SCAR: How to headspace with quick change barrels?

[type5]

I am SCAR-less, I have ordered one and I am doing a lot of bidding because one in the hand might calm me some! This rifle has really gotten under my skin. I looked online last night for a SCAR manual but I could not find one.

Can someone tell me how this rifle headspaces with the quick change barrels? What happens when an adjustment is required?

Does the manual ever recommend checking headspace?

Are the locking lugs on a collar that surrounds the rear of the barrel?

Does anyone know where there is a online manual available?

Thanks!

[sabotteur]

Type5,

I've got a CD version of the armor's guide back in my office. Unfortunately, I'm TDY in Germany right now. I can't remember off hand what if anything is really needed when you swap out barrels. I'll take a look, but I'm still overseas for another week at least. Also, what I have is for the military version, so it might not be quite as accurate for the civilian version.

Anyway, when I get back, I'll take a look and see if I can't help answer the question. If for some reason I forget, please don't hesitate to IM me. I've got alot going on, so my memory isn't always the greatest!

Sabo

[type5]

sabotteur,
Thanks, I just got home from work. I would love to know see what is said about head spacing. Actually I have a list of questions.
I will give it a while and if I do not hear something, I will PM you.
Again, thanks for the response!

[romer522]

I have a feeling its going to be like head spacing an AR. Throw it together and if your feeling extra cautious use some go/no go gauges. I cannot see it being anything different given that 1 company controls 100% of the parts going into it, a little QC on there part and they know that 99.99% of time there wont be any head spacing issues.

[sabotteur]

Ok, looks like I lied.

All I have on the SCAR is a promo video that is 8 minutes long that highlights the modularity and function of the gun. It's actually a pretty well done video, but says nothing of mechanics or process for swaping barrels. I may have to look at copying this and sending it Panz or MO to post on the wiki, but I'll have to snail mail it as it's 250mb, and my rinky dink dial up at home won't support sending that one through the web.

Type5, I apologize. All the disc were in a package I got when I went for a class on the MK19. I actually have digital copies of the Joint Armorer's Maintenance Program for the M2HB, MK19, M9, M240, M249, M1911A1, MK46, Mk48, and MK47. I figured they tossed in the SCAR as well, but apparently not.

I will drop a line to a contact I have at NSWC Crane and see if they have anything, and if they do, see if they can send me a copy. No promises though.

Sabo

[type5]

sabotteur,
That is ok, don't worry. Thanks for the follow up. I would be most interested if NSWC Crane does come up with new information for you. I am swamped right now with work but I will PM you later in the week.
Once again, thanks for trying!

[sabotteur]

No Problem Type5,

I e-mailed my contact, he's one of the light weapon instructors out there. He's TDY right now, his out of office has him getting back in on the 18th of May. It may be a while, but I'll get you an answer. When you send that PM, be as specific as you can as to what your looking for, and I'm sure I'll be able to get an answer. These guys were the ones that put the SCAR through all of it's environmental and life cycle trials before SOCOM gave the go ahead to buy them.

[sabotteur]

Finally heard back from my contact. It's just a quick e-mail, and I'm on TDY again so I haven't had a chance to call him, but basically the military versions of SCARS come with a small armors kit, very similar to the cleaning kits that are issued with military M16s and M4s. In that kit is a tool to adjust headspace when you swap out the barrels. There is no timing check on the SCARs.

I should be back in the office either Tuesday or Wednesday next week, and I'll try to give him a call to get some more detail.

[type5]

Sabotteur, thanks for sticking with it, many would not.
I will be most interesting to see the details of your friends information.
I would have thought it would be a Go/No-Go gauge only situation where if the head space was not right one would try another bolt or barrel trunion if the trunion is a separate piece. But if it is adjustable, I am trying to imagine what type of setup they have to allow for adjustment!
Except for you, Romer522 and I, I guess not too many people are interested in this.
Again, thanks for sticking with it!

[bobapunk]

Here is the info I got from an Army Acquaintance:

No, it does not need to be head spaced and timed. How it is handled is, there are 6 screws along the receiver that hold the barrel in place. You unscrew them, pull the barrel out, throw the new one in, and screw it down. The screws do not come screw completely off, but just enough to undo the barrel. The screws must be screwed/unscrewed in a specific order supposedly.


Me with my SCAR Heavy in CQB configuration.




Me shooting the SCAR heavy with a suppressor on it




I have videos but they show faces so I might not post, if any I might post one of me going auto with a SCAR Light but it too shows my face....

As far as the SCAR goes, very accurate weapon. The selector switch is hard for me to manipulate with just my thumb as I have small hands, but luckily it is ambidextrous so I can manipulate it with my trigger finger from the other side. Its mostly an issue when trying to go auto as the positions are spaced at 90 degree angles just like the M16/M4.

I was shooting the heavy all day long so it was rocking my world, a lot more recoil than the light. On full auto the light is very controllable, the heavy is a little harder to control so I just did it in bursts.

Overall....between the SCAR Light and M4, not seeing to big of a difference yet. I only saw 1 malfunction today, failure to extract, was a stove pipe and it wasn't mine. Other than that, it runs very smooth.

I find it is more controllable on auto then the M4.

I think my buddy put a little bit of sand in his, if so, it ran smooth like that. It is suppose to be cleaner since it is a piston gun, haven't looked yet, I do not plan on cleaning it till we are done.

I just noticed with that second picture, you can see my brass in the air haha

[sabotteur]

I don't know... In my experience, anytime you swap a barrel on a machine gun or grenade launcher, it's pretty much a given to check headspace. I don't want to dismiss your army aquaintance, as I personally don't have experience with the SCAR other than playing with one in the armory down at NSWC Crane, but I doubt seriously the guys who actually did all of the initial testing of the gun prior to fielding would feed me a BS story.

Anyway I'm sure as these become more common place we'll find out more. I'll keep some feelers out in my community to see if I can't cough up one of these guides that was mentioned to me, but since I really focus on the medium and large caliber toys (40mm, 66mm, and 120mm) I don't know when that might be...