First some comparisons. Both actions were slick as snot, as you'd expect from guns of this price range. They seemed similar weight just holding them. Fit and finish were also good as you'd expect, and I didn't see/feel the SCAR as "cheap/rattling" like I'd heard. Manipulating the stocks and furniture was nearly identical for both rifles.
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ACR
Good:
Shouldering and settling into a cheek weld was like putting on silk pajamas. The ergonomics and adjustable comb just fit me.
Little muzzle blast from the AAC blackout, very comfortable behind the trigger. Trigger very reminiscent of a stock single stage military trigger.
After using the ambi-bolt release/catch at the bottom of the trigger guard, and then going back to the scar with it's AR bolt catch, the AR and SCAR bolt release is just obnoxious to use. The ACR spoiled me right quick in that regard.
Safety selector never got in the way, and I definitely liked being able to flip the safety on and off with the first knuckle of my index finger instead of my thumb.
Easy to field strip, breaks open just like an AR.
QD sling points in both the handguards and stock.
Storage in grip and stock.
AR trigger pack.
Can put MOE stuff on basic handguard.
Bad:
This one is no surprise to anyone. It took noticeably more effort to keep the muzzle up on the ACR because it was so nose heavy. I'm sure this was also somewhat a result of having the AFG so far forward.
We only own pmags. We got a kick out of the fact that the only malfunctioning mag (not holding bolt open because of a presumably too short follower), was the bushmaster marked pmag that came with it. I can just call up magpul and they'll send me a replacement follower, correct?
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SCAR
Good:
The balanced/centered weight + very effective muzzle brake/comp kept muzzle rise to virtually non-existent levels. I'd be curious to shoot the ACR and SCAR side by side again, without anything on either muzzle.
The weight is very centered, making it very comfortable to hold on shoulder and keep it there.
I guess I can give a miniscule nod to the SCAR's button to extend the stock, as it seemed a bit easier to extend and collapse. One large-ish button vs. two smaller ones on both sides on the ACR. I'm guessing once the stock on the ACR we had is more broken in, there will be less difference.
Trigger was slightly better, but I think I only noticed because I was looking for it doing slow fire. Definitely wasn't enough of a difference to notice while doing double taps.
Bad:
Muzzle break/comp sent brutal concussion back and to the sides. Indoors, that concussion was a bit jarring at times while behind the trigger.
Annoying to strip, maybe just because I'm so used to how an AR breaks down. It just bugged me to have to take off the lower AND the stock to just get the BCG out of the gun. There were times I had that "I don't want to force it because I don't want to break it" feeling, and none of that with stripping the ACR.
Bolt catch/release identical to an AR. I had the all too familiar contortionist/awkward experience locking the bolt back on the SCAR as I do with an AR. No matter what side the charging handle was on, it was annoying.
We were indoors, so we couldn't do any tacti-cool shooting, but the owner of the SCAR explained that he had trouble with the charging handle getting caught on stuff while slung and doing transitions. I understand the few limited advantages of a fixed charging handle, but in a rifle designed in the 21st century?
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No QD sling mount in stock.
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ACR won hands down. Everything was better except the weight. Add in parts availability and coming caliber conversions, and the weight balance concern becomes more than tolerable.
I'm going to say that simply changing the retarded barrel profile currently offered to a pencil barrel, will take care of 80% of the only real negative and make the ACR unbeatable in the marketplace.
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––––––––––––––––––––––-
ACR
Good:
Shouldering and settling into a cheek weld was like putting on silk pajamas. The ergonomics and adjustable comb just fit me.
Little muzzle blast from the AAC blackout, very comfortable behind the trigger. Trigger very reminiscent of a stock single stage military trigger.
After using the ambi-bolt release/catch at the bottom of the trigger guard, and then going back to the scar with it's AR bolt catch, the AR and SCAR bolt release is just obnoxious to use. The ACR spoiled me right quick in that regard.
Safety selector never got in the way, and I definitely liked being able to flip the safety on and off with the first knuckle of my index finger instead of my thumb.
Easy to field strip, breaks open just like an AR.
QD sling points in both the handguards and stock.
Storage in grip and stock.
AR trigger pack.
Can put MOE stuff on basic handguard.
Bad:
This one is no surprise to anyone. It took noticeably more effort to keep the muzzle up on the ACR because it was so nose heavy. I'm sure this was also somewhat a result of having the AFG so far forward.
We only own pmags. We got a kick out of the fact that the only malfunctioning mag (not holding bolt open because of a presumably too short follower), was the bushmaster marked pmag that came with it. I can just call up magpul and they'll send me a replacement follower, correct?
––––––––––––––––-
SCAR
Good:
The balanced/centered weight + very effective muzzle brake/comp kept muzzle rise to virtually non-existent levels. I'd be curious to shoot the ACR and SCAR side by side again, without anything on either muzzle.
The weight is very centered, making it very comfortable to hold on shoulder and keep it there.
I guess I can give a miniscule nod to the SCAR's button to extend the stock, as it seemed a bit easier to extend and collapse. One large-ish button vs. two smaller ones on both sides on the ACR. I'm guessing once the stock on the ACR we had is more broken in, there will be less difference.
Trigger was slightly better, but I think I only noticed because I was looking for it doing slow fire. Definitely wasn't enough of a difference to notice while doing double taps.
Bad:
Muzzle break/comp sent brutal concussion back and to the sides. Indoors, that concussion was a bit jarring at times while behind the trigger.
Annoying to strip, maybe just because I'm so used to how an AR breaks down. It just bugged me to have to take off the lower AND the stock to just get the BCG out of the gun. There were times I had that "I don't want to force it because I don't want to break it" feeling, and none of that with stripping the ACR.
Bolt catch/release identical to an AR. I had the all too familiar contortionist/awkward experience locking the bolt back on the SCAR as I do with an AR. No matter what side the charging handle was on, it was annoying.
We were indoors, so we couldn't do any tacti-cool shooting, but the owner of the SCAR explained that he had trouble with the charging handle getting caught on stuff while slung and doing transitions. I understand the few limited advantages of a fixed charging handle, but in a rifle designed in the 21st century?
No QD sling mount in stock.
==========================
ACR won hands down. Everything was better except the weight. Add in parts availability and coming caliber conversions, and the weight balance concern becomes more than tolerable.
I'm going to say that simply changing the retarded barrel profile currently offered to a pencil barrel, will take care of 80% of the only real negative and make the ACR unbeatable in the marketplace.
