunbroker auction

Michael Bane commented that while the SCAR is cool, 10 AR-15s are a much better!

A big thanks to Jason for taking the time to take the photos.

More photos after the jump.

FN IAR. Click to expand.

One very interesting features is that it switches automatically from closed bolt to open bolt depending on the chamber temperature. From FNH-USA:

Today FN offers the new Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR), a unique, highly-adaptable, modular selective fire weapon system that fills the roles of both individual battle rifle and squad automatic weapon in one light, compact package. The magazine-fed FN IAR is capable of firing from a closed bolt in both semi-automatic and fully-automatic modes, yet automatically transitions into open-bolt operation in semi-automatic or fully-automatic before reaching cook-off temperature for a chambered cartridge.

I do not think the temperature switch would be electronic. Most likely there is a piece of metal that expands when heated and causes a switch from closed to open bolt.

Again, a bit thanks to Daniel Watters for pointing this out to me.

Click to expand.

As the photos suggest, the magazine is manufactured in two parts. These parts are then “glued” together (I am sure they use a fancier word). The join is supposed to be very strong.

An o-ring type silicone seal prevents dirt getting into the action through the magazine well.

The design has no floorplate which adds to its strength. Cleaning is done by holding the magazine upside down and spraying water or compressed air through holes in the follower. If the spring needs replacing you throw out the magazine and buy a new one.

I dug up this forum post from earlier this year:

The two-piece housing assembly allows us to use optimum ammunition ’stack’ in the design. We can tightly control the molding process at the same time, as we are making 2 small shots instead of one long one. Material freeze off is no longer an issue. The industrial adhesive we use to join the 2 halves exceeds the strength of the base material. Additional benefit is that we can mold the entire lower half of the magazine in a transparent/translucent material for ammunition viewing, keeping the superior strength reinforced material up top for the feedlips, etc.

The ‘gasket’ between magwell and magazine is actually a soft durometer silicone seal that is bonded to the magazine. It can’t shift or migrate on the magazine body. We used a foam seal at the Show for demonstration purposes. A specific type of magazine carrier design is underway, to answer that question. It will be trick.

In all the studies we researched, the primary mechanical cause of magazine failure to feed was due to feedlip issues. Springs and followers were down the list. By using a high quality coated spring, our sealed design would need to be replaced only when the lips were worn out and/ or damaged.

The follower is pretty novel, and is driven differently than existing baseline G.I.-type followers

This photo by SMGLee of a rapid prototype model shows the follower design and the o-ring/gasket seal clearly:

The retail price is $24.95. The magazine is currently available for preorder at BravoCompanyUSA.com. At that price I can’t imagine it going up in price or going out of stock due to excessive demand.

A video of SMGLee testing the magazine:

More photos and the full press release after the jump …
Some more photos:

The TangoDown press release:

The ultimate polymer magazine has arrived! A true 30-round capacity magazine for the 5.56x 45mm cartridge fits all M16/M4/AR-series/FN SCAR-Light/M-249 weapon systems*. Advanced design and construction allows for the strongest, most reliable combat magazine ever produced.

Proprietary state-of-the-art polymers are combined to allow smooth, dependable feeding in a corrosion-proof unitized body. Oversized feed lips take constant abuse that would easily damage aluminum or steel magazines. Unique low-friction anti-tilt follower combined with a premium spring maintains reliable round delivery. Sealed modular design allows ideal straight-to-radius feed cavity, unavailable on any other polymer magazine.

Additional benefit of modular design means no floor plate to fail upon impact. Magazine body becomes a five-sided box, setting a new standard for strength. Impact that crushes USGI magazines has no effect on the ARC. Magazine cleaning is a snap, requiring no disassembly thanks to the slotted follower. A soft seal joins against the weapon magazine well on insertion to prevent entry of dirt and other contaminants, a crucial bonus in desert warfare**.

We designed in several features that make ARC user-friendly in harsh conditions. Large serrations on the front and back straps eliminate slippage when doing ‘push-pull’ magazine insertions. Deep ribbing on both sides enable a fast, sure grip when retrieving from mag pouches. An Open Water version is available, which features a self-sealing drain tab for OTB operations.

· The ARC magazine is available in several color options, including translucent for visual round count.

· The ARC magazine is manufactured using the latest in polymer Quality Control procedures, guaranteeing properly dimensioned components.

· The ARC will drop free from weapon systems, regardless of origin, and will also seat easily in a bolt-forward weapon with a full 30 rounds.

Note: ARC magazine model ARC/L-001 may not fit some magazine pouches, however custom pouches are available from TangoDown, Inc. Contact TangoDown for details.

* ARC/l-001, -001C magazines will NOT fit H&K model 416 rifles. New model for H&K 416 available soon.

** Military model only, commercial model ARC/L-001C has this feature deleted. ARC/L-001C fits all existing M4 style magazine pouches.

ARC is U.S. and foreign Patent Pending.

Color: Black, SOCOM Flat Dark Earth, Foliage Green, Translucent (available soon)

FNH SCAR 16S (actual photo, not the military version)

itstock posted the information at fnforum.net:

They are now available, and allocated to certain distributors at a set number. The MSRP that FN states is still 100% correct at $2,696.56, and EXPECT TO PAY THIS. Your dealer does not have much wiggle room!

They come in FDE with 16″ barrels, and either a 10 or 30 round mag.

If you want one, GO ORDER IT NOW! There will not be a large run as of now, and dealers are ordering for themselves to sell on GB and the like! !

Also, the SCAR-H has not been released in any way, no pricing, and no order information.

It sort of make the civilian Steyr AUG SA seem cheap at a mere $2295.00!

The SCAR-H referred to above is the 7.62mm NATO (.308 Win.) model.

Thanks to Raif for the tip.

Both versions will be available: the .223/5.56mm SCAR 16S (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Light) and the .308/7.62×51mm (civilian equivalent of the SCAR-Heavy).

SCAR-Light carbine (14″ barrel). The civilian model will have a longer barrel.

I have emailed FNH USA for pricing details but they have not yet got back to me.

From the press release:

Experience the civilian-legal semi-auto only version of the rifle chosen by U.S. Special Operations Command as its first new rifle since the early 1960’s. The SCAR 16S is chambered in 5.56X45mm NATO (223 Rem.) while the SCAR 17S fires the 7.62X51mm NATO (308 Win.) cartridge. The innovative gas-operated, short stroke piston system reduces fouling for greater reliability. The side folding polymer stock is fully adjustable for comb height and length of pull and is colored authentic USSOCOM Flat Dark Earth. Both 10 and 30-round detachable box magazines(DBM) are available, and the ambidextrous operating controls instantly adapt the SCAR S-Series to any user.

Unfortunately they will not come with this …

UPDATE:

Photo of SCAR 16S:

EOLAD2 on SCAR

EOTech with Laser Device laser build into one unit. IR and visible laser share the same battery as the EOTech 552 in order to minimize the package and also to cut down on weight.

The visible Laser is a 5mW unit with range for visible in low out to 450m in low light and about 30m in day light

The IR laser is a -25mW to -100mW unit with reach out to 2000m in high out put and 600m in low setting.

Added a recoil lug to the cross bar screw for better security on the rail.

Control are in the rear with individual windage and elev adjustments. power source are contolled via the remote switch leading from the bottom of the unit ot the side button build into the unit. a double click on either the remote switch or the side button will set the beam on continous mode.

…

The integrated unit was designed at the request of SOCOM, thus one of the EOLAD has the SOCOM designation. EOLAD-2 SOCOM, this is the highest priced unit within the line up.

The integrated unit has some good features, it takes only one battery source, it feeds off the two lithium AA in the 552. it is also more compact than say mounting a PEQ15 or the even bigger PEQ2. especially on a gun like the MK18 or the MP5s an d any gun with short rail real estate. it might be more effective by demo the sight on top of a gun like the HK MP7…

the control knobs are prety difficult to adjust, you would need a coin and the turns has very positive click, it would not be too easy bump out of adjustment.

The high-res photos are currently offline.

Click “Continue Reading” below to view the high resolution photos. They would slow down the blog if I put them on the homepage.

Click to expand the images

Hat Tip: MilitaryPhotos.net

Could you tell me a bit about yourself, your background in the Firearms industry and involvement in the Masada project?

I was in the Air Force for four years. Got out in ‘99 and became a cop in California for about four years and was on the entry team. I moved on to Colorado and was a deputy sheriff. I got an offer from Rich, the owner of Magpul, to work at Magpul. Prior to that I was doing consultancy work for them. I have been working with magpul for about four years and full time for about a year. I am constantly keeping my skills up to date. I do a lot of training. I do some three gun shooting and recreational stuff.

Masada Rifle

Like everyone else I was amazed that it only took 4 months from idea to a working prototype. Is this common in the firearms industry? Ruger, for example, have recently said their new SR9 pistol was 20 years in the making!

It’s not common. For us it has been a project that has been in Rich and CEO Mike Mayberry’s minds for several years probably been ten years that we have had ideas about revamping the AR platform. Rich and Mike talked about it and we finally decided about this time last year, November to abandon the idea of a revamped AR. We went in a different direction and ended up drawing some sketches on a napkin at a breakfast meeting, four months later we had a functional prototype. So we had a lot of the ideas worked out before hand in our minds before going down and blueprinting the design of the rifle. We knew what goals we had and what we wanted to achieve and had a really good game plan going.

Overall it probably took us ten years to get the ideas squared away and then four months to put them on paper and make a functioning prototype.

That was still quick!

We have all the right resources and skills in plastic and prototyping. We have a lot of contacts in machining and injection molding. So for us to use those resources in combination with the talent we have got at Magpul it was just a matter of getting it done. We actually didn’t think it would happen that fast but we wanted to get something ready for SHOT Show. We were testing firing the day before we went up there!

Are you considering offering more exotic calibers such as 6.8 SPC, .50 Beowulf and .458 SOCOM in the future?

Yes. Specifically we are working on getting the 5.56mm prototype up and running. We put several thousands of rounds through six guns, I would put the estimate at 75,000-100,000 rounds. Which isn’t a lot but is decent amount for were we are at in the project.

We do have a functioning 6.8 SPC prototype that we have got up and running recently. Other calibers that we plan on doing are 5.45×39mm (AK-74), 6.5mm Grendel and 7.62×39mm.

6.8mm SPC

Is there going to be much demand for the 5.45×39mm round?

With current prices of 5.56mm rounds going through the roof, with similar ballistics to the 5.45mm and the 5.45mm being dramatically less expensive, although not as widely available, we think there is a possibility that it will be something that will take off.

5.45×39mm. Note the hollow tip.

Should we be expecting an AK compatible PMAG?

We plan on using existing AK-47 mags. It is undecided at this time whether or not we will offer a propriety 7.62×39mm mag.

Magpul 5.56mm PMAG

Is the semi-auto 16″ civilian versions’ projected price still going to be around $1400 and available next year?

That’s what we are shooting for. It will be around that price. We think that is a reasonable guesstimate.

The Masada seems to share the same goals as the Robinson Armament XCR Modular Weapon System. What advantages does the Masada have over the XCR?

Some background history, we make M16/AR-15 accessories, grips, rail panels, magazines, etc. we are not really a firearms manufacturer and never have been. We see the current mindset in the US market as being very stagnant as far as design is concerned I am not going to talk bad about Robinson Armament and the XCR. Its a new weapon, its an American company thats looking forward and trying to come up with something new.

If the XCR had fulfilled all the gaps and requirements of what a fighting rifle can be then we would have never moved forward with the Masada. If they had build something with the Masada’s features we would never have done it because our ultimate goal in this whole project has been to come up with a fighting weapon with specific requirements. These requirements are not necessarily set by the military, government or law enforcement but what the mission needs. It seems like a lot of these weapons do not fit these needs.

That said, we defiantly see the value in the XCR and what Robinson Armament are doing but its not really meeting all these requirements. There are a few things they didn’t do that we have done. Ergonomics for example are not what we think they should have been.

We have picked up the slack where they missed the mark a little bit.

The master goal in Magpul’s mind is to create a weapon that is superior to what is out there now, and with specific requirements. That is our ultimate goal. Whether we do it or whether someone else does it we don’t care. As long as someone does it.

The Masada is way bigger than Magpul. Robinson Armament, I don’t want to say bad things about them, there’s too much of that in the industry already. The internet seems to get a lot of otherwise good guys in trouble. We are both American companies and we want to be successful, the markets been very stagnant for a long time and we are both doing good things. We should embrace the competition and let it grow.

When you say you want to design the next best fighting weapon the trend has been towards bullpup rifles (Australia, NZ, UK, Israel). Why didn’t you go that route?

And the Chinese! We think the western perception would be one of the reasons. The primary reason would be for us is that we believe that the next best combat weapon needs to be a stopgap weapon that may only last 15 years until they can invent a laser gun or something that shoots caseless ammo.

For now they need to work with that they have got such as 5.56 which will be in service for quite a while. We think that making something that is outside what our troops already have is going to be difficult as it will require dramatic retraining for millions of troops so if you look at the Masada features are very similar to the M16 so the crossover training will be minimal. There are a couple of changes that are the M16 such as charging handle and bolt lock, for example, is different but those are things that had to be changed and will not make an difference to the end user. You are getting M16 performance from a weapon that has the safety in the same place. The grip angle is the same. The magazine is the same. Charging the weapon and locking the bolt is a little different.

The Chinese QBZ-95

I read back in August that you were going to enter the Masada in the Army M4 “Sandstorm” test. [Editor: this interview was done before the test results were released)

We were not entered in that. We contacted congressmen and senators and talked to them about this and we just got a reply back today. To be honest with you, we do not have that much knowledge about this, nor do we have the contact in the military and government and we have no lobbyists. We are a small mom and pop shop with 15 employees and do our best to keep up but it's very hard. To the best of our knowledge outside of Colt the military only looked at foreign manufacturers, HK, FN and no one really had any interest [in other American manufacturers].

We tried to get in with short notice but we were not considered, no one contacted us, no one asked us. It is not open, there is nowhere that tells you how to submit your rifle. We did what we could at the last minute when we found out about the test. Saying that, we have been doing our best to conduct our own testing. I can’t go into the specifics but we are very satisfied with how the Masadas operates and functions in a dusty dirty environment We look forward to any future testing that we are invited to.

Masada with folding stock

From what I have read, the Army is not interested in replacing the M4 despite its obvious limitations and the test is only being held due to Senator Coburn’s efforts. In light of the recent Dragon Skin controversy it seems to me that the tests the rifles will be put under may not be very objective. What is your view on this?

I can tell you that my recent experience with military and government as far as sales of weapons go, and the involvement they have with selecting weapons it is very complex, way over my head. Our knowledge is limited in this area but we’re learning more every day.

To answer your question on whether or not they are fair: its up for interpretation, I don’t know. We have not been involved in one [testing and selection]. It is frustrating for us as an American firearms manufacturers to see foreign governments and companies providing American soldiers with weapons. We have the ingenuity, the know-how, the capabilities for doing this in our country, instead of relying on foreign entities. In my opinion we can do it better.

Don’t you think if American firms were not competing with overseas firms the quality would decrease?

Your right. Foreign ideas and weapon development do push the competition and makes sure we stay on our toes. We just would really like American soldiers carrying American weapons made by Americans and designed by Americans. We want the best for our guys.

There have been several US allies interested in the Masada platform. They are interested in seeing what the future holds for the platform itself.

FN SCAR Rifle

Can you give us any updates on the MagPul PDR?

We are moving forward on it. We are not releasing any info on it right now. We are happy with the design. It’s the bullpup style but a different mission. Its chambered in 5.56, takes GI mags and can easily be integrated into the military for use by tank operators and convoy drivers; the guys that would normally carry an M9 pistol but need the capability to reach out with the 5.56 round. With the short barrel the ballistics are not good after a couple hundred yards but the majority of combat these days is close quarters, anywhere from zero to a couple hundred feet. At the least the idea gives you more options than a pistol.

Magpul PDR

Magpul seems to take an interest in internet marketing. For example, you have many videos on youtube and are doing this interview with me. This is in contrast to Remington, who recently announced the R-15, their AR-15 hunting rifle. As of today their website offers no information or press release. I hope your internet marketing pays off for you in civilian sales.

We found that being a small mom and pop accessories shop we are in touch with the end user and that has a lot of impact in getting feedback. We find out things we need to look at or change or add. Most of our products are pretty well thought out before they go to market but product videos and gorilla marketing is great because it lets the public feel they have inside access to what we do every day. There are a lot of people really interested in the Masada and what we are doing.

Magpul Precision Rifle Stock

Giving someone the options of looking at what I did today and with a new video update showing how you take the Masada apart you get instant feedback and opinions on it. We don’t like to keep guys in the dark. We want to keep them as much in the light as we can. We are very proud of what we do. We have a lot of good ideas and we like to share them. If people can’t get their hands on it the next best thing is to watch it on TV or the computer.

We have hardly any influence on these [military and government] guys. Some of these companies have a lot of influence. They have the lobbyists that work for them that push their stuff. We don’t move in that direction. We want the product to speak for itself. We put our money and time into making the product. Our grassroots campaign is obviously working. I will go out and make a video for the internet and someone in the army will call me and say they want to test it out. Obviously we would love to have lobbyists and afford to say “Hey senator, let me take you out for dinner and have a chat about this new rifle”. At this time our money is better spent designing and making the most superior product we possibly can.

Magpul YouTube Videos. Note the high views!

YouTube Video released by Magpul

Weapons officials at the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., exposed Colt Defense LLC’s M4, along with the Heckler & Koch XM8, FNH USA’s Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle and the H&K 416 to sandstorm conditions from late September to late November, firing 6,000 rounds through each test weapon.

When the test was completed, ATEC officials found that the M4 performed “significantly worse” than the other three weapons, sources told Army Times.

Officials tested 10 each of the four carbine models, firing a total of 60,000 rounds per model. Here’s how they ranked, according to the total number of times each model stopped firing:

* XM8: 127 stoppages.
* MK16 SCAR Light: 226 stoppages.
* 416: 233 stoppages.
* M4: 882 stoppages.

The results of the test were “a wake-up call,” but Army officials continue to stand by the current carbine, said Brig. Gen. Mark Brown, commander of Program Executive Office Soldier, the command that is responsible for equipping soldiers.

You can bet H&K, FN and Magpul are happy about these results!

Hat Tip: Murdoc Online