PROJECT X:Part 1 - Parts and Accessories
One of the rifles on my personal bucket list recently became available locally so I didn't hesitate and pulled the trigger. I'd been making small purchases here and there over the past year in anticipation that I'd be able to get my hands on the SCAR 17S locally. I know I could have bought it online from some random person or store on the mainland, but I was hesitant to since the SCAR 17S is in such demand, I felt the risk of getting scammed was too high. So I waited patiently and it paid off in the end. While I was waiting, I did my research on the various forums reading about what other SCAR owners had to say about their rifles. From there I created a list of parts I thought would work well together and give me the "SBR but not an actual SBR" look and feel I wanted. To be clear I consider this a project gun rather than a full build since I really didn't build anything from scratch. It's not like I bought a stripped lower and added in the parts kit and then assembled my upper from selected parts - all of that was already done for me. So I ended up calling this Project X since I couldn't think of any cool names at the time and it just stuck.
My first purchase was the Geissele Super SCAR trigger during a Fourth of July sale last year (
https://geissele.com/ ). I've always had an affinity for Geissele since I first installed one on my AR. It is worth EVERY PENNY! The take up is smooth and crisp and the second stage breaks line glass. The first stage is roughly 1.5 lbs, and the second is 2.5. Once you break your shot, the reset is distinct. I know there are many other great after market trigger out there like Timney and the like, but Geissele will continue to get my business. This is unless, of course, Geissele gets bought out by Bushmaster who then changes the company name, and then screws up one of the most innovative designs in the past 25 years by doubling the price and sinking it behind it's other projects. But I digress. The trigger was the only internal upgrade that I made since there isn't anything internally IMO on the SCAR 17S that needs to be changed.
On the outside I knew the UGG boot stock would need to go. I never liked how the feel of it - it feels hollow and weak to me. This is/was my biggest issue with the SCAR. I also can say that I wouldn't be confident in the OEM latch holding up to folding and unfolding - many other users complained about the latch breaking from them slamming the stock closed. So while researching alternative stocks I came across Kinetic Development Group (
https://kineticdg.com/ ) . They make a hinge that's compatible with the SCAR 17S and they just stick a Magpul ACR stock onto it. I haven't read of anyone having problems with this stock so I purchased one along with their 4.9" MREX MLOK handguard. I spent some time chatting with them at their booth last show and they seemed to be a down to earth bunch of guys. So I've always kept them in the back of my mind.
So now that one of my main complaints about the SCAR was addressed I turned my attention to finding a solution that I could live with when it came to the reciprocating charging handle. I could see a number of situations where the movement of the charging handle is less than ideal - urban prone, or on your back with the handle mounted on the left side like most right handers prefer. I wanted a handle that wouldn't get hung up on gear or the ground and cause a malfunction. I wanted a handle that could fold out of the way entirely, which would have been ideal, or short of that be very minimal in profile. I searched and google'd until I came across Taylor Tactical (
https://www.taylor-tactical-supply.com/ ). They manufacture a folding SCAR charging handle that you can use with two fingers and won't bust your knuckles against your optic knobs. Second issue resolved.
With the charging handle issue solved, I focused on finding a company that could provide a majority of the fire control components I wanted. Low and behold Parker Mountain Machine (
http://www.parkermountainmachine.com/ ). I picked up their B.C.D, one of their modified Magpul grips, their ERGO selector levers, and Extended Mag release.
What really tied the project together was the BE Meyers 240F-M60 flash hider. It's a beefy flash hider at 4" long and 7 oz. in weight. I picked it up from LaRue Tactical (
https://www.larue.com/ ) which is how I got the Dillo Dust.
All in all I was very satisfied with the parts and now it would be up to the local shops to finish what I couldn't do myself.