By: Warren Gray

Copyright © 2023

“If one is looking for a weapon with a more-powerful and farther-reaching caliber,

the APC308 is the right choice…good ergonomics, outstanding accuracy, reduced

recoil due to the integrated shock absorber, high reliability, and ambidextrous

controls. The APC308 Carbine is an excellent choice if a carbine in powerful

.308 Win. caliber is needed.”

 —  B&T Guns website, 2023

The U.S. Army’s bold decision on April 20, 2022, to adopt 107,000 superb, brand-new, SIG Sauer MCX Spear M7 battle carbines in 6.8x51mm (.277 SIG Fury) changed the way that frontline troops will be equipped for warfare in the future. The old, now-standard, Colt M4A1 carbine in 5.56x45mm NATO will soon be replaced with this longer-range, harder-hitting, new weapon and ammunition, as a result of combat deficiencies seen with 5.56mm weapons over the past half-century or more.

U.S. special operations forces have already been transitioning to the very powerful, FN SCAR-H Mk. 17 battle rifle in 7.62x51mm NATO (.308-caliber) since April 2009, including the Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), and in smaller quantities with the U.S. Army Special Forces, and even Delta Force. The compact SCAR-H CQC (“Close-Quarters Combat”), with 13-inch barrel, is the preferred model, and currently holds first place as the “World’s Most-Powerful Assault Rifle!”

Since 2018, however, the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM, or just SOCOM) has begun adopting the new, 6.5mm Creedmoor (6.5CM) cartridge as their standard chambering, switching from 7.62mm rifles to those chambered for 6.5CM, mostly by simply changing barrels. Meanwhile, a few European nations, including Germany and the United Kingdom, have adopted short, compact versions of the HK417 and HK417A2 battle carbines to fulfill this same need for a more powerful combat weapon.

But there’s a fourth, little-known, very-high-quality choice in this same special category, with the distinct advantage of not being recognizable as any type of U.S. or NATO weapon, so a brief comparison of the SIG Spear M7, FN Mk. 17 CQC, HK417A2, and this optional, Swiss carbine is certainly in order.

On April 26, 2022, my wife and I were granted an unprecedented, private facility tour of B&T (formerly Brügger and Thomet) headquarters in Thun, Switzerland, in the majestic Swiss Alps, and later enjoyed a local lunch with B&T founder and CEO Karl Brügger himself, a very rare honor. (See my Gunpowder Magazine article on “Swiss Precision II: Meeting Karl Brügger of B&T Guns” from May 11, 2022.)

One of his more-interesting products was the semiautomatic, APC308 Pro Advanced Police Carbine, chambered in .308-caliber/7.62x51mm NATO, and available in three barrel lengths. The designated-marksman-rifle (DMR) version has an 18.9-inch barrel (#BT-361706), and the shorter, carbine version offers a 16.5-inch barrel (#BT-36077, previously 14.3 inches) in the U.S., or a 13-inch barrel (#BT-361693) in Europe. This latter barrel is exactly the same length as those in the SIG Spear M7, FN Mk. 17 CQC, and HK417A2, which is the starting point for comparing these four fine weapons.

The next consideration is overall length, and the European version of the APC308 Pro comes in at 34.4 inches, which is more than a half-inch shorter than the Mk. 17 or M7, and over an inch shorter than the HK417A2, so B&T gains the clear advantage here. In terms of weight, the APC308 is one pound lighter than the H&K carbine, and nearly a pound heavier than the Mk. 17 or M7, but B&T includes a rugged, 20-round, polymer magazine as part of the overall weight, so the APC308 actually comes in competitively close to the Mk. 17 and M7.

Folding stocks are very important considerations for special operations weapons, where space may be at a premium inside a vehicle or helicopter en route to the target area. The APC308 Pro, Mk. 17, and M7 all feature adjustable, side-folding stocks that reduce overall length by about 10 inches, but the older, AR-15-style, HK417A2 stock does not fold.

In terms of suppressor capabilities, all four carbines have threaded barrels, and can accept various suppressor options. H&K now uses B&T suppressors exclusively on all of their firearms, and the B&T APC308 is the only offering mentioned above that uses a suppressor manufactured by the same company as the carbine itself. In fact, the quickly-detachable, B&T Rotax-IIA suppressor for .308-caliber weapons adds only 5.8 inches to the overall length of the APC308, and reduces the loud report by a significant 33 decibels.

Caliber selection is also very important, and all four of the described carbines are produced in 7.62x51mm NATO, which is the only choice for the HK417A2. The FN Mk. 17 CQC comes mainly in 7.62mm, but conversion to 6.5CM is underway for USSOCOM forces. The SIG M7 is produced in 7.62mm, 6.5CM, or 6.8x51mm (.277 SIG Fury), making it the most versatile option so far.

The APC308 Pro is officially manufactured in 7.62mm/.308 only, but company CEO Karl Brügger told me in an email on May 12, 2022, that, “There is a version of the APC65 coming to the U.S. market later this summer – in 6.5CM.” This was just a limited production run of APC308 DMR rifles, mostly with a simple barrel change, making it a wise choice in caliber selection, especially for U.S. special operations forces, and it aptly demonstrates that conversion to 6.5CM is a fairly simple process, which could also apply to the carbine version, if required. A 6.8x51mm version is not planned, however.

One very-significant, exclusive feature of the APC308 is its proprietary, hydraulic recoil buffer ($250 when sold separately), which decreases felt recoil by up to 40 percent. As the company states on their website, “This is a true original from B&T. The force of the recoil does not slam on any part of the gun, but is sharply reduced by the hydraulic buffer…like the shock absorbers on a car. This reduction of recoil helps the operator to maintain tight shot groups and quick, follow-up shots. This feature will also increase the service life of the weapon.”

B&T hydraulic recoil buffer. Photo credit: B&T Guns

The standard finish is matte black, but B&T headquarters is equipped with Cerakote work stations, and Coyote Tan Cerakote finish is already available for an added $350. Other colors are also possible, depending upon customer requirements. The APC308’s standard retail price is about $4,000, which is very similar to the FN Mk. 17 and HK417A2, and only half the outrageous price of a new Spear M7.

The official B&T press release introducing the APC308, from March 7, 2018, states that, “B&T has developed what many say is our finest work…The selector, magazine release, bolt handle, and bolt release are completely ambidextrous…(with) a cold-hammer-forged barrel made in Germany.

“With match-grade ammunition the APC308 will produce 1 MOA accuracy…The barrel is threaded, and is delivered with a B&T-designed flash hider…The weapon accepts 7.62x51mm Magpul SR-25/M-110/AR-10 magazines. These are available in 10, 20, and 25-round sizes…The APC308 is the perfect choice…with powerful and long-range-capable cartridge.”

Dave Merrill of Recoil magazine tested the DMR version of the APC308 on January 24, 2019, writing, “B&T APC308: More than a Swiss-made (FN) SCAR…The B&T APC308 is absolutely its own rifle, with its own quirks…All machining is precise, and all coatings are deep. The rifle oozes and exudes quality as soon as you pick it up…There are magazine releases, selectors, and bolt locks and releases on both sides of the rifle…The B&T APC308 accepts any (Stoner) SR-25-pattern magazines…(It) sports a barrel assembly and handguard, which can also be removed or replaced with simple hand tools.

“The recoil is far less than one would expect from a 7.62mm gas gun, likely due to the combination recoil-spring assembly and the integral, hydraulic buffer…part of the story of this low-recoiling rifle…Groups shot at 100 yards printed just over 1 MOA, but the rifle itself is capable of greater accuracy, as we successfully engaged many sub-MOA plates on the first attempt…We’ll be more than satisfied using this as a combat rifle that’s capable of greater precision than most.”

With the U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command gradually transitioning from the combat-proven but only marginally-effective Colt M4A1 assault carbine to newer and more-powerful, compact, battle carbines in 6.8x51mm or 6.5CM, weapons like the FN Mk. 17 CQC, HK417A2, and the SIG M7 are all gaining in popularity. The top-quality, B&T APC308 Pro certainly stacks up very well against its competitors, and is the only offering not instantly recognizable in combat as a U.S. or NATO carbine.

This could prove to be a substantial advantage for special operations units engaging in covert missions, where plausible deniability is just as important as high-quality, high-precision firearms. For example, the American CIA could surely use a limited production run of about 150 APC308 Pros for its paramilitary Special Operations Group (SOG), providing all-new, heavy-hitting carbines that cannot be traced to any NATO nation, should they be spotted, lost, or captured in action. In that regard alone, the Swiss-made APC308 Pro is probably the finest, extremely powerful, 13-inch-barreled, battle carbine in the world today!

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Author with suppressed, B&T APC556 Pro carbine in April 2022.

Warren Gray is a retired, U.S. Air Force intelligence officer with experience in joint special operations and counterterrorism, and is an NRA member. He served in Europe and the Middle East, graduated from the USAF Combat Survival School, earned Air Force and Navy parachutist wings, four college degrees, and was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Intelligence Operations Specialist Course, and the USAF Combat Targeting School. He is currently a published author, historian, and hunter. You may view his website at: warrengray54.com.