WE SCAR review

Manufacturer	WE
Model	SCAR (Tan)
Capacity	30+1
Weight	3162g
Power	430fps
Power Source	propane
Blowback	yes
Hop-up	adjustable
Shooting Mode	semi | full auto
Construction	ABS, metal

Background:

Back in 2003, the US SOCOM urged the importance to obtain SOF Combat Assault Rifles (SCAR) which in essence, this solicitation requested a new rifle catering for the current and future needs of the US Special Forces . Being different from the requirements of generic US Army standards, this meant something totally different had to be chosen for this application. The SCAR can be used in a variety of calibers, not only are they available in 5.56 and 7.62 NATO rounds, the SCAR has also been proposed to also chamber the 7.62x39 M43 ammunition of the Soviet / Russian origins as well as the 6.8x43 Remington SPC cartridge, especially developed for US Special Forces.

As it turned out, FN SCAR rifles are not based on any previous weapons but designed from the scratch. In all variants FN SCAR rifles feature gas operated, short stroke piston action with rotating bolt locking. Bolt system appears to be somewhat similar to that of FN Minimi / M249 SAW machine gun. This system apparently is less sensitive to fine sand, dust and any other fouling inside the receiver, than any system with M16-type multi-lug bolt and plunger-type ejector.

Due to its innovative layout, lightweight polymer housing, full length uninterrupted RIS rails, compatibility with STANAG magazines, backup iron sights as well as its adaptability to chamber various rounds as well as other modular parts. Thus giving the SCAR the versatility that would benefit the soldier on the battlefields today and in the future from a compact CQB version with a shorter barrel for close encounters, the SV (LB) version for the designated marksman as well as a heavy variant plus various others that suit the various roles of an infantry. Its design also enables left and right handed users to use the rifle since the charging handle, fire selector as well as the magazine release latch are fully ambidextrous. Although some require partial disassembly in order to convert the working mechanism on the opposite side, this conversion does not require a trip to your gunsmith to resolve.

It's no surprise that this rifle was chosen by the US SOCOM to be used for their specialist units due to its ease of use, functionality as well as reliability in adverse conditions. This weapon will require little to no training at all considering most of the familiar Armalite features are still present on the SCAR.

Initial impressions.

The WE scar comes in a plain brown box with 'WE SCAR gas blow back type' on the top and the front edge of the box. This may be a little let down on the initial impression with such plain packaging and presentation of the box, we all know however, the actual contents are what you're waiting for. As you lift open the box, you will see another layer of cardboard to act as a retention layer to reduce damage to the aesthetics of the gun as well as cable ties securing the gun and the magazine to minimize any abrasion during the shipping processes. This can be seen as an advantage considering how other GBB rifles can come with just folded cardboard securing a few places inside the box.

The color, style and the general look of the gun is very pleasing if you happen to be a die-hard fan of the US military since it's available in tan as well as black, it's also an additional bonus if you chose the tan version as the upper receiver is actually in a dark earth color scheme giving you that superior look at the same price! Talk about value here.

There are no creaks or wobbles on any part of the gun due to its sturdy two piece receiver design, it also offers a sturdy platform and definitely feels sturdy to hold, even on the stock where the hinges may creak or wobble as some older generation AEGs have shown. The joints between the upper, lower receiver as well as the stock have a very snug fit, not showing any gaps or imperfections in the workmanship during the manufacturing of this gun. Furthermore, the mould lines on the WE SCAR is very fine and you will not be able to see

The features of this gun that makes this GBBR truly special is the bolt carrier and its assembly. Where you will notice the bolt is realistic and even though it runs on a metallic track along the inside of the receiver, it's exceedingly smooth! With only a modest amount of grease on the bolt carrier and the rails, it is capable of sliding along the rails as if it was on bearings. So if you wish to have more efficient cycling of your weapon, make sure you use proper grease in the contact areas of the rail and the bolt carrier. On that note, the blowback mechanism also deserves a mention. Although it uses the same blowback mechanism as the WE M4, the parts are easily accessible and can be extracted without the use of tools. Upon further inspection, the internal mechanisms just get better. The hop adjustment dial is actually all around the cylinder/blowback chamber accessed not only via the mag well so that you can adjust the hop with the magazine inserted into the gun, making the process of setting your hop easy and time efficient.

Performance:

The WE SCAR chronos at 430fps at first, then after 10shots in quick succession, the power dropped down to 385fps. This was expected from the cool-down factors from the gas expanding. Having only 30rounds capacity in the magazine, it is expected to house a decent amount of gas per charge. Charging the magazine with a full can of guarder green gas, the gun was capable of firing just over 3 magazines on semi auto only. If you do decide to fire this weapon on fully automatic mode, the gas efficiency will be lower in the gun so only expect 2 magazine's worth of shots per charge of gas. Obviously various conditions will factor into how efficient gas weapons are so the gas efficiency may be different when tested again. Even though the ambient temperature was 34⁰c, the powerful recoil felt in the butt stock every shot, it is astonishing how the WE SCAR can have such a high level of performance on fps, recoil as well as gas efficiency.

A grouping test has also been done on the WE SCAR using green gas and KSC perfect .20g ammo at 20metres. With such high power, it's almost impossible to have a stable flight path since it's not heavy enough to stabilize itself. Occasionally there are shots that go straight but more shots are straying off at random directions due to the power. With the target printed on an A4 sheet of paper, only 2 actually hit the target but the rest steered away and missed completely. However, at 10metres, it was able to produce a 6inch grouping as shown in the picture below. Recognizing the cause of the inaccuracy we used 0.25g ammo to stabilize the flight path of the BBs in this test and it has dramatically reduced the instability of the BB's flight path, producing a grouping of just over 3 inches.

Grouping sheet for .25g @ 20m

Grouping sheet for .20g @ 20m

Conclusion:

The WE SCAR, is a very user friendly and combat effective rifle featuring all the features on a common assault rifle that would benefit a soldier of today, in Airsoft terms, you get to look the part and definitely will not need extra training to become familiar with the weapon. The gun performs extremely well straight out of the box since the moving mechanisms inside the receiver are already lubricated but could do with a little more to ensure it will stay smooth. With its ambidextrous design, not only can the operator can easily switch from right handed shooting to left handed shooting, with the insanely high amount of sling points available on the gun, you can configure it on you however you wish to, matching your needs.

It has to be said that at a price for this GBBR, although the output power may need to be downgraded to comply with some site regulations but it performs tremendously well giving you decent gas efficiency. This is the first GBB SCAR available on the market with so many features in one package as well as being able to be used in a skirmish field with so many RIS rails you can customize it into a personalized weapon that stands out different to the others. It's already outweighed the bad elements of this package, which are the price of the gas magazines and the gas consumption costs. Even if it was not to be used as a skirmish weapon, but a plinking weapon or for reenactment or even as a collector's piece or wall hanger, the realism, working bolt and bolt lock and quality does not let you down as the construction as well as its performance is absolutely top notch on this rifle. If you're looking to buy a SCAR, this is it.

Stay tuned for our next Bite The Bullet report about the poor man's NPAS bolt mod for the WE GBB series.