The MK17 SCAR-H

Introduction

The SCAR-H was FN's successful entry into the SOCOM Special operations forces combat assault rifle(SCAR) trials. The rifle is chambered in 7.62x51 NATO and comes in short-barrel, standard, and long barreled marksman variants. There is also a SCAR-L variant that is chambered in the more intermediate 5.56 NATO cartridge. Aside from its adoption by SOCOM, the SCAR has seen fairly widespread adoption by a variety of military and police forces. The SCAR has seen mixed reviews by some special operations forces, many of whom report harsh recoil or reliability issues in sandy conditions.

Technical Details

The SCAR is a short-stroke gas piston operated rifle with a multi-lug rotating bolt. It has an adjustable gas valve on the gas block for running the gun normally, suppressed, or in adverse conditions. Internally, the SCAR is one of many modern rifles that are internally reminiscent of Stoner's AR-18. These rifles include the SCAR, G36, and British SA80, just to name a few. 

When comparing a SCAR bolt to a G36, SA80, or AR-18, it becomes very obvious that all of the rifles derive their core functionality from the same principle. In essence, the primary difference is that since this is chambered in 7.62 NATO, while the other AR-18 derivatives are .223/5.56 rifles. The good part about this being an AR-18 derivative is that it has proven to be a very dependable, reliable system.

The SCAR bolt carrier group

The SCAR bolt carrier visually resembles an elongated G36 bolt carrier group without the G36 charging handle at the front. Unlike the G36 that utilizes an ambidextrous charging handle, the SCAR features a one-sided, charging handle that can be swapped to either side when field stripping the rifle. This charging handing is seen as a potential downside of the rifle due to the fact that it reciprocates. The charging handle has the potential to hit the shooters hand or catch on gear, potentially leading to a malfunction. 

SCAR lower receiver and trigger group

The SCAR has an interesting trigger group when compared to functionally similar rifles like the Knights SR-25. The only very obvious difference is the main trigger spring. It is a linear spring similar to an SKS rather than a torsion spring like AR variants. One interesting caveat about the pictured lower is that it is actually and aftermarket lower receiver for SCAR variants that is designed to use SR-25 magazines. 

History and Use

The SCAR is currently used in over 30 countries in varying roles. Because it is a rather expensive rifle, its use is limited primarily to special forces and police, where it can be fielded by a select few people. One exception to this is the military of FN's home country, Belgium. Here, the old standard service weapons are being replaced by SCAR L and H variants. One extremely interesting thing to note is the use of the SCAR H by non-state actors.

Taliban fighter with SCAR H and Elcan optic

According to an article on TheFirearmBlog, the rifle was captured after a firefight with Afghan Army forces. I find it really interesting, and at times frustrating, that militaries like the ANA are equipped with the latest and greatest weaponry, typically supplied by the US, and the weaponry falls into enemy hands after engagements. The SCAR is an expensive, effective rifle, and it is dangerous for the latest and greatest weapons to be used against us.

Conclusion

The SCAR H is a modern rifle with a Cold War soul. It's AR-18 based internals combined with the fact that it's chambered in 7.62 NATO lead to a battle rifle that is as effective as it is cool. The particular SCAR pictured throughout this post was equipped with a variety of aftermarket parts. The Handl Defense carbon fiber handguard is the more glaringly obvious, and the "SCAR-25" lower allows the rifle to feed from SR-25 magazines.

Special thanks to Phil for letting my take some pictures of his rifle. He has plenty more gun content (amongst other things) on his Instagram, so check him out.