By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2023
FABRIQUE NATIONALE
Founded in 1889, FN Herstal originated in the small city of Herstal, near Liège, Belgium. Fabrique Nationale was started by a group of Belgian investors to manufacture 150,000 Mauser Model 89 rifles for the Belgian army. The force behind the new company was Henri Pieper of the Belgian arms manufacturer Anciens Etablissements Pieper, the new company’s largest shareholder.
Another key player in the Fabrique Nationale story was John Browning. In 1898, Browning had a fallout with the Winchester company regarding his new autoloading shotgun design, the A5. Winchester wanted to give Browning the regular one-time single fee payment for the rights to the A5, while Browning wanted royalties based on unit sales.
Browning signed a deal with FN to produce the new A5 design, and Browning moved to Belgium to work with FN. Browning would go on to design several firearms for FN and passed away working at his bench while working on the FN Hi-Power design.
FN went on to produce the FAL, French for Fusil Automatique Léger (Light Automatic Rifle). Made by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal, Belgium, the FAL has been in service since 1953 in over 90 countries. The FAL was dubbed “the right arm of the free world” and became a symbol of the struggle against Communism. The original design of the FAL started in 1946 and was the brainchild of Belgian weapons designer Dieudonne Joseph Saive, another key player in the history of FN. Saive was immensely talented; he designed the FN Model 49 and modified many of John Browning’s designs after his passing.
Later, FN would design the legendary FN SCAR series that takes root in its battle-proven lineage, adapted from USSOCOM’s newest battle rifle since the M4 entered service in the 1990s. The benchmark of reliability and versatility, it has four variants, the FN SCAR 15P, SCAR 16S, SCAR 17S and SCAR 20S.
THE FN SCAR 17S DMR
“The SCAR is the most tested rifle platform that FN has ever developed. It was designed to be lightweight, rugged, accurate, and modular to give the user a rifle platform that could be configured to their needs,” said Chris Cole, Vice President of Sales for FN America, LLC. “This new and limited-time build demonstrates the modularity of the SCAR design by combining features of the SCAR 17S heavy carbine and the SCAR 20S precision rifle to create a one-of-a-kind, mid-range designated marksman rifle.”
THE RECEIVER
FN started with a hard-anodized monolithic aluminum receiver with a one-piece machined upper and added the precision SSR buttstock assembly and Geissele Super SCAR 2-stage trigger that SCAR 20S owners rely on for surgical accuracy.
Dual, non-reciprocating charging handles ensure any braced or barrier-contact position shoots flawlessly without interfering with optics or grip style, and the fully ambidextrous controls and precision buttstock adapt to any shooter.
It’s equipped with adjustable folding front and folding/removable rear iron sights and MIL-STD 1913 accessory rails at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions for lights and lasers, and an enlarged trigger guard for easier access when wearing gloves.
FN tops it off with a Black or Flat Dark Earth (FDE) finish.
THE BARREL & BOLT
The fully free-floating 16.25-inch 6.5 Creedmoor barrel is cold hammer-forged and chrome-lined for extreme durability and accuracy. It features a 1:8-inch twist, standard carbine profile, and muzzle device.
The SCAR 17s features a short-stroke gas piston system with an adjustable low-flash gas regulator. The reduced reciprocating mass of the NRCH bolt carrier produces less felt recoil, making a soft-shooting rifle even easier to manage.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Short stroke gas piston; non-reciprocating charging handles
Caliber: 6.5 Creedmoor
Magazine Capacity: 10/20 Rounds
Sights: Adjustable folding front and folding/removable rear iron sights
Barrel Length: 16.25 Inches
Overall Length: 36.8-38.6 inches
Weight: 9.5 Pounds
MSRP: $4,629
URL: www.fnamerica.com
THE VERDICT
The mid-range designated marksman configuration brings the 6.5CM caliber to the SCAR 17S platform for the first time. It delivers an impressive, multi-purpose rifle enhanced to take advantage of the inherent accuracy and multi-role capability of the SCAR platform.
That’s all for now, folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism Counterstrategies, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response.
His writing has appeared in RECOIL, Soldier of Fortune, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Off Grid, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International.
Contact him at [email protected].