Posted on 08/25/2010 7:55:57 PM PDT by smokingfrog
An unconventional Belgian assault rifle is emerging as the favorite of U.S. special operations forces looking for more firepower to turn the tide in Afghanistan.
The Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle — also known as SCAR — is intended redress the shortcomings of the M-4, an updated version of the M-16 which has been in service since the mid-1960s.
The U.S. military's workhorse rifle did well in Iraq, where much of the fighting was in urban settings. But its light rounds have underperformed in Afghanistan, where the Taliban tend to rely on deadly long-range fire.
An Army study found that the M-4s 5.56mm bullets don't retain enough velocity beyond 1,000 feet (300 meters) to kill an adversary. NATO commanders say U.S. firepower cannot always respond adequately to Taliban sharpshooters firing from 2,000 to 2,500 feet (600-800 meters).
The SCAR, manufactured by Belgian gunmaker FN Herstal, fulfills a specific special operations forces requirement for an easily modifiable rifle that to be used for both urban combat and for extended-distance shooting.
This called for a unique modular system accommodating not just the two main Western rifle calibers — the L-model for the light 5.56mm rounds and H-model for the heavier-hitting 7.62mm rounds — but also barrels of lengths in both calibers.
Many of the components can be interchanged between the two models. Both versions also allow soldiers to quickly replace their barrels to deal with a changing tactical situation.
Martin Fackler, a U.S. ballistics expert, said the SCAR-H round enjoys a clear advantage at long distances because the lighter 5.56mm bullets slow down significantly after about 400 meters (yards), sharply reducing their ability to inflict serious damage to the target.
"(In contrast) at 1,000 yards the 7.62 bullet is still traveling at over the speed of sound," Fackler said.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Just another example of how globalization and free trade (as envisioned by FDR) are placing our troops in danger.
How so?
The FN Manufacturing LLC plant in Columbia, South Carolina is part of the military division of FN. It is primarily responsible for the production of U.S. military weapons, such as M16 rifles, M249 light machine guns, M240 machine guns, and M2 machine guns.
Want.
Looks beautiful, but I have never been keen on the prospect of changing barrels in the field. It is high time however that we retired the dinky 5.56. Ammunition weight was a primary concern in the spray and pray years, but tactics, adaptability, and skill levels have changed. The RPK and AK rifles in 7.62, properly manufactured, are simply magnificent weapons. But in this age of drugged-out Wahhabist kamikazes I’d go so far as to say it might be time for a return to STOPPING POWER without “tumbling”, ie. a return to:
RULE 303.
The SCAR is a pretty nifty weapons system, to be sure.
I do get a bit of the sense that the writer doesn’t completely understand what kind of rifles these Taliban “sharpshooters” are probably using, or that there are other 7.62 mm rifles in the U.S. and NATO inventory that can “reach out and touch someone” at those ranges, even if they aren’t modular or as modern as the SCAR.
It could be I’m influenced by other articles on this topic - I read one a while back where the writer confused 7.62x39 with 7.62x54 and basically argued that the AK-47 had the same effective range of a PKM.
Either way, though, the SCAR is pretty nifty. :-)
I’m just tweaking the trolls that bless FR econ threads with their presences . . . you do realize, that if you managed to find a legal way to purchase one for yourself, you’re a traitor? ;)
Whatever-it-takes BUMP for America’s finest!
7.7 lbs is a little on the heavy side. Looks cool though.
About fiiing time. Essentially a more compact FAL FN. Our troops FINALLY have some stopping power.
I want one of these but....
http://www.dsarms.com/SA58-FAL-Standard-Rifle-308-Cal——SA58STD/productinfo/SA58STD/
...probably will only spend for one of these.
http://www.dsarms.com/STG58—Austrian-FAL-Standard-Rifle-308-Cal-——STG58STD/productinfo/STG58STD/
Sadly the mission has been compromised because The Imam is a muslim and ALL of TV including Fox/Saudia supports The Imam, Islam and The Victory Mosque.
The idiots who pay for cable and sat TV are already paying a jizya or Islmic tax on non-muslims.
As to FDR's globalization:
John Browning was pretty much the archetypal American genius and FN and John Browning cannot be discussed separately, that's why they call the (pre-FDR) High Power the "Belgian Browning".
Do they make one in 6.8mm SPC? ;)
“Just another example of how globalization and free trade (as envisioned by FDR) are placing our troops in danger.”
This either is better or it isn’t. End of story, no “buy American” only to get killed.
I like the SCAR-H in Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2. :-)
In the closing days of Harry Truman, the FAL darn near replaced the M1 Garand. Along came Dwight Eisenhower. He thought American boys should have American rifles.
The M14 was born.
The FNAR .308 rifle is nice too. It's basically an updated Browning Automatic Rifle.
Very accurate too.
I wonder if DSA’s version of the mini FAL at $1975 would have been cheaper and just as good.
http://www.dsarms.com/Mini-SA58-FAL-OSW-Rifle-Semi-Auto-308-Cal——SA58OSW/productinfo/SA58OSW/
One FR’er said Spec Ops was buying up all of DSA’s capacity post 9/11.
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