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Tactical Reviews
SOG DonationsGive all reasons pro & con on FN SCAR rifles.
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Expensive!! That is just one of the cons. Also Iâve heard Scars donât like some of the P-Mags.
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Ask yourself why you would want to bother with anything non-AR-15?
Pros: Lightweight, accurate and reliable. But so is the AR-15âŠ
Cons: Prohibitively expensive, spare parts are unavailable, FN support is hard to get, barrels are too short for both the 5.56 and 7.62 versions (remember that 5.56 and 7.62 need at least 18 and 20" respectively in order to do what they were designed for), doesnât really offer anything over an AR-15, not fully ambi. Take into consideration that FN is a military contractor first and foremost and is hardly succesful on the commercial market. They focus on govt contracts. The AR-15 is the citizenâs rifle. ARâs are everywhere and will never go away.
You are much, much better served with the following AR-15 and itâs really all youâll ever need out of a general purpose rifle:
Primary Weapons Systems MK118 Mod 2.223 Wylde
2x Primary Weapons Systems KeyMod Aluminum Picatinny Rail Section
Primary Weapons Systems Enhanced Buffer Tube Mod 2 (comes standard)
Geissele Super Tricon Trigger
Geissele Maritime Bolt Catch
Lantac Dragon DGN556B 1/2-28 UNEF R/H Muzzle Brake
Battle Arms Development Ambidextrous Safety Selector AR-15 â Standard & Short Levers
Battle Arms Development Enhanced Pin Set AR-15
BCM Gunfighter Stock (comes standard)
BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle Mod 4 (comes standard)
BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 Pistol Grip (comes standard)
BCM Gunfighter KeyMod Rail Panels
TangoDown SCAR P-Rail Panels 6â
TangoDown SCAR P-Rail Panels 2â
Troy Industries Micro Set HK Front and Round Rear Tritium BLK Battle Sights w/ XS Sight Systems Troy CSAT Rear Aperture
LaRue Tactical LT-FUG Forward Universal âPillarâ Grip
Aimpoint Comp M4S w/ EOTech G33.STS 3x Magnifier
Surefire M600 Ultra Z68 Weapon Light â American Defense Manufacturing M600 PKG Mount Combination w/ AD-TacLever Upgrade @ 9
Savvy Sniper Quad X Cobra Sling
2x ALG Defense Forged Sling Swivel
Noveske QD Direct Attach Swivel Mount
Lancer Systems L5AWM Translucent Smoke 30-Round Magazines w/ 5.56 Magpul
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FN SCAR pros & cons. Everything minuteman said. When people ask me if they should get one I Always ask have you looked into a Beretta ARX100?, or CZ BREN 805?
The CZ BREN 805 can be had for 1600.00, and the Beretta ARX 100 for 900.00.
Another good point is if you save 2000.00 on a rifle purchase, you can put that money towards ammo! Think about it 2000.00 in 5.56 is around 6000 rounds! There is no replacement for experience or training. Happy hunting.
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Compared to the 805 the only thing I could find was the BHO, everything else is pretty even and CZ is on par with FN in terms of CS and QC.
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@Caw
Oh by the way I just picked up my new CZ Bren 805 last night, so as soon as my buddy gets back from Florida we can to a comparison shoot off between the ARX100, CZ Bren 805, and the FN SCAR 16. I think we will use a control as well. How about a sig 516? I figure a piston Ar15 would be a good one.
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SCAR 16 gets my vote because it has the most after market available. You can get a lot of cool stuff that improves the system and 18" barrels are available if you shop around, itâs not that hard at all. They are out there. On top of that this platform is amazingly accurate. The ARX isnât all that accurate and is known to be a 2.5-ish MOA gun.
Just a side note: Iâve said it before and Iâll say it again: 5.56 62gr fmj needs at least 18" to reliably do what it was designed to do (fragment). Anything under 18" is a waste as the only terminal effect will be ice pick like clean entry and exit wounds.
As JF89 already mentioned: Avoid SIG Sauer at all costs. The Romeo optics are nice but thatâs about itâŠ
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I dont like 18" barrel on my AR15s unless Its on an SPR or Recce type buid. What ammo do you run in 16" and shorter barrels? I usually run 77 gr BH or AE 62 gr fmj.
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55gr m193. That is sufficient for inside 100m.
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@Caw
Do you know when the quality went down? I have a gen1 and gen 2 for testing. I saw no reason to get the 3rd gen.
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2004ish I think. Cohen (sp) took over and has been ruining it ever since. He did the same thing with Kimber.
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The Scar in .308 is pretty epic but in 5.56 not so much, way over priced. Even if cost was the same I would take the 805, there has been less issues (such as cracked lowers, destroying optics, etc.) and the Bren looks better IMO. Availability of parts goes to the FN for now but CZ will probably catch up ,neither will ever be at the AR15 or AKs level in terms of customization. Putting price into perspecve I can buy an 805 used for $900ish off gun broker and buy $600 in spare parts and still save close to $600-700.
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One thing that has kept me from buying the Bren is future availability of parts. Is CZ going to continue makig these guns and parts for them or are they just burning off all the leftovers from their military contract after switching to the 806?
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@Caw
To the best of my knowledge 806 is full auto and 805 is semi. I donât think you will have to worry about support, yet that is also figuring that you would ever need parts. Both the SCAR and the BREN are the same action. The only difference in design is the SCAR has a longer bolt carrier and shorter piston. The BREN is longer piston and shorter carrier. Both rifles are used in military applications currently.
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Agreed. One can trick out a SCAR with a lot of neat aftermarket -including alloy lowers-, but itâs a rifle that doesnât really offer anything substantial over a high end quality piston AR-15. PWSâs price point is far lower.
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How would you compare the PWS AR15 to the Bren 805? Excluding parts availability.
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The 805 is a 16" barrel gun which by default limits it to defensive purposes with 55gr M193 ammo within the 100m threshold. It also uses a reciprocating side mounted charging handle which although reversible is less than ideal as itâs in the way and uncomfortable when two point sling-carrying the rifle with the CH on the left (pokes the thigh). Contrary to popular belief the 5.56 fmj round will not do what it was initially designed to do from any barrel under at least 18". What you want is reliable fragmentation. It needs that longer barrel in order to do so.
The PWS AR-15 is, well, the PWS AR-15. Proper minimum barrel length (18") for 62gr M885 ammo is available, and the CH is right there where it should be. Factor in another obvious benefit to the AR platform: occlusive system sealed from the elements. The AR -any good quality AR- is a no-brainer. Iâm all for innovation, yet I havenât seen anything to date that the AR doesnât do or does better. The AR-15 is here to stay and will never go away. What becomes of other 5.56 GP rifles remains to be seen. As for now theyâre coming and going. Just my observation and two pennies to the coin.
The way I see things right now in the M885 ammo realm is that we basically have 3 off the shelf options: an 18/20" barrel AR-15 -of any reputable make-, the FN SCAR with the optional 18" barrel that can be found online, and the IWI X95 18" barrel version. All 3 need aftermarket customization to reach Nirvana status. Everything else out there on the market just doesnât cut it or is imho relegated to a defensive <100m role with 55gr M193. Mind you, Iâm talking Average Joeâs/Jillâs ammo budget! So YMMV. Most of us can only afford the 9mm 124/147gr hollow point variety and 5.56mm 62gr full metal jacket SOP when it comes to ammo purchase. Again, YMMV.
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How did you like the Bren 805 compared to the other rifles?
I still canât get my buddy to go out to the range with his SCAR. The Bren doesnât have a bolt release, so after inserting a new magazine your manual of arms will be more like a AK in that you will have to yank back on the charging handle. The SCAR has a bolt release on it. The Bren has an amazing trigger and safety. In all honesty if the Beretta ARX100 had a better trigger, I would be having some serious buyers remorse on the Bren purchase.
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I pretty much agree with Minuteman on all accounts. Hereâs my take on the SCAR/BREN/ARX/AR comparisons.
SCAR: Great platform but very pricey for average civilian shooter. 16 inch barrel really limits it. More and more aftermarket support out there but pricey as well. Does have a history of being hard on optics, especially the more budget minded ones. Will take any magazine out there BUT be careful with certain generations of the PMAG, known to cause issues. Trigger is so-so IMO out of the box.
BREN: I always have called this the âpoor manâs SCARâ and that is not disparaging at all. Many of the same features as the SCAR but much easier on the wallet. Aftermarket still needs to catch up. Will take any STANAG magazine from what I understand. Again the 16 inch barrel is its biggest limitation, like the SCAR. Trigger is very nice compared to the SCAR out of the box. It does lack a bolt release but I can understand considering Czech history.
ARX: Biggest failure is magazine limitations unless youâre willing to dremel your PMAGs, depending on generation. That alone is a deal breaker for me. Accuracy is around 2-2.5 MOA from what I have seen and that is fine for a defensive/battle rifle. Ease of barrel change a huge plus. Ease of reversing ejection is a big plus. Rail space is limited though. Overall I like it but the magazine compatibility issue is a big one for me.
Finally, the AR: Huge aftermarket for it. Great selection of calibers and barrel lengths. Magazine compatibility, it is the standard. Modularity, still king IMO. Cost, beats the other 3 hand down. As far as cons, here we go. Some folks hate the âshits where you eatâ DI system but in my experience stateside and overseas itâs reliable. Even then there are piston driven options out there. BTW, as a caveat, the DI AR is still a âpistonâ system as the bolt and carrier act as the piston. Just a FYI. As far as cons that really is the only one I can think of that is âmajorâ.
Out of the 4, if I only had or could own one, it would be a AR. Along with my other pros for the AR is the fact that for veterans this platform is completely natural. Controls, operation, maintenance, etcâŠ
Now with that said, if I was looking for another 5.56 defensive/combat rifle, then the BREN would probably top the list. That however is just me.
Ultimately it is a âto each their ownâ. Whatever rifle you pick, if it works for then great. I am not a âone size fits allâ type when it comes to firearms.
Peace out.
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