The FN SCAR 16S Carbine Earns its High Price Tag: My AR is one of my favorite rifles in my collection, so I reserved judgment on the FN Scar 16S until I had a chance to fire it. It’s definitely more expensive, but I found out the reason that special forces in the U.S. military love to use it.
FN SCAR 17S. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
FN SCAR 16S: The Basics
For starters, some of the best things about the FN SCAR 16S are the larger features. The fire selector and magazine release are big enough that I could easily use them with gloves on, and I strongly recommend wearing those because the Scar gets hot pretty fast.
The good news there is that, even after 100 rounds of testing, I didn’t have a single misfire, jam, or issue with the magazine feed no matter how hot it got. I also loved that the trigger guard is big enough to accommodate gloves, because they knew how hot it would get when they designed it.
All of those features are built to be ambidextrous, but they didn’t get in my way when I was shooting. I will say that the charging handle can pinch your fingers against an optic if you’re not careful, but it wasn’t an issue after the first time for me.
As for the test firing, I fell in love. I had a spread inside of 2” at 100 yards and that didn’t change much at 300 or even 400 yards, though I did need to use an optic for those targets. That’s when I became aware of the charging handle spacing.
One thing that stood out was how simple the Scar is to take apart and clean, because I did it in just a few minutes. I was also able to adjust the folding stock and cheek rest to be completely comfortable in my firing position, and they held that adjustment the whole time.
The .223 rounds had no recoil that I noticed, mostly thanks to the muzzle brake on the Scar. Between that and the fact that the rifle is just over 7 pounds, it was easy to maneuver with. The 4 Picatinny rails let me put on a holographic sight and a grip with no problem.
I also loved the gas piston firing system because it cut down on the gas release, but it also reduced the carbon build-up so I didn’t have to clean it as much. It works with my AR magazines, but avoid using the Gen II PMags because they’ll break your Scar.
FN SCAR 16S. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The one thing I don’t like about the SCAR is the price, because $3,300 is pretty high. While you can find guns in the same vein for less, they won’t have the same quality or durability that this rifle brings to the table.
FN SCAR: Yes, Worth the Money…
After 100 rounds at the range, it’s no wonder members of the military love the FN Scar 16S tactical carbine. I personally love this as much or more than my AR, from the handling to the accuracy and recoil management, so if you have the money I can’t recommend the Scar enough.
Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.
