Anyone who played a military first-person shooter video game in the late 2000s/early 2010s is familiar with the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle, more commonly referred to as the SCAR (SOFCAR didn’t sound as cool). Developed by FN, the rifle was selected by U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in both 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO as the Mk 16 SCAR-L (Light) and Mk 17 SCAR-H (Heavy), respectively.
A mere 15 years later, FN announced the end of the SCAR’s production. On October 16, 2025, following rumors of the SCAR’s discontinuation, FN America made the news of the SCAR’s end official.
“FN America has completed our final production run of the commercial legacy SCAR series in the US,” the company said in a press release. “This includes the 16S, 17S, and 20S but not the SCAR 15P.” Noting the difference between commercial and military production, FN did clarify that the SCAR is still in production and available for military contracts. This implies that FN Herstal in Belgium is still producing military SCARs.
Lauded as a replacement for the M4 and a solution to its early issues, the SCAR saw limited use by SOCOM. Originally intended as a weapon for support troops, not a frontline weapon, the M4 carbine was prone to overheating failures during the early Global War on Terror. Special Operations Forces put a lot of rounds through their M4s, and experienced malfunctions as a result, leading to the SCAR program.
But upgrades to the M4 addressed the issues, and the carbine saw extensive use by conventional and SOF units throughout the War on Terror. For this reason, among others, the Mk 16 SCAR-L was dropped by SOCOM shortly after its adoption. In short, the 5.56 SCAR-L didn’t do anything notably better than the M4. Still, the 7.62 SCAR-H and Mk 20 Sniper Support Rifle variant were widely fielded by SOCOM in Afghanistan.
Despite SOCOM’s cancellation of Mk 16 procurement, SCAR traded on its SOF relationship in the civilian market. With its iconic status, FN had no problem finding customers despite the rifle’s premium price. At the end of its commercial life, the SCAR variants sell for between $3,000-4,000+. That said, gun show grifters will likely charge $6,000+ following FN’s announcement. “Don’t lowball me, sonny, I know what I’ve got.”
Along with the discontinuation of the SCAR, FN noted that the company will continue to support current legacy SCAR owners with parts and service “for a period of time.” While accessories like magazines will still be available, FN did caution that “barrel assemblies will be limited over the next five years.”
So, what’s next? Despite its mixed military success and high price tag, the SCAR was a flagship product for FN. On the military side, FN is working with Special Operations on the Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge rifle and machine gun. Additionally, FN UK showed off a new SCAR-like rifle to the British military at the 2025 Cranfield Close Combat Symposium. FN also registered a worldwide trademark on the name ARKA, possibly hinting at a new rifle to complement its EVOLYS light machine gun. Either way, don’t panic buy a legacy SCAR at an inflated price. That’s how the gun show grifters win.
