Alas, We Could Hardly Afford Thee: FN Ends the SCAR Line, Kinda
FN has confirmed that the legacy vaunted SCAR line of modular rifles, as we know them, is discontinued.
Designed for a circa 2004 USSOCOM tender, the SOF Combat Assault Rifle became a real thing in its select-fire 7.62 NATO (SCAR Heavy and the Mk 20 sniper variant) and 5.56 NATO (SCAR Light) variants within just a few years. Besides limited U.S. military service with the special operations community, the SCAR was adopted by the Belgian military to replace the FN FNC, going on to serve smaller roles with commando-type units in more than 25 countries, ranging from Japan and Indonesia to Bosnia and Finland.
Offered to the commercial market starting in 2008 with the semi-auto SCAR 16S (5.56) and SCAR 17S (7.62), the rifle became a much sought-after commodity, with guns often reselling in online auctions for well over the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
The line expanded with the SCAR 20S 7.62 Precision Rifle in 2019 and the 5.56 15P pistol in 2022, both of which later saw caliber expansions to 6.5 Creedmoor and .300 Blackout, respectively. Then came the 17S DMR in 6.5.
A generational update came in 2021 with models that had a variety of quiet upgrades as well as non-reciprocating charging handles, or NRCH (“Nerch”) variants. Besides the black and “50 shades of FDE” colorways, FN also introduced MultiCam, Desert, and Woodland camo models.
All that now seems destined to the dustbin of history, to be put on the same shelf as the FN FAL, as the company this week quietly shifted several SCAR S variants to the “discontinued products” section of its website.
On social media this week, when asked if the rumors of the entire SCAR line being discontinued are true, the company’s official X page responded, “Correct. We just completed our production run of the legacy FN SCAR series. What’s in the market now is the last. If you’ve always wanted one, now is the time,” then followed up with, “U.S. production of the legacy SCAR 16S, 17S, and 20S has been complete. No more will be made.”
FN provided Guns.com the following statement:
No more rumors. FN America has completed our final production run of the commercial legacy SCAR series in the U.S. This includes the 16S, 17S, and 20S, but not SCAR 15P. What’s currently in our market is all that remains—so if you’ve been wanting one, now’s the time to grab it before it’s gone.
None of this affects FN’s global military SCARs – these are still in demand and still in production.
Look for more info leading up to SHOT Show 2026!
If you own a commercial legacy SCAR, don’t worry about support or parts. Owners can still receive service through our support center, and spare parts will remain available through official distributors for a period of time. As for accessories, magazines for the legacy SCAR 17S and SCAR 20S will continue to be available in the future; however, the supply of accessories such as barrel assemblies will be limited over the next five years.
For the time being, the company is still listing several NRCH SCAR S variants along with the 15P pistols as “active” on its website, but who knows what 2026 will bring.
I mean, we know, but are sworn to secrecy enforced by the FN Gnome.
Ugg boots forever!