SOCOM Cancels Mk-16 SCAR

According to an article on Military.com, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has cancelled further procurement of the Mk.16 SOCOM Combat Assault Rifle-Light (SCAR-L) in favor of buying only the 7.62x51mm SCAR-H "heavy" variant of the SCAR.

“The Mk-16 does not provide enough of a performance advantage over the M-4 to justify spending USSOCOM’s limited … funds when competing priorities are taken into consideration,” officials at USSOCOM said in an email response to questions from Military.com.

A few thoughts on this:

1. I'm glad I didn't spend $2,500+ on a SCAR-L "because I want to shoot what SOCOM shoots."
2. This decision certainly implies that the M4 is a "good enough" carbine, even by SOCOM's high standards.
3. The AR-15/M16/M4 platform will be with us for quite a while longer.
4. It seems that the SCAR-H will likely become a niche weapon, fielded in quite limited quantities.

For civilian shooters who want a battle rifle, this is another reason to consider either a KAC/DPMS/Magpul-compatible "AR-308" rifle or an M1A or maybe hold out for Magpul's long-gestating Massoud (the .308 version of the Remington/Bushmaster ACR, nee Magpul Masada).

By: Guardian