Roller delayed blowback actions, and 9mms go together like extra cheese and pizza. The MP5 made it so, but since it’s not the 1980s, we’ve moved well beyond the 1911 or SMGs and PCCs. For example, we have the JP5. The JP5 is an AR-based roller delayed 9mm rifle designed with PCC competitions in mind. Obviously, JP5 sounds a lot like MP5, but JP Enterprises produces the rifle, so it’s clever marketing that happens to make sense.

If you’re not familiar with JP Enterprises, you are missing out. They build fantastic rifles that are often the cream of the crop in some competition circuits. The GMR-15 is used by something like over 20% of USPSA PCC shooters. The JP5 is a premium-grade follow-up of that rifle that tosses in a roller-delayed blowback system. Don’t get me wrong. JP Enterprises makes more than PCCs and competition guns. They have duty-grade rifles, AR 15s, AR 10s, bolt actions, 22LRs…definitely worth checking out. 

Let’s get back to the JP5. There are three models of this gun, the All-Purpose, the Competition, and the Steel Challenge model. I have the Competition model that has an MSRP of $3,269 dollars. Yep, it’s an expensive gun, but it should be noted it’s not your standard PCC for plinking and range use. It’s a serious competition-grade gun and is priced accordingly.

Why a roller delayed system?

We all know simple blowback works exceptionally well and provides a reliable operating system for a pistol-caliber carbine. The downside to a blowback system is the rather harsh recoil it delivers. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like a 12 gauge or even painful in any way. However, the recoil is excessive for a pistol caliber. Direct blowback systems also require heavy bolts, or heavy buffer springs, or a combination of the two.

The JP5 uses a roller delayed system to reduce that recoil and eliminate the need for a heavy buffer spring or a heavy bolt. JP5 builds the rollers into the bolt of the weapon, and two rollers help delay the bolt from moving until chamber pressure drop to a safe enough level. It’s a neat system and compared to the Garrow Arms solutions, and it’s a fair bit simpler.

Beyond the Roller Delay

This isn’t a 3,000 dollar AR 9 packed with a roller delayed system and then a bunch of average parts and pieces. No, everything installed into the JP5 Competition rifle is premium grade. Starting at the barrel, the JP5 gives us a 14.5-inch stainless steel barrel with a massive compensator that’s pin and welded. However, it really looks like it’s a one-piece design. It’s insanely well done and installed/pinned in place well.

The handguard is this massive JP Enterprises MKIII Rapid Configuration. It’s a big aluminum tube with M-LOK slots and a number of lightening holes. The handguard comes textured heavily, is lightweight, and provides an ergonomic option for mounting accessories and getting a grip. The furniture comes from Hogue and includes an adjustable stock as well as a Hogue pistol grip.

The ergonomics, in general, are absolutely fantastic. The JP5 comes with completely ambidextrous controls. The magazine release, the bolt release, and the safety come ready for right or left-handed shooters. On top of that, the charging handle is a massive Radian Raptor and makes charging and clearing the weapon easy enough. The gun comes with last round bolt hold-open device and a beveled magazine well for quick reloads.

At 6.1 pounds, it’s lightweight and is very handy. It’s what a PCC should be — light, easy to handle, and incredibly ergonomic. The design from the ground up is for competition, and it certainly shows. That being said, it’s tough not to say the JP5 couldn’t be adopted for home defense.

At the Range

Holy crap, the JP5 is the lightest recoiling PCC I’ve ever handled. I tossed a Holosun AEMS on the gun, and my first few shots were zeroing the optic to the weapon. From the first shot, I was impressed by just how well the light recoiling the weapon was. It’s absolutely delightful. I was firing three rounds slowly to zero the gun, and the JP5 was also incredibly accurate.

One three-shot group was so tight I thought I initially missed two of the three rounds until I got close to the target. Zeroing took all of 9 rounds, including my confirmation group. Once we zeroed in, it was time to light it up.

With a variety of fun targets setup, I committed to blasting through way too much 9mm. The JP5 trigger is the JP EZ trigger, and it’s incredibly light, short, and smooth. The trigger is 3.5 pounds on the light side, and that certainly contributes to the gun’s accuracy and helps you shoot it rapidly and accurately. Dishing out rapid double taps or long strings of fire in an accurate manner is easy.

I Wanna Go Fast

I fired five-round strings as fast as I possibly could at a 6-inch gong and landed all five shots with ease over and over again. That trigger is absolutely fantastic, and running fast splits wasn’t an issue. I ran through four gongs from 10 to 4 inches and did so in slightly less than three seconds. I did snapshots at 25 yards on the head of an ISPC target in under a second with repeatable accuracy.

Sub three-second failure to stop drills wasn’t an issue, neither was a PCC modified Bill Drill. I shot the Bill Drill from 14 yards, starting at the low ready, and scored all six shots in the A-zone for the majority of my runs and did it right around 3 seconds for each run. With more time behind the gun, I’m sure I could trim a bit of time off of that.

The reason you can go so fast with the JP5 involves the roller delayed system making it nearly recoil-free and the massive compensator that keeps the gun almost entirely still between shots. Seriously, my red dot barely rises off between shots, making it extremely controllable for fast and accurate shots on target. It’s crazy easy to control, and the JP5 is fantastic in that department.

Shooting Straight

The JP5 delivers some awesome accuracy as well. The stainless steel barrel certainly helps, as does the outstanding trigger. At 100 yards, your average 9mm PCC is challenged, but the JP5 seems to persevere. I used the AEMS reticle to elevate the dot and to compensate for bullet drop. I put the dot on the head of the IPSC target, and the rounds dropped right into his chest.

This was from the standing, and I went five for five in under 10 seconds at 100 yards with the JP5. My time was 7.59 seconds, and I felt quite good about that time. The fact that the gun barely rises between shots makes it easy to stay on target.

At 50 yards, I went against a standard paper IPSC target in a supported kneeling position and fired three rounds. All three landed in the A-zone of the head of the target, and I stopped there. I didn’t want to ruin my streak at that point. I think the JP5 is one of the more practically accurate guns for competitive use.

Pop, Bang, Pow

The JP5 is accurate, fast, ergonomic, and also reliable. I dived through four hundred rounds of 9mm without a single complaint. When I pulled the trigger, the gun went bang. It didn’t matter the ammo or the magazine. The gun worked fine with ETS, KCI, Magpul, and Glock OEM magazines.

I love this gun. It’s so easy to handle and shoot. It makes me feel like I’m a better shooter than I actually am. I feel like it’s going to be tough to go back to a standard rifle after handling the JP5. It’s superbly sweet, and I can see why it demands such a high price point.

Gone are the days when red dot sights (RDS) were thought of as gimmicks for competition shooters or aiming aids for handgun hunters. Today, they’re used by everyone, including gun owners who carry handguns for self-defense purposes.

As with any purchase, sorting through all of the details and features can be daunting when you’re trying to decide which is the best one for you. It helps when there are side-by-side comparative reviews, and for that purpose, Nick at DEFCON Creative reviewed three compact pistol red dots in a video series. While usually opting for concealed carry of a full-sized pistol, Nick says he carries a compact pistol during the summer. Thus, the appeal of the smaller optic for a smaller pistol. He wanted to see the different options available and see what worked best for him.

I want to take a deep dive into each of the most popular/widely available Red Dots for compact handguns and come up with my recommendation for the best all-around option to put a dot on a slim gun.

The sights he reviews in this series are the Springfield Armory HEX Wasp RDS, the Trijicon RMRcc, and the Holosun 507K X2.

Which one is best? Here are the three video reviews with notes, followed by the final video with Nick’s conclusion.

Review: Springfield Armory HEX Wasp RDS

By Kat Ainsworth

In this first video review, DEFCON Creative checks out the Springfield Armory HEX Wasp RDS, covering its performance, usability, and various thoughts on RDS.

Why would you want a pistol red dot?

There are a lot of benefits to running your carry gun with an RDS:

• Rapid target acquisition
• Broader field of view
• Low-light use
• Accuracy
• Co-witness with iron sights
• Faster follow-up shots

What do you need to know about the HEX Wasp RDS?

DEFCON Creative gets into a fairly lengthy review of this red dot, which is fantastic for viewers. They had the following to say about a few of its features and its overall performance:

“The dot is a 3.5 MOA red dot. [Springfield Armory] claims a two-year run time. I’ve only had this gun for maybe six months…and obviously, the dot is still working. [The website] says it is IPX7 waterproof. I don’t get wet…often, but it’s super nice to have.”

He also mentions that the brightness adjustment is auto-dimming and Springfield says it’s a parallax-free lense. “I thought most dots…would be parallax-free. There would be distortions, but I don’t see a lot of…parallax in a single lens red dot.”

The magnification is 1X and that is always on. MSRP is $299.00.

Performance

Getting into his experience with the HEX Wasp, he points out some features.  

The lens isn’t super-big. There isn’t a gigantic field of view like on a Trijicon SRO or even a standard-sized RMR, because it is more compact. It does, however, seem to have even more tunnel vision than some of the other compact options.

Still, he says it’ is acceptable, especially for a compact gun. He points out that the engagement distance needs to be taken into consideration. It’s unlikely that you’re going to try and shoot this gun at 50 yards. You could, but that’s not really the purpose of a compact gun.

“This is the gun I carry in a fanny pack when I go running. [So] it is compact, but it is enough to be able to reach out and see at…closer engagement distances….I have no problem picking up the dot and actually seeing the target”

Watch the full review:

HEX Wasp Features

Springfield Armory lists the HEX Wasp RDS features as the following:

“Designed for low-profile, direct mounting, the HEX Wasp is perfectly suited for compact applications like today’s concealed carry pistols and offset rifle mounting.”

• 3.5 MOA Dot, Red
• .5 MOA Adjustment (90 MOA Windage and Elevation)
• CR2032 Battery Included – 65,000 Hours
• Glass Lens, Scratch Resistant / Anti Glare Coating
• Springfield Micro Footprint (Shield RMSc)
• 6061 T6 Hardcoat Aluminum Housing
• Always On, Auto-Dimming
• IPX7 Waterproof
• .95″ W x .86″ H x 1.6″ L
• 0.7 oz
• (2) sets of screws included
• Operating temperature certified from -40F to 158F”

Trijicon RMRcc Pistol Red Dot Review

By Patti Miller

In his second video review, Nick was able to get his hands on a Trijicon RMRcc and with the help of a borrowed Sig 365, he ran it through its paces to get a better picture of it.

Key specs of the RMRcc

• Specifically designed as a concealed carry option, essentially a baby version of the RMR Type 2
• Two options for the red dot – crisp 3.25 or 6 MOA
• Up to a 4-year battery life
• Snag-free design that’s designed to be beaten up

Positives

According to Nick, the RMRcc overall is a smaller version of the Type 2 RMR with the most durable open emitter dot optic. With a narrow body, it can be mounted on a 1911 or 2011, as well as on compact pistols. He is also impressed at the different brightness and night shooting modes. Even though he doesn’t find the brightest setting particularly bright, he did say that it was bright enough to handle the Texas sunlight. Additionally, the optic has two different button lockout options so you won’t go accidentally mess up your settings when you are carrying.

The RMRcc is meant to be used for shots less than 25 yards because it is a concealed carry model. But if you require a bit more from it, it has a tactile 3MOA adjustment per click that doesn’t use a proprietary tool to adjust for homing your shots with ease. The exterior is also a familiar shape so, worse comes to worst, you can use the top notch of the optic for an approximate last ditch back up sight. Essentially, if you like the RMR Type 2 optic, you’ll like the RMRcc.

Negatives

There are a few things that Nick doesn’t really like about the RMRcc pistol red dot sight. For one, it uses a proprietary footprint, which is also different from the RMR full size. In order to mount the optic, you’ll need to mill the slide or use an adapter plate. Also, because of the size of the optic and how the slide has to be milled to accept the optic, you won’t be able to co-witness with the stock sights. Nick goes on to mention that the actual shape of the window itself is not great for shooting out over 25 yards.

Another feature of the pistol red dot that he’s not thrilled with is the bottom mounting battery. To swap out the battery you have to unmount it, replace the battery, re-Loctite the screws, remount, and rezero. With the 4-year battery life, it might not be a big deal to most, but because he swaps out all batteries in his optics every year on his birthday, it’s time-consuming.

Nick’s last negative for the RMRcc is the price, at a $695 MSRP. He says that while that price is pretty normal for a Trijicon, it can easily end up doubling the overall price of your pistol in the end.

In conclusion, Nick likes the Trijicon RMRcc. He says it is a very good pistol red dot option for a compact concealed carry optic. In his opinion, it’s worth the price tag but just know you’ll have some extra work that comes along with it.

Review: Holosun 507K X2 Red Dot

By Kat Ainsworth

In part three of this micro RDS review series, Nick goes over the Holosun 507K X2 RD. If you’ve ever wondered about the Holosun brand of optics, now’s your chance to learn.

What do you need to know about the Holosun 507K X2 RDS?

This RDS has a lot of nice features like a 50,000-hour battery life and 12 different brightness settings. In fact, it’s even night vision compatible in two of those settings. Holosun designed the 507K X2 as a purpose-driven optic, and that purpose is defensive use in all light settings. Unlike some red dot sights that are restricted one way or the other, this one appears to be versatile and tough.

So, what does DEFCON Creative have to say about it?

Quite a bit, here are some of the highlights:

Durability

Nick says, “I did not expect this to be durable but I have had zero issues with this in the same round count [when reviewing others like the Trijicon] RMRcc…this housing is very, very durable. I don’t go dropping it over 500 rounds, but it has done the job for me.”

The Reticle

The Holosun 507K X2 has a 2 MOA dot and a 32 MOA ring, and it comes in red or green. Nick notes that the green has a lower battery life, saying, “I just don’t like green dots. The red is what I go with [which is nice] because the ring…gives you something easier to pick up.”

For example, if you are brand new to red dots and this is your first dot on a gun, you might have some difficulty finding the dot at first. With the extra ring around the dot, you’ll be able to see the top of the ring if you’re a little low, and then you can bring it up. 

What else did Nick have to say about the Holosun 507K X2? You’ll have to watch the video to find out.

Bottom line?

The Holosun 507K X2 was Nick’s favorite of the trio of brands they tried out for this particular RDS series. Is it right for you? The only way to find out is to try it. It can take some time to learn how to use an RDS instead of iron sights. Remember, you can always get RDS-height irons and co-witness, but it’s worth the investment of time and effort. Having a good RDS in your collection is a great idea for any dedicated shooter.

Specifications

• MRS: Circle Dot; 2 MOA Dot; 32 MOA Circle
• Up to 50,000 Hours Battery Life (Setting 6)
• 12 Brightness Setting: 10 DL & 2 NV Compatible
• Convenient Tray Battery Compartment
• Parallax-free & Unlimited Eye Relief
• Designed for CCW
• IP67 Waterproof
• Shake awake
• Multilayer reflective glass
• Light Wavelength: 650nm
• Reticle Color: Red
• 1X Magnification
• CR1632 Battery
• Window Size: 0.58″ x 0.77″
• Dimension:1.6″ x 0.98″ x 0.95″
• Weight: 1 ounce
• Housing Material:7075 T6 Aluminum
• Surface Finish: Anodized
• Adjustment per Click: 1 MOA
• Storage Temperature: -20℃~65℃
• Working Temperature: -20℃~51℃
• Submersion: IP67
• Vibration: 5000G

Compact Red Dot Showdown: Which one wins? 

By Kat Ainsworth

To conclude the series, this final video summarizes all three hands-on reviews, objectively breaking it all down by category.

Which Red Dot Sight is Best?

DEFCON Creative tried out a number of RDS to find out which worked best for them. He assigns a winner to each categories, finally calling out one of them as the best.

Here’s the lowdown on their initial impressions of the first two factors, usability and battery life:

Universality

He points out that there aren’t a lot of guns that come from the factory pre-milled for a red dot. However, it is becoming more common.

I think within the next two years, every gun is going to come with at least the option for milling.

In the Universality category, the [Springfield Armory] HEX wins because it uses the Shield RMSc footprint which is compatible with several platforms including the Springfield Hellcat, Sig Sauer, and Bul Armory 2011s.

The Shield RMSc is, up to this point, the most universally-used footprint. So the HEX Was is going to be the most universally fit dot.

The Holosun almost made it, being very close to the RMSc footprint, “but you’re still going to have to get a plate because they’ve changed it just enough to make it aggravating. You’re either going to have to get an adapter plate or you’re going to have to get your slide milled.”

As for the RMRcc, “Trijicon just said [forget you all]…just like they did with the RMR, the RMRcc uses its own footprint. [Right now] I don’t know of any guns that have the RMRcc [milled] standard. So you’re going to have to use an adapter plate, or if you have a Glock with the MOS system, get an MOS plate for [the RMRcc].”

The first point goes to the Springfield HEX.

Battery Life

Things get a little wonky in this category when you take in factors like low vs. high settings, and the differing phrases the companies use to describe how long the battery is going to last.

Springfield says the HEX Wasp will run over 65,000 hours on its lowest setting, but “In the real world…it’s going to be like 17,500 hours….[approximately] 2 years on this, in real-life applications.”

Trijicon says the RMRcc battery offers 4 years of illumination, but “I don’t know what brightness setting that’s going to be on. It comes out to [about] 35,000 hours.”

Ultimately, Holosun wins in this category, because the company says the 507K X2 RDS will run up to 50,000 hours at brightness setting Six.

So how does the rest of the chart fill out, and which Compact Red Dot Sight is the winner? You’ll have to watch the final video in the series to find out!

Which red dot sight is best for you?

Bottom line? Red dots serve a purpose, and odds are good they’d be useful for you. As with any gun or gear, choosing the best RDS for you comes down to your needs. It has to serve the specific purpose for which you intend to use it, whether that’s for your everyday carry gun or for range use, and it has to fit your gun.

 All aftermarket plates are not being made for every gun and RDS out there. There are quite a few factors to take into consideration. There are a lot of RDS on the market, though, so it’s a good idea to do your research. In order to narrow it down it’s a great idea to watch videos like this one from DEFCON Creative.

Do you have a favorite RDS? Tell us about it in the comments below.

The FN America SCAR 17S is, in the opinion of many, one of the best battle rifles out on the market. It fires a 7.62×51 cartridge but the recoil is oddly soft for a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. The short-stroke gas piston system allows the gun to keep remain effective in all manner of conditions. Even though it only has a 16.25 in. barrel with 1:12 twist, it is accurate out to 800 meters. So about SCAR 17 magazine options…which SCAR 17 mags should you choose?

FN SCAR mags — What are the Options?

FN offers magazines in two different capacities. 20 rd mags or 10 rd mags. The SCAR 17S magazine (those discussed in this article, as of this writing) is actually a modified FN FAL magazine. The SCAR 17S and FAL magazine bodies are the same. FN just cut a mag catch notch into the side of the mag body, removed the front notch, and changed the feed lip shape a bit. Then they added a plastic bumper to the base plate.

Edit: Now, long after this article first ran, there are several more options of SCAR 17 magazine to choose from!

These mags are great but they are a bit pricey and they weigh a lot. Empty, the factory 20 rd mag weighs 8.6oz.

For a lighter option, there are aftermarket polymer magazines.

One of the first to come to market was Molon Labe Industries.

They made a universal polymer magazine that they can cut to different lengths and have different capacities. Regardless of size, the magazines are all the same price.  They come in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 rd capacities. I have had some issues with reliability with the 25 round mags. Fail to feed. Also when loading the rounds into the magazine, the magazine tends to swell a bit and does not drop free if you need to fix a malfunction. They are lighter than the factory magazine though. A 20 rd mag weighs 6.1oz and the 25 round magazine weighs 8.1oz. 

Another contender in the polymer category is Moses Mag.

They started off by making polymer magazines for FAL pattern rifles. And since the FAL magazine is not that different from a SCAR magazine, it was not that difficult to alter the mold and make a polymer magazine for the SCAR 17S. The magazine is the lightest of all the SCAR17S compatible magazines. Empty, it weighs a mere 4.6oz. That is almost half the weight of the factory FN magazine. The Moses Mag SCAR-H magazine holds 21 rounds of .308 Winchester. However, if you load it to a full 21 rounds, you will have a difficult time inserting it on a closed bolt. So it is best to leave it at 20 or open and lock the bolt for the full 21.

The final magazine is basically an extended metal magazine similar in design to the FN magazine.

ASC makes this long metal magazine and it holds 25 rounds. Weight wise it is not that bad at just 8.1oz. Still lighter than the factory magazine. Both the ASC magazine and the Moses Mag magazine have sloped base plates. While you can monopod the rifle on the magazine, all the weight is concentrated on that one narrow section of the magazine. Both magazines are equally priced at below $30 each.

Save your Thumbs with the Maglula FN SCAR 17S Lula Magazine Loader

Gonna be doing a lot of shooting? Check out this FN SCAR mag loader.

FN SCAR 17S

SCAR 17S Review

Looking to learn more? You may want to read NRA’s Steven Buis review of the SCAR 17s on American Rifleman:

“For me, practical ergonomic characteristics are critical to the success of a firearm’s design and very often 7.62 mm rifles come up a bit short in that category. With this system, however, the safety selector, magazine release, and charging handle are conveniently located, the buttstock is stoutly built and comfortable, and the weight is evenly distributed across the length of the rifle. One shortcoming relating to practical ergonomics is the SCAR’s short rail system, which leaves a large amount of exposed barrel. For many, this is not an issue. For me, I prefer to be able to extend my hand farther out, supporting 70 percent of the rifle’s weight with my off hand and 30 percent with my shooting hand.”

The FN America SCAR 17S is, in the opinion of many, one of the best battle rifles out on the market. It fires a 7.62×51 cartridge but the recoil is oddly soft for a rifle chambered in .308 Winchester. The short-stroke gas piston system allows the gun to keep remain effective in all manner of conditions. Even though it only has a 16.25 in. barrel with 1:12 twist, it is accurate out to 800 meters. So about SCAR 17 magazine options…which SCAR 17 mags should you choose?

FN SCAR mags — What are the Options?

FN offers magazines in two different capacities. 20 rd mags or 10 rd mags. The SCAR 17S magazine (those discussed in this article, as of this writing) is actually a modified FN FAL magazine. The SCAR 17S and FAL magazine bodies are the same. FN just cut a mag catch notch into the side of the mag body, removed the front notch, and changed the feed lip shape a bit. Then they added a plastic bumper to the base plate.

Edit: Now, long after this article first ran, there are several more options of SCAR 17 magazine to choose from!

These mags are great but they are a bit pricey and they weigh a lot. Empty, the factory 20 rd mag weighs 8.6oz.

For a lighter option, there are aftermarket polymer magazines.

One of the first to come to market was Molon Labe Industries.

They made a universal polymer magazine that they can cut to different lengths and have different capacities. Regardless of size, the magazines are all the same price.  They come in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 rd capacities. I have had some issues with reliability with the 25 round mags. Fail to feed. Also when loading the rounds into the magazine, the magazine tends to swell a bit and does not drop free if you need to fix a malfunction. They are lighter than the factory magazine though. A 20 rd mag weighs 6.1oz and the 25 round magazine weighs 8.1oz. 

Another contender in the polymer category is Moses Mag.

They started off by making polymer magazines for FAL pattern rifles. And since the FAL magazine is not that different from a SCAR magazine, it was not that difficult to alter the mold and make a polymer magazine for the SCAR 17S. The magazine is the lightest of all the SCAR17S compatible magazines. Empty, it weighs a mere 4.6oz. That is almost half the weight of the factory FN magazine. The Moses Mag SCAR-H magazine holds 21 rounds of .308 Winchester. However, if you load it to a full 21 rounds, you will have a difficult time inserting it on a closed bolt. So it is best to leave it at 20 or open and lock the bolt for the full 21.

The final magazine is basically an extended metal magazine similar in design to the FN magazine.

ASC makes this long metal magazine and it holds 25 rounds. Weight wise it is not that bad at just 8.1oz. Still lighter than the factory magazine. Both the ASC magazine and the Moses Mag magazine have sloped base plates. While you can monopod the rifle on the magazine, all the weight is concentrated on that one narrow section of the magazine. Both magazines are equally priced at below $30 each.

Save your Thumbs with the Maglula FN SCAR 17S Lula Magazine Loader

Gonna be doing a lot of shooting? Check out this FN SCAR mag loader.

FN SCAR 17S

SCAR 17S Review

Looking to learn more? You may want to read NRA’s Steven Buis review of the SCAR 17s on American Rifleman:

“For me, practical ergonomic characteristics are critical to the success of a firearm’s design and very often 7.62 mm rifles come up a bit short in that category. With this system, however, the safety selector, magazine release, and charging handle are conveniently located, the buttstock is stoutly built and comfortable, and the weight is evenly distributed across the length of the rifle. One shortcoming relating to practical ergonomics is the SCAR’s short rail system, which leaves a large amount of exposed barrel. For many, this is not an issue. For me, I prefer to be able to extend my hand farther out, supporting 70 percent of the rifle’s weight with my off hand and 30 percent with my shooting hand.”