The FN SCAR (Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle) is a family of
gas-operated short-stroke gas piston automatic rifles
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes (some automatic rifles are capable of ...
developed by Belgian manufacturer
FN Herstal (FN) in 2004.
It is constructed with modularity for the
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Ar ...
(SOCOM) to satisfy the requirements of the SCAR competition. This family of rifles consist of two main types. The SCAR-L, for "light", is chambered in
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
and the SCAR-H, for "heavy", is chambered in
7.62×51mm NATO. Both are available in ''Close Quarters Combat'' (''CQC''), ''Standard'' (''STD''), and ''Long Barrel'' (''LB'') variants.
In early 2004,
United States Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Ar ...
(USSOCOM) issued a solicitation for a family of Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifles, the so-called SCAR, designed around two different calibers but featuring high commonality of parts and identical ergonomics. The SCAR system completed
low rate initial production testing in June 2007. After some delays, the first rifles began to be issued to operational units in April 2009, and a battalion of the U.S.
75th Ranger Regiment was the first large unit deployed into combat with 600 of the rifles in 2009.
[75th Rangers will take SCAR to War](_blank)
Matthew Cox, Army Times
''Army Times'' (ISSN 0004–2595) is a newspaper published 26 times a year serving active, reserve, national guard and retired United States Army personnel and their families, providing news, information and analysis as well as community and ...
, 12 May 2009 The U.S. Special Operations Command later cancelled their purchase of the SCAR-L and planned to remove the rifle from their inventory by 2013. However, they will continue to purchase the SCAR-H version, and also plan to purchase 5.56 mm conversion kits for the SCAR-H, allowing it to substitute for the SCAR-L.
As of late 2022, the SCAR is in service in over 20 countries.
Overview
![STO Capt Barry Crawford Afghanistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/STO_Capt_Barry_Crawford_Afghanistan.jpg)
The SCAR is manufactured in two main versions; the SCAR-L ("Light") and SCAR-H ("Heavy"). The SCAR-L fires
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
rounds from
STANAG
In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO st ...
(
M16) magazines. The SCAR-H fires the more powerful
7.62×51mm NATO cartridge from proprietary 20-round magazines. Varied barrel lengths are also available for different purposes, such as
close quarters battle
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officer ...
or long-range engagements. The initial solicitation indicated that the SCAR-H would also be capable of being chambered in the
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
M43 Kalashnikov cartridge, as well as the
6.8×43mm Remington SPC cartridge, however, FN is not currently offering this configuration, and the models have likely been cancelled.
The SCAR-L, designated Mk 16 by USSOCOM, was intended to replace the
M4A1
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
, the
Mk 18 CQBR and the
Mk 12 SPR that had been in service (before SOCOM decided to cancel the order for the Mk 16 Mod 0, see below), whereas the Mk 17 (SCAR-H) had been intended to replace the
M14 and
Mk 11 sniper rifles in use. However, the weapon will only supplement other weapons, while issuance remains of the operator's discretion.
The semi-automatic only Mk 20 Mod 0 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR) is based on the SCAR-H. It includes a longer receiver, a beefed-up barrel extension and barrel profile to reduce whip and improve accuracy, and an enhanced modular trigger that can be configured for single-stage or two-stage operation together with either a folding or a non-folding precision stock.
The SCAR has two receivers: The lower is constructed of polymer, and the upper receiver is one piece and constructed of aluminum. The SCAR features an integral, uninterrupted
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...
on the top of the aluminium receiver, two removable side rails and a bottom one that can mount any MIL-STD-1913 compliant accessories. The lower receiver is designed with an
M16 compatible pistol grip, flared magazine well, and raised area around the magazine and bolt release buttons. The front sight flips down for unobstructed use of optics and accessories. The rifle uses a "tappet" type of closed gas system much like the
M1 Carbine
The M1 carbine (formally the United States Carbine, Caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine that was a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1 carbine was produced ...
while the bolt carrier otherwise resembles the
Stoner 63
The Stoner 63 is a 5.56×45mm NATO modular weapon system. Using a variety of modular components, it can be configured as an assault rifle, carbine, top-fed light machine gun, belt-fed squad automatic weapon, or as a vehicle mounted weapon. Also ...
or
Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the heavier 7.62×51mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the ''Bu ...
.
The SCAR is built at the FN Manufacturing, LLC plant in Columbia, South Carolina, in the United States. Since 2008, FN Herstal has been offering semi-automatic versions of the SCAR rifles for commercial and law enforcement use. These are dubbed the 16S (Light) and 17S (Heavy), and are manufactured in Herstal, Belgium and imported by FN Herstal's U.S. subsidiary FN America of
Fredericksburg, Virginia. FN America slightly modifies the rifles (supplying a U.S. made magazine and machining a pin in the magazine well) to be in compliance with U.S. Code before selling them.
The FN SCAR 20S Precision Rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO was introduced in 2019. It is a semi-automatic only civilian version of the FN Mk 20 SSR. In 2020 the FN SCAR 20S 6.5CM variant was announced chambered in
6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5×48 mm), designated 6.5 Creedmoor by SAAMI, 6.5 Creedmoor by the C.I.P. or 6.5 CM or 6.5 CRDMR for short, is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. It was developed by Hornady senior ballistics ...
.
This chambering has been selected by USSOCOM for long-range use.
Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module
Introduced in 2004 as an addition, the Enhanced Grenade Launching Module (EGLM), officially referred to as the FN40GL, or Mk 13 Mod 0, is a 40 mm grenade launcher based on the 'GL1' designed for the
F2000
The FN F2000 is a 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup rifle, designed by FN Herstal in Belgium. The F2000 made its debut in March 2001 at the IDEX defence exhibition held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. As of early 2019, the F2000 is removed from ...
. The FN40GL is marketed in both an L (Light) and H (Heavy) model, for fitting the appropriate SCAR variant. The EGLM system features a double-action trigger and a swing-out chamber. These offer two advantages over the
M203
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces ...
system, the first being that the launcher does not need to be re-cocked if the grenade does not fire, and the latter being that longer grenades can be used. Like the M203, the FN40GL uses the same
High-Low Propulsion System.
The FN40GL is deemed a third-generation grenade launcher, meaning it is multifunctional: it can be used mounted to the rifle or as a standalone system; it is manufactured using a number of materials like aluminum, composites, and polymers; the breech opens to the side for use of longer 40 mm rounds including less-than-lethal; and it is mounted on the bottom accessory rail instead of requiring specialized mounting hardware. The FN40GL is attached to SCAR rifles on the bottom rail with a trigger adapter and dual locking clamp levers on the launcher, limiting the ability to integrate with other rifles. Barrel length is , and is unique in that it is the only system where the barrel can swivel to the left or right for loading, while other breech-loading launchers pivot specifically to one side. This enhances its ambidexterity, making it easy for a left-handed operator to load under fire. The standalone stock assembly has the FN40GL mounted to the bottom rail as with the rifle, but still has 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock rail positions for other accessories. This is mainly during non-lethal uses for other mounted additions like
LED lights
An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps
and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...
and
laser dazzlers. The trigger is placed lower than normal for operation with the user's middle finger while keeping their trigger finger free to use the rifle. The double-action trigger is long and heavy to prevent easily and unintentionally firing a round under stress. It can fire the
Pike
Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to:
Fish
* Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus''
* Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes
* ''Esox'', genus of ...
40 mm guided munition.
FNAC
In July 2007, the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
announced a limited competition between the
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
, FN SCAR,
HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specific ...
, and the previously shelved
HK XM8. Ten examples of each of the four competitors were involved. During the testing, 6,000 rounds apiece were fired from each of the carbines in an "extreme dust environment". The purpose of the shoot-off was to assess future needs, not to select a replacement for the M4.
During the test, the SCAR suffered 226 stoppages. Since a percentage of each weapons' stoppages were caused by magazine failures, the FN SCAR, XM8 and HK416 performed statistically similarly.
The FN SCAR ranked second to the XM8 with 127 stoppages, but with fewer stoppages compared to the M4 with 882 stoppages and the HK416 with 233. This test was based on two previous systems assessments that were conducted using the M4 carbine and
M16 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-ro ...
at
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving ''Grounds'') is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work a ...
in 2006 and the summer of 2007 before the third limited competition in the fall of 2007. The 2006 test focused only on the M4 and M16. The Summer 2007 test had only the M4 but increased lubrication. Results from the second test resulted in a total of 307 stoppages for the M4 after lubrication was increased, but did not explain why the M4 suffered 882 stoppages with that same level of lubrication in the third test.
The SCAR was one of the weapons displayed to
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
officials during an invitation-only Industry Day on 13 November 2008. The goal of the Industry Day was to review current carbine technology for any situation prior to writing formal requirements for a future replacement for the
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
.
The SCAR was one of the competing weapons in the
Individual Carbine
The Individual Carbine was a competition to select the planned successor to the M4 carbine in the United States Army.
The U.S. Army conducted an open competition for a carbine to replace the M4. This competition was for the Army only—the Uni ...
competition which aimed to find a replacement for the
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
.
A variant of the SCAR was entered into the competition, known as the FNAC (FN Advanced Carbine). The weapon is similar to the SCAR Mk 16 Mod 0 but with modifications including a weight reduction resulting in a loaded weight of , a bayonet lug for an
M9 bayonet
The M9 Bayonet, officially known as the M9 Phrobis III, is a multi-purpose knife and bayonet officially adopted in 1986 by the United States. It has a blade and is issued with a sheath designed to double as a wire cutter.
History
The M9 bayon ...
(which the Mk 16 does not have), a rail mounted folding front iron sight instead of the gas block mounted sight, and a non-reciprocating charging handle. The competition was cancelled before a winner was chosen.
[Army Kills Competition to Replace M4](_blank)
- Military.com, 13 June 2013
HAMR IAR
In 2008, a variant of the FN SCAR—the Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle (HAMR)—was one of four finalist rifles for the
Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) competition. The IAR was a
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
requirement for a lightweight automatic rifle for squad automatic rifle use. The FN entry was different from existing SCAR versions in that it combined
closed bolt
A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin or striker fires th ...
operation (fires from bolt forward/chambered cartridge) with
open bolt operation (fires from bolt to the rear, no chambered cartridge), switching automatically from closed to open bolt as the weapon's barrel heats up during firing. There have been previous firearms with mixed open/closed bolt operation, but the automatic temperature-based operating mode switch is an innovation. The IAR competition was expected to result in Marine Corps procurement of up to 6,500 automatic rifles over five years, but eventually the SCAR variant was passed over in favor of the Heckler and Koch HK416 rifle,
later designated as the
M27.
Adoption
Acceptance of the FN SCAR in the U.S. military
On 4 May 2010, a press release on FN America's official website announced the SCAR Acquisition Decision Memorandum was finalized on 14 April 2010, moving the SCAR program to the Milestone C phase. This was an approval for the entire weapons family of the SCAR-L, SCAR-H, and the Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module.
The Mk 16 has a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute
while the Mk 17 has a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute. This was done to improve control during fully automatic fire.
In late October 2010 SOCOM approved full-rate production of the Mk 20 sniper variant of the SCAR, with fielding beginning in mid-May 2011.
Cancellation of procurement of the Mk 16
On 25 June 2010 SOCOM announced that it was cancelling the acquisition of the Mk 16, citing limited funds and a lack of enough of a performance difference in comparison to other 5.56mm rifles to justify the purchase. Remaining funds would be expended for the SCAR-H and the Mk 20 sniper variant. At the time, SOCOM had bought 850 Mk 16s and 750 Mk 17s.
SOCOM had operators turn in their Mk 16s and is not keeping them in the inventory, but started developing a conversion kit for the Mk 17 to make it capable of firing 5.56mm rounds.
"FN America believes the issue is not whether the SCAR, and specifically the
riginally contractedMk 16 variant, is the superior weapon system available today...it has already been proven to be just that...recently passing Milestone C and determined to be operationally effective / operationally suitable (OE/OS) for fielding. The issue is whether or not the requirement for a 5.56mm replacement outweighs the numerous other requirements competing for the customers' limited budget. That is a question that will only be determined by the customer". FN Herstal though had refuted that the Mk 16 was being dropped from the inventory and stated that the 5.56mm variant will be retained by SOCOM, and that "The choice between the 5.56 mm and the 7.62mm caliber will be left to the discretion of each constitutive component of USSOCOM's Joint Command (e.g. SEALs, Rangers, Army Special Forces,
MARSOC
United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Its core capabilities are direct action, spe ...
, AFSOC) depending on their specific missions on today's battlefield".
FN America's claim contradicted the official announcement from SOCOM and they did not reverse their decision. SOCOM decided to procure the 7.62mm Mk 17 rifle, the 40mm Mk 13 grenade launcher, and the 7.62mm Mk 20 Sniper Support Rifle variants of the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) manufactured by FN. SOCOM would not purchase the 5.56mm Mk 16. At that point the individual service component commands within SOCOM (Army Special Operations Command, Naval Special Warfare Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command) would or would not still buy the 5.56mm Mk 16 SCAR for some or all of their respective subordinate units even with overall US Special Operations Command opting not to.
Modifying the Mk 17
SOCOM began removing the Mk 16 from its inventory at the end of 2011, and most units have had the rifle removed from service post-2013. To maintain the SCAR as a small-caliber weapon, they are procuring conversion kits for the Mk 17 battle rifle to make it fire 5.56×45mm rounds. The presolicitation for the SCAR program originally called for one rifle that could be adapted to fire multiple calibers including 5.56mm, 7.62×51mm, and
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...
. When requirements were finalized, the decision was made to separate the 5.56×45mm and 7.62×51mm weapons because converting the medium caliber rifle to fire small caliber bullets created an assault rifle heavier than the M4 carbine. After fielding, operators reversed the previous decision and called for a SCAR that could change calibers. The Mk 17 was chosen to be scaled down because it had a larger receiver for the 7.62×51mm round, and so the 5.56mm Mk 16 could not be scaled up to chamber the larger round. The 5.56mm conversion kit was finalized in late 2010 and orders began in mid-2011.
On 9 December 2011, the
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...
released a sole source 5 year
indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity In U.S. Federal government contracting, IDIQ is an abbreviation of the term indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity. This is a type of contract that provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services during a fixed period of time. The legal ...
procurement notice for the Mk 16 Mod 0 (SCAR-L), Mk 17 Mod 0 (SCAR-H), Mk 20 Mod 0 (SSR), and Mk 13 Mod 0 (40mm EGLM) from FN to sustain inventory levels. Navy special operations forces procures their firearms through SOCOM and fielded the MK 16 more than any other unit.
The Mk 17 was in widespread use by United States SOF forces in Afghanistan, where its relative light weight, accuracy and stopping power has proved of worth on the battlefield.
Variants
Military variants
*SCAR-L (FN MK 16) –
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
assault rifle
* SCAR-L CQC (FN MK 16 CQC) (Close Quarter Combat) – barrel
* SCAR-L STD (FN MK 16) (Standard) – barrel
* SCAR-L LB (FN MK 16 LB) (Long Barrel) – barrel
* SCAR PDW –
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
personal defense weapon
Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of firearms intended for self-defense and security rather than warfare and infantry. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than ), centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermedia ...
variant with a 170 mm (6.5 in) barrel length. No longer in production and was replaced by the SCAR-SC.
* SCAR-SC –
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
/
.300 Blackout
The .300 AAC Blackout (designated as the 300 BLK by the SAAMI and 300 AAC Blackout by the C.I.P. or 300 AAC Blackout'' C.I.P. TDCC sheet 300 ACC Blackout/ref>), also known as 7.62×35mm, is an intermediate cartridge developed in the United Stat ...
subcompact
carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighte ...
. Weighs 3.1kilos (about 6.8 pounds), has a 7.5 inch barrel, and has a pistol grip with no finger rest. It has a lower effective range of 200 metres. It became available in mid 2018.
* SCAR-H (FN MK 17 Mod 0) –
7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle
*SCAR-H CQC (FN MK 17 CQC) (Close Quarters Combat) – barrel
*SCAR-H STD (FN MK 17 Mod 0) (Standard) – barrel
*SCAR-H LB (FN MK 17 LB) (Long Barrel) – barrel
Precision Rifles -
7.62×51mm NATO
*FN SCAR-H PR (Precision Rifle) - barrel, two-stage match semi-auto trigger, folding stock, and M16A2 pistol grip.
*FN SCAR-H TPR (Tactical Precision Rifle) (FN MK 20 SSR Sniper Support Rifle)- barrel, two-stage match semi-auto trigger, adjustable fixed stock, and M16A2 pistol grip.
Prototypes
* FNAC (FN Advanced Carbine) – 5.56 mm NATO assault rifle entered into the US Army
Individual Carbine
The Individual Carbine was a competition to select the planned successor to the M4 carbine in the United States Army.
The U.S. Army conducted an open competition for a carbine to replace the M4. This competition was for the Army only—the Uni ...
competition. The competition was cancelled before a winning weapon was chosen.
* HAMR IAR (Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle) – 5.56 mm NATO
Automatic rifle
An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes (some automatic rifles are capable of ...
entered in the United States Marine Corps'
Infantry Automatic Rifle competition, it was eventually beaten by the
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle
The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) is a 5.56mm select-fire assault rifle, based on the HK416 by Heckler & Koch. It is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and is intended to be issued to all infantry riflemen as well as automatic ri ...
, a
Heckler & Koch HK416
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
Although the design is based on the AR-15 class of firearm (specifical ...
variant.
* HAMR NGSW (Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle) – 6.8mm Federal Cartridge Company cartridge variant entered in the United States Army'
Next Generation Squad Weapon Program
The Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program is a United States military program created in 2017 to replace the 5.56mm M4 carbine and M249 SAW light machine gun and the 7.62mm M240 machine gun, with a common system of 6.8mm cartridges; and to ...
competition, it was beaten by the
XM5, a
SIG MCX Spear The SIG MCX-SPEAR is a multi-caliber rifle developed by the American division of SIG Sauer from the SIG MCX series of carbines. The SIG MCX-SPEAR is primarily chambered in .277 SIG FURY and can be adapted to 7.62×51mm NATO and 6.5mm Creedmoor with ...
variant.
* Mk 17 Mod 1
6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5×48 mm), designated 6.5 Creedmoor by SAAMI, 6.5 Creedmoor by the C.I.P. or 6.5 CM or 6.5 CRDMR for short, is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. It was developed by Hornady senior ballistics ...
battle rifle entered in the SOCOM
Mid-Range Gas Gun program.
Civilian variants
* SCAR 16S – Civilian
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
semi-automatic version of FN Mk 16. Offered in matte black or flat dark earth (brown) color.
* SCAR 17S – Civilian
7.62×51mm NATO semi-automatic version of FN Mk 17. Offered in matte black or flat dark earth color.
* SCAR 20S – Civilian
7.62×51mm NATO semi-automatic version of FN Mk 20 SSR. Offered in flat dark earth color only.
* SCAR 20S 6.5CM – Civilian
6.5mm Creedmoor
The 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5×48 mm), designated 6.5 Creedmoor by SAAMI, 6.5 Creedmoor by the C.I.P. or 6.5 CM or 6.5 CRDMR for short, is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced by Hornady in 2007. It was developed by Hornady senior ballistics ...
semi-automatic version of FN Mk 20 SSR. Offered in matte black or flat dark earth color.
File:SFG SFAUC.jpg, Belgian SFG soldier armed with the SCAR-L with a suppressor
File:A coalition Special Operations Forces member fires his sniper rifle from a hilltop during a firefight near Nawa Garay village (120403-N-MY805-202).jpg, U.S. coalition SOF soldier with the Mk 20 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR)
File:FN SCAR.jpg, Lithuanian soldier with a SCAR-H PR
File:United States Navy SEALs 177.jpg, U.S. Navy SEAL
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...
with the SCAR-H STD (Mk 17)
Users
See also
*
AK-12
The AK-12 is a Russian assault rifle chambered in 5.45×39mm designed and manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash), making it the fifth generation of Kalashnikov rifles.
The Kalashnikov Concern also offers a variant of the AK ...
*
Beretta ARX160
The Beretta ARX160 is an Italian modular assault rifle manufactured by Beretta. Developed for the Italian Armed Forces as part of the ''Soldato Futuro'' (English: "Future Soldier") program, the ARX160 was launched in 2008 as a commercial weapon s ...
*
CZ-805 BREN
*
Howa Type 20
*
List of assault rifles
*
List of battle rifles
Battle rifles are full-powered rifles, full-length, fully automatic or semi-automatic rifles that have been adopted by a nation's military. The difference between a battle rifle and a designated marksman rifle is often only one of terminology wit ...
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Remington ACR
The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is a modular assault rifle designed by Magpul Industries of Austin, Texas, and known initially as the Masada.
In late January 2008, Bushmaster Firearms International entered into a licensing agreement with Magpul ...
References
External links
* —SCAR-L at FN Herstal
* —SCAR-H at FN Herstal
* —FN America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fn Scar
.300 BLK firearms
5.56 mm assault rifles
7.62×39mm firearms
7.62×51mm NATO rifles
Battle rifles
Belgian inventions
Designated marksman rifles
SCAR
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a n ...
Personal defense weapons
Short stroke piston firearms
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2009