After much anticipation, FN has adapted its military MK20 SSR long-range precision rifle and provided us with the incredible SCAR 20S. When my spotter turned up at the range with his SCAR, our day to work on the shot book turned into a day to have some fun.

Built to model the sniper support rifle, the FN SCAR 20S has very few modifications to suit the civilian and law enforcement market. Launched in 2018, the most significant SCAR changes include full-auto elimination and a three-prong muzzle hider. Since every long-range shooter invests in the best scope they can afford, FN also opted to not include iron sights.

Contrary to its looks, the SCAR is not just a super-sized semi-auto carbine rifle. The FN SCAR is a long rifle designed as a precision shooter, able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best bolt-action rifles. Capable of accuracy at eight hundred to one thousand meters, the SCAR 20S was incredibly easy to work with on my five-hundred-meter test range.

A gas-operated piston combined with FN’s Surefire muzzle device keeps the recoil easy to manage. The movement while I’m shooting travels straight back without rise. It was easy to maintain my target for follow-up shooting. Not surprisingly, given the shorter range length, I was able to achieve a consistent minute of angle grouping.

 A fixed stock with an adjustable length of pull, and an adjustable comb height ensured I was comfortable at the shoulder and cheek. With my scope mounted relatively low on the full-length top rail, the height customization on the comb was easy to dial in for my optimum sightline. In addition to that generous top rail on the upper, the entire circumference of the forend has smaller Picatinny rails for any accessory you would ever need. Sling points on the left side front and rear round out the accessory opportunities.

Snappy and crisp, the two-stage four-pound SCAR trigger was a delight. The trigger guard is quite generous and gave me no problems when I was shooting with gloves on. Fully ambidextrous, FN has the safety and mag release within easy reach from both sides of the weapon. The charging handle can be mounted on either side. An included ten-round bottom load magazine functions just like the familiar M16 rifle or M4 fire carbine. The SCAR 20S will take a twenty-round SCAR magazine or even a fifty-round drum. However, since this isn’t a spray-and-pray carbine, the ten- or twenty-round options should be plenty.

The SCAR 20S has an impressive 42-inch overall length, and 11.5-pound weight. This includes a longer-than-carbine free-floating twenty-inch barrel. Not only is that barrel a heavier gauge, but there is also a much longer barrel extension. That long length also allowed me to mount my bipod further out for increased stability.

All in all, the FN SCAR 20S definitively proved to me that it may look like a carbine rifle on steroids, but it performs like the best long-range precision rifle, which is what it’s meant to be.

Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at The National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.

Image: Reuters.