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Old April 23, 2015, 10:51 AM   #1
Bernie Lomax
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SCAR 16: overpriced?

I'm considering the purchase of a 5.56mm assault-style rifle and have been looking at the SCAR 16. From what I've heard, they're fine weapons, but man, are they expensive. Are they really worth what they're charging for them? Impact guns has them listed for about $2500, which is $500 more than what it would cost to have my gunsmith build me a quality Galil AR and $1000 more than what it would cost for a Colt 6920 SOCOM.

So what's the deal with the SCAR? is it really worth it or just overpriced? Should I just forget the SCAR and get myself a Galil or 6920? TIA for your opinions and input.
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Old April 23, 2015, 10:58 AM   #2
Captains1911
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A semi-automatic rifle is not an assault-rifle nor an "assault-style rifle." This is the kind of nonsense that the talking head media and politicians love to spew over and over, and it does us no good to repeat it.

As for the SCAR, yes they are expensive. AR-15 are similar but different. It's up to you to decide which you prefer and how much you are willing to spend.
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Old April 23, 2015, 11:00 AM   #3
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.....
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Old April 23, 2015, 11:18 AM   #4
SR420
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It's a great rifle, especially if you want/need a piston driven folder.

I wanted a piston driven folder for less, so I found a pre-ban Daewoo K2.
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Old April 23, 2015, 03:58 PM   #5
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Sig 556 is another good piston operated folder. I have no complaints whatsoever.
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Old April 23, 2015, 04:11 PM   #6
bfoosh006
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Seeing how the SCAR 16 is kind of state of the art.... that is the reason for the over-priced part... to me at least.

Is it worth it ? I doubt it.

It still shoots the same 5.56 as an AR15.

An AR15 can be readily altered into a completely different beast simply by changing the upper.... ( .458 SOCOM, 6.8, 6.5 Grendel, 22 LR ... etc)

Or even a lightweight handy carbine or a long, heavy barreled varmint rifle.

I consider the AR15 to be the "small block Chevy" of the rifle world.

Tons of aftermarket parts, and a simple to Gunsmith rifle.
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Old April 23, 2015, 07:35 PM   #7
marine6680
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You can do more with an AR, simply because of the aftermarket.

The SCAR is a good rifle, but the economics of scale are not there, so the higher price is the result. Its a smooth action, and well built though.

Get a Quality AR in the $1000-1500 range, and you have a very good dependable rifle, that is just as good/well built as a SCAR... Build a rifle and you can get one tweaked to exactly how you want and keep the price around $1000 or a little more depending on the parts you choose. Choose well, and you will have a rifle built just as well as the higher end rifles. You can spend less if you just want cheap, and buy good parts on sale from outside the big names.


So the question is... do you feel the SCAR is worth the price in light of the current AR market. If you just want different, you can't go wrong with a SCAR.
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Old April 23, 2015, 07:42 PM   #8
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I qualed with the SCAR-L (the real military rifle) when I was with AFSOC. While it was cool, had a lot of bells and whisfles and was FDE and had a piston and a kung-fu grip, at the end of the day, I really couldn't see that it did more than my M4. My scores were the same within a point or two so I really had to question why bother with it? Yeah, the bolt stayed cleaner and the upper was cooler but now you had another part to clean and as far as hot uppers go, when I was a GS ground combat skills instructor at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming, we fired blanks by the crate and a good day was measured by how many cook-offs we had. Yeah, the upper got hot but it wasn't as big of a problem as some make it out to be.
Yes, I will probably buy a civie version one of these days just as something different but I really don't consider it to be all that superior than an AR. If you got the itch and the funds, go for it but I wouldn't go into debt over one.
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Old April 23, 2015, 08:03 PM   #9
ronl
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To answer your question simply; yes. They can't do a single thing a standard AR won't do; at three times the price. You pay a lot for the cool factor.
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Old April 23, 2015, 08:06 PM   #10
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Another +1 for building up an AR pattern rifle, however, it seems you are intent on purchasing one outright. I'll do you one better, though. You can buy a complete lower and upper separately and avoid the excise tax and save even more money. The SCAR is a high speed piece of kit no doubt, but if price is really an issue, then I would say that it won't do any better than an AR-15 for field work. At least not $1000 better.
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Old April 23, 2015, 08:53 PM   #11
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I've put a few magazines through a SCAR 16s. They shoot smooth, and recoil much softer than an AR-15. IMO the SCAR is definitely the better rifle. However, I don't think it's $1000-$1500 better!
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Old April 24, 2015, 08:49 AM   #12
tirod
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Only a highly skilled shooter could eke out the slight advantages a SCAR is alleged to offer - and most of us aren't.

An AR could be built with almost all the same features - for half - and the end result is that it's still not the working part of the gun that makes it a weapon.

The ammo is. All the gun does is propel it in the direction you want it to do. All the advantages of the SCAR don't significantly add to making the bullet do more.

On a cost per bullet basis for the total package I doubt any incremental improvement will be seen for the increase in price of each fired. It's not about the gun being a weapon, it take ammo, and ammo can seriously improve or detract from it's performance.

Buying an exotic, different rifle is about that - not downrange performance.
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Old April 24, 2015, 02:39 PM   #13
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My money says it is but if the world ran on practicality there wouldn't be any Ed Brown's, Colts, Daniels Defense, LWRC's, FN's etc..I say if you have the money and it appeals to you, might as well get it. I plan on buying a M1a of some configuration, they are overpriced in my opinion and they are far from ideal as a good all around rifle but I want it anyway just because it appeals to me...
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Old April 24, 2015, 04:54 PM   #14
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SCARs are cool guns and a lot of fun to shoot. If I were going to spend that money, I would spend it elsewhere, but that doesn't mean its overpriced. Early adopters of new technology tend to pay a lot of money before it catches on and manufacturing catches up to cheaper methods of producing it. They're in a very similar price range to the Tavor, F2000, PS90, Bushmaster XCR, ARX160 etc. You could spend on a Galil or an AUG close to what a SCAR costs. All about personal preference.

If you're talking about the logistics of arming a militia, police force, or national military with them, that's a different discussion.
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Old May 3, 2015, 08:20 AM   #15
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If you're even thinking about a SCAR and are willing to foot the price. Why are you even looking at the SCAR 16 (5.56) when you can have a SCAR 17 (7.62) for the same price?
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Old May 3, 2015, 09:33 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stmichps View Post
If you're even thinking about a SCAR and are willing to foot the price. Why are you even looking at the SCAR 16 (5.56) when you can have a SCAR 17 (7.62) for the same price?
Some people want the 5.56? I know i want both.
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Old May 3, 2015, 10:59 AM   #17
Bernie Lomax
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If you're even thinking about a SCAR and are willing to foot the price. Why are you even looking at the SCAR 16 (5.56) when you can have a SCAR 17 (7.62) for the same price?

I already have a 7.62 (an FAL) and want something in 5.56 (or 5.45). The .22 caliber assault-style rifles are, I believe, better for HD due to their milder recoil and less penetration.
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Old May 3, 2015, 11:08 AM   #18
slim9300
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SCAR 16: overpriced?

Nobody has said anything about the ergonomics, but for me that is a big factor. I feel the rifle (my pops owns one) is awkward and bulky. It feels like a brick in comparison to my favorite AR-15 setup. His rifle is also pretty noisy (as in rattling) when you move the rifle around quickly or shake it.

Any gas piston impingement AR-15 will have similar recoil to the SCAR if you can adjust the gas. Surprisingly my Ruger SR-762 (.308) has similar recoil to some of the AR-15s I have shot. But keep in mind that I hunt with a .300 RUM.

After owning both gas piston and gas impingement rifles, it is nice to not have to clean your rifles every time you take them out (and have full piece of mind). Needless to say, my Rock River, S&W or Colt, have never malfunctioned and I have run them very dirty for testing purposes. And when it comes to cleaning, that process goes about 20 minutes faster with my piston rifle.

Also, in terms of accuracy. The SCAR 16 (despite what you hear) is not overly impressive. I shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards with a 16" barrel RRA with a rail and the factory trigger (and relatively inexpensive factory ammo). My dad's SCAR is not capable of that but I hear that some are. Just don't think they are some precision rifle, like say the OBR. A solid AR-15 build will be more accurate in my opinion.

So, I say neat gun, but there is no way it's worth the price tag for me.

Last edited by slim9300; May 3, 2015 at 11:15 AM.
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Old May 4, 2015, 04:07 PM   #19
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If I was going to drop that kind of coin I would rather have a H&K MR556a1.....just my .02
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