It may not be cool to admit it, I first saw this rifle playing Modern Warfare with my internet friends. Unlike the vaporware 6.8 spc ACR, the SCAR-H actually became a legitimate platform. Yes, I’m aware of the lame 5.56 ACR, but that one was stupid. In any case, I was totally sold after I saw the Heavy crush on FPS Russia. Ah FPS Russia, that guy from the Halcyon Days when the internet was definitely not a safe space. Some people complain about the tactical Ugg Boot, but I actually like it and after many years of use I can tell you that this platform absolutely rocks.
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This rifle has reliably performed over many years and several thousand rounds (probably about 6k rounds at this point but I’m not really counting anymore). During that time, the 17s (the civilian version of the H) has been very robust within its design constraints. I’ve used it in dusty summers and on snowy winter backpacking trips. With an AK-simple design combined with a monolithic rail, 7.62×51 NATO power, sub-MOA accuracy, light weight and surprisingly low recoil; this platform has a lot to love. On the other hand, the reciprocating charging handle that the military demanded has been less popular. New versions of the rifle now have a non-reciprocating charging handle, so everyone on the internet can put that argument to bed. Like any popular platform, there have been some problems reported, but at the end I’ll explain those problems in detail and offer solutions.
For a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, FN-Herstal’s next-gen platform is arguably a very strong choice of firearm. The power, range and inherent accuracy of the 308 Winchester (7.62x51mm NATO) cartridge offers a distinct tactical advantage that cannot be matched by lesser cartridges.
…Yes, this rifle is expensive.
…No, it’s not the most economical way to sling semi-auto 308 downrange.
…Nonetheless, most competing battle rifles are much older designs. The FAL, the HK91, the M14/M1A are all much older designs that show their age.
While AR10-pattern rifles have gotten much better in recent years, in the past I’ve seen AR10’s fail under even light use. Yes, they’ve gotten better, but there are inherent weaknesses to the AR10 bolt, particularly the extractor. It’s true that you could get into an Aero Precision AR10 for cheaper. But, the FN battle rifle isn’t far off from Daniel Defense AR10’s and it’s notably cheaper than rifles from LaRue or Heckler & Koch.
In contrast to the AR10, the SCAR’s state-of-the-art design makes it almost as simple to service as an AK47 with the added advantage of legendary sub-MOA accuracy. Don’t let the “H” standing for Heavy fool you, this thing is actually a very lightweight and easy to shoot rifle. What you can’t see when you look at the H/17s is just how comfortable and ergonomic it is to shoot quickly. The innovative bolt carrier design, an effective muzzle device and a very well-balanced short-stroke gas-piston all contribute to the Heavy having much lower felt recoil than other battle rifles I’ve used.
The SCAR-H is the softest recoiling battle rifle I’ve ever used. Sure, you’re tough enough to handle a heavy-recoiling battle rifle, but the truth is that you’d be able to shoot a rifle with less recoil faster.
SCAR-H Optics
Does the SCAR-H destroy optics? My answer is don’t be a poor and you’ll be fine: Get good glass. If you throw a cheapo Strike-Eagle on top of it, your scope’s illumination may just go out like the light leaving the eyes of a certain p— who tried to fight the K—sha K-d. Put simply, your Wish.com turrets will click as firmly as butter on the surface of Venus. But your ACOG, your Eotech, your Aimpoint, your Vortex Razor etc will be just fine.
I’ve ran three main setups on this platform so far, precision rifle scope (sometimes with flip-to-side red dot), Eotech with magnifier and the Vortex Razor 1-10. Which is “best” is hard to say. The Vortex Razor is amazing, but it’s expensive, is not a perfect 1x power and doesn’t work with night vision. The Eotech EXPS3-4 is great day or night and I really like the 5x magnifier, but it’s also expensive and the 5x is too high for quick-scoping. That said, I like that I can unclip the magnifier when I don’t need it to cut weight, and I can also share magnifiers across multiple rifles. Running a 2-10 power First Focal Plane scope with either a flip-to-side or top-mounted dot is probably the best balance of long range precision and close-in work, but it’s heavy. Down the road I may go for an ACOG with top mounted micro dot: it’s not the “best” but it’s strong, simple and light-weight.
SCAR-H Problems
Through many years of hard use, I’ve very-much enjoyed shooting it, but I have noticed a few quirks. But, with knowledge and some modification these issues can be solved. The biggest problem with this rifle is that it takes stupid proprietary magazines. So, if you’re serious about this platform, get an aftermarket lower so you can use standard LR308 pmags. While the factory magazines do work fairly well: they’re expensive, a little hard to find and over time and hard use the feed lips may crack. The stock magazines work, but magpul pmags are better and for the cost of 25-50 factory FN magazines you can get an aftermarket lower and a bunch of pmags. I’ve had one Midway USA brand metal LR308 mag jam the gun on me, but those mags are cheap and sometimes need some break-in to feed well.
The second main issue I’ve had with it was that I treated the bolt carrier like an AK47 and used heavy lithium grease on it. But, due to the very tight tolerances inherent to sub-MOA accuracy, the heavy grease caused cycling issues. That said, it runs like a top on light gun oil, motor oil and even automatic transmission fluid.
The third issue I’ve had with the Heavy has to do with running the Silencerco Omega 300 suppressor on the rifle with hand-loaded ammo. This issue was tough to solve, even with the very-useful Parker Mountain Machine gas screws (put them in super loose, they’re captured and cannot back out anyway). What I finally realized is that the Omega was probably the highest back-pressure can on the market and the factory-adjustable gas block didn’t change the pressure enough to compensate. I managed to solve this issue when I found a bit of trivia buried deep on AR15.com. When the SEALs fielded this rifle in Afghanistan with a factory installed AAC-SDN6, FN-Herstal drilled a small hole in the suppressor body to bleed off additional pressure.
Once I learned this fact, I personally solved the issue by “clearancing” the extra bleed-off hole in the suppressor setting of the gas adjuster, but there are also aftermarket three-position gas adjusters available on the aftermarket. A new gas adjuster is only $35- so if I bricked it I’m not that worried. Now that my Omega has over 20k rounds through it, mostly from SBRs, the Heavy will run it just fine without any changes needed.
A High-End Hot-Rod
It’s not a beginner’s rifle, it is not an affordable rifle and is not right for everyone. That said, the low recoil, simple and robust design, exceptional accuracy and the powerful 7.62x51mm NATO chamber all make the Heavy a legendary defensive rifle. While the quad rail is kind of dated and the market has moved to longer rails, the platform has become legendary in terms of its reliable and unique design.
All-in-all, this battle rifle is great right out of the box if you want to have fun with a world-class battle rifle. However, to truly optimize it, you’re going to end up modding it with aftermarket bits like charging handles, m-loc fore-ends, milled lowers, suppressors and of course: optics.
Sure, you can absolutely run it bone-stock with iron sights and have a war-proven 21st-century battle rifle. But, if you really want to get into the SCAR game, you’ll likely end up building it over time. Strongly consider an aftermarket lower (the upper is the serialized part), a forward rail, a trigger and some decent glass. All in, you could spend five grand or more. It’s not cheap and your wife probably won’t understand why it’s better than a rack grade AR10, but for those who know, it’s a sweet bit of kit.
PROS: extremely accurate, very simple & robust design, fires the powerful 7.62 NATO / 308 Winchester cartridge, ambidextrous fire controls, modern modular design, easy to mount optics / accessories, advanced BCG / gas system & muzzle device make exceptionally light recoil, lightweight design works well close in while accuracy and power very nice for extended range, decent aftermarket, platform has staying power in the market.
CONS: Expensive, but not compared to LaRue & HK. I wish they sent it from the factory with a modern m-loc rail, a better trigger and factory pmags.
Verdict: The Heavy absolutely rocks and it’s one of the few video game guns that actually exceeds the hype. Despite its quirks, it’s still a world-class battle rifle that always turns heads at the range.