Yeh, with an sr15 which is like a Ferrari upper. I really don’t look at the scar as Ferrari quality…very good quality but not quite the same. I think a better comparison would be switching from a 16" to SBR upper from someone like BCM would cost you in the neighborhood of 6-900 depending on what upper you prefer
SCAR has gone over 100k rounds, much of it full auto on an SBR with almost no parts breakage including bolt. let’s not kid ourselves, the SCAR is VERY high quality. Much of us prefer the AR-15 manual of arms and there is nothing wrong with that opinion, SR-15 fixes weaknesses of the AR platform so it’s my preferred option. You may also not like the price of the SCAR and feel the added durability is not worth the price of admission, again nothing wrong with that opinion. To say the SCAR is not high quality makes you sound like the AK fanboys who believe AR’s are junk or “the gun shits where it eats” or whatever other nonsense they spew.
I purchased a SCAR 16 and KAC SR15E3 IWS the same month (2008ish), and fired both for the first time on the same range trip. The KAC with 3t brake held the edge on recoil mitigation, but from 50 out to 440 yards on steel I could not tell a difference in accuracy or the speed that I could maintain that accuracy. Other than reports of the SCAR receiver being made of 6061 vs 7075 I dont see any issues whatsoever with build quality, nor do I see a SR15 as a “Ferrari”. Maybe it needs a gated shifter.
I have nothing against the scar. Their are a few things on it that I wish they would have done differently, but that will happen with any firearm. I just thought comparing the price of a scar barrel to an sr upper made no sense at all…mostly because it is exotic. I also never really understood the desire for changing the barrels on a rifle easily. If I am changing barrels lengths, I am probably changing optics and I would rather just have to different rifle.
this and price. way to expensive for a “battle carbine” setup.
I really like the SCAR and would have no issues running one but I wouldn’t buy one myself. The “quick change” barrel is a huge design red herring. The AR has the quickest field- or fire base-changeable barrel which is acutally a quick change upper. This is especially important when you consider all your optics/lasers can be zeroed once for an individual upper and left alone but every time you change a barrel on a SCAR you’d better rezero everything. I know the marketing says ‘within 1 moa’ but are you going to trust that when it counts? From an armorer perspecive an AR has a pretty simple barrel change. One big nut. It’s not like spinninf and headspacing a Remington 700 barrel. Then there’s cost. A new complete AR upper from like BCM is less than a SCAR barrel if you can even find one. The SCAR itself is great but should be cheaper IMO. It has a plastic lower and stock, an extruded aluminum upper and CHF barrel. It should cost like a grand.
I actually wish it had a user changeable left OR right mag release instead of ambi as you can accidentally drop a mag if the release bumps against your kit. Gripes about rail length, charging handle etc. can be addressed by the aftermarket just like any AR. I thought they actually have decent trigger but haven’t messed with one in a few years.
I chimed in this thread early for what I saw as the limitations since that was the OP’s question. Having said that, there is one reason why I have 2 SCAR 16s - suppressed SBR. The 10" SCAR 16s is one of the most reliable sub-11.5" rifles to run with a suppressor. Yes, it’s a little thick, but I like my bitch to have some meat on her bones. 
Add the folding stock and you’ve got one hell of a handy weapon. Thus, one of my SCARs is wearing a 10" barrel with a KAC QDC. The other has a factory 14.5".
I have no use for a 16" SCAR unless it’s chambered in 762.
Those sound like awesome carbines. How quiet is the suppressed one compared to an equivalent DI AR? I have to imagine the enclose gas tappet does a pretty good job of blocking sound compared to like an AK. Good point about the folding stock as well. Thats one of the drawbacks of the AR design.
They are about the same compared to my SBR AR’s (I have 10.5, 11.5" and 14.5"). To be honest, my ear has a hard time distinguishing between barrel lengths less than 14.5 inches, much less DI vs piston - they are all a bit loud with full power 5.56 ammo. It is the supersonic crack that is really noticeable near my ear.
I accept that shooting a SBR suppressed is going to be loud. I’m not chasing decibles with these guns. I’m just trying to keep it from limiting my fighting effectiveness after an in-doors or confined space shot. I’ve had a number of instances where someone suddenly opened up with a M240, M249, M4, M2, et al while I was riding in a M1151 or in a room without ear pro. In one instance, it took me a few extra seconds to get my bearings on what he hell was going on due to a sensation that someone was driving a knife in my ear. It’s a world of suck that I’d like to avoid if possible in my home or car.
Good post and great info. I’ve been kicking around trying a SCAR SBR for a while now, may try one out.
My Scar 16 is the most reliable 5.56 I own…ever owned.
Nice!
There’s nothing “wrong” with the SCAR 16. It’s not easy to make a bang for the buck argument for the 5.56 SCAR. For my uses, the SCAR doesn’t bring much to the table over a quality AR15…
But I already have quality AR15’s so I got a SCAR 16 and I dig it.
I have no problem with reciprocating charging handles.
Thanks again for all the info!
Anyone do any serious accuracy testing with their SCAR 16? Molon maybe???
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the SCAR 16 that I can see once you get over the price but given that I bought mine new for $1800 I’m not complaining much. Over 5,000 rounds now after the barrel chop and it just flat out runs… Add the Geiselle trigger and it is about perfect for me. Sample of 1 of course.
I will admit that I would not choose the SCAR if it was a stock 16" rifle but as a shorty is well worth the price of admission to me.
I’ve done extremely non-serious accuracy testing and I get the same results from my SCAR as I do my floated barrel Colts. Ammo and the shooter will most likely be your biggest obstacle for precision in either platform.
Nothing on the level of Molon’s stuff, but I have run some Mk262 through both of my SCAR 16s. My SCARs are not quite as accurate as my most accurate ARs, and about the same or better than most of my ARs with steel barrels. I’m getting 1.5 moa with Mk262 in the SCAR as compared to less than 1 MOA with a 16" SS BCM and less than 1 MOA with a freakishly accurate 14.5" Light Weight BCM BFH.
The SCAR is plenty accurate for my purposes and shoots about the same as my rifles with Noveske steel barrels.
I could buy a SCAR, KAC, or HK, but I really like the SCAR.
Thanks! I’ve been a bit leery as I have not found a single accuracy test (reputable) of the SCAR16 and of course heard the rumors of it not being as accurate as the price tag should warrant. I really want one…
Why didn’t any units keep the SCAR16 after field testing them? As for SCAR17’s still in use, it seems the only choice units had were M14’s and 20" M110’s.