Carcano

7.62x51 AR pattern rifle? those are nice, OK now the optics, rails, and tacticool side of me is starting to slowly emerge....I just gotta tell my FAL's and G3's the devil made me do it...

Very well said

You made a good point and we have all voiced opinions, some like the SCAR, some like the FAL, some like the G3. The OP really needs to handle each of those rifles and decide for himself which is best but he has three decent options on the plate. If it was a bolt action rifle someone wanted I would recommend a nice Brown Precision rifle, I own one of these and have only shot it several times but it's a very accurate rifle with synthetic stock: http://brownprecision.com/precision-rifles/tactical-elite/

I would tell you where to shove it but this would end up in 1A and I'm not tempted to keep playing your game. Far from it, my family is extremely well off and well known in South Jersey. If I want something I buy it, money has never been a issue. I could go out and buy 500 SCAR rifles in cash right now, would I? no, I do not like the design (amongst other things) which I stated two pages back. If you ever stay at a Sandals/Beaches property tell me ahead of time...

No, Heckler & Koch designed and produced the first poly handgun YEARS before Glock. Dupont invented and patented the material used to manufacture it. Did you not know that? now you do.

I've seen a Glock dropped 20 feet with a round chambered and it didn't go off and was fine, plastic degrades without a UV stabilizer. You can very much thank Heckler & Koch for the Glock, if it wasn't for HK you wouldn't have plastic pistols. G3 and FAL have wood furniture, but many opt for the black synthetic furniture but have all steel receivers. OP is the only one who can decide which is best for him, if he has enough disposable income get one of each (G3/FAL/SCAR). You really can't base a purchase on what is said here, he should handle them and preferably shoot them to decide.

When the SCAR pops up in a few more major conflicts and hits the 25 year mark I would consider it "proven", FAL & G3 proved itself for being reliable in all conditions imaginable not some lab test or yank in his backyard with a tub of sand and bucket of water. I'll take a simple, reliable, battle proven weapon with 50+ years of service over a weapon which rolled into service just 10 years ago.

Plastic trumps metal, really? I can flex the mag well on my Glock with my fingers wouldn't be too hard to crack the frame. I'll keep my S&W 59, I can outshoot any Glock owner with that pistol and I know it's durable, reliable and accurate out of the box.. I own a plastic gun, a trade-in .40 Glock 22 (Gen 2) and like it a lot, very comfortable and pretty accurate so I'm not 100% anti-plastic I'm 99% anti-plastic. Sometimes simple is better, you can load your plastic SCAR up with plastic toys, I'll keep my all metal G3 and FAL with iron sights. OP asked for options, he was given them and should try out one of each at the range (or, fondle one of each at a store) and see which he likes better.

The SCAR feels cheaply made, it's plastic and how long it will hold up compared to the all metal FAL is the burning question. It might last when me and you turn to dust, who knows. Overall IMO, again let me make myself very clear IN MY OPINION the FAL or G3 is a better choice. If you like the SCAR go for it, I wouldn't waste my money on something that hasn't been proven. Google SCAR vs FAL and you will bust a nut. Not always, but I would rather give up 101 hot 10/10 ladies over my FAL and G3 clones so that says something now doesn't it? Logic is, FAL (while old) is a great rifle. G3 is the same. If you want a ton of crappy rails, lights, plastic accessories get the SCAR. If you want something you can beat the living shit out of and depend on get FAL or G3. I'm not a tacticool/plastic accessories guy for what it's worth.

Nope and I still have all 21 digits. If you like the SCAR good for you, IMO it's a piece of shit but hey some guys on here consider the PTR and FAL to be shit, too. Everyone is different, I've handled and bought tons of guns which others considered pieces of shit yet I liked them enough to shell out cash for them. Maybe we should be limited to bolt action rifles and single/double barrels only here in the US like they do in other countries so everyone has a Mosin, Enfield, etc. and it reduces the pissing matches (Just Kidding)

I have a few stripped DSA lowers sitting here, nice lowers and while I haven't bought DSA upper I assume they are just as good. BTW That picture from the Falklands I have one matted on my office wall, also have a nice Heckler & Koch poster from Operation Nimrod a few of the SAS guys signed for me... I love H&K (as you can probably tell by now ) Opinions are like a** holes, we all have one and with guns it really comes out since what one person likes another may not. I still stand behind my G3 clones and FAL's but if the SCAR works for you great. If you are ever in South Jersey and want to try the VKE-91K and some other HK clones let me know I'll guest you to my range No hard feelings over the debate

I wish that were the case, I love shit that goes BOOM! lol It's a hard filler, not sure what they used for building cutaway RG42's but I know first hand the good stuff is gone The frag liner is present I got cut on the damn thing!

Rusty FAL? ever heard of hot blue tanks? Or save up and buy a nice Belgian FAL, I have one in PA being stored I'll let you have it for $5K. Mint in box with paperwork Never seen the light of day. Edit: Oh that's right no FAL for you in NJ so buy a nice FAL kit, do a hand pick and grab a DSA receiver. They must be horrible that's why DSA sells out all the time.

By everyone else you must live in a cave... You do realize MANY nations still utilize the FAL as a primary battle rifle so no "pretty much everyone" hasn't replaced the FAL.

Commodore 64's were lame, we had Apple and IBM machines when they first came out Budget reasons, that's why. The majority of FALs pulled from service are in deep storage and reserve rifles. Not completely replaced from front line service some are still in front line service and were in the sand box. HK won the contract top supply the G3 and later the SA-80. Yanks love plastic guns

No, our Govt. needs to justify budgets and this is one way in which they do so. The M1 and M14 saw use up until Vietnam and limited use during the 90's/early 2000's. Most of those M1's sat in crates for 30 plus years not in continues military service. The Enfield is irrelevant, we simply cannot compare the .303 and .308 let alone the fact that the Enfield is a bolt action magazine fed rifle and the FAL/G3 are semi-automatic (and in some cases, select fire) rifles. The Enfield is also still in limited use, Indian police/security forces are still using them and many many other countries have put them in deep storage much like the Mosin nagant (which also saw use in Chechnya and Bosnia during the 1990's).

And we learned that the FAL will get the job done, and a perfect match up of arms on both sides which is rare. Yes, 33 years and many of those FAL rifles are still going strong. Falklands: mud, dirt, sand, salt water, all enemies of guns and the FAL kept going. I can go on and on with more if you would like.

FAL entered production and service in 1954, SCAR in 2004. The FAL has stood the test of time and the SCAR is questionable. Not giving "range kiddies" a pass with the FAL/PTR/M1A but is goes to show how common sense/realistic usage is beyond the comprehension of many gun owners. When you see people show up in tactical gear complete with helmets you know they are taking it way too far, we are not in a war zone (yet).

Wow, you took that the wrong way. No, I never said only the Military should have guns but IMO too many people play soldier and fail to think realistically.

People play weekend warrior / arm chair commando all the time and from my experience it's the "hey I want a SCAR" or "hey I want a pistol AR upper" type. I've seen idiots sporting SCAR's and M4 clones in tactical gear at the range who have no Military/Police affiliation...just arm chair "hey let's play soldier" weekend commandos. The person in that image is supposedly an Air Force STO so it was issued to him and paid for with big Government budgets and endless funds, the FAL and G3 might cost less but have stood the test of time. Want a 308 battle rifle that will work and is proven? Get a G3 or FAL. Not good enough? look into a nice M1A. All three of those are proven systems.

"third world armies"... Only a small percentage of current FAL users would be considered "third world countries", in 1982 when the UK tried to recapture the Falklands they were armed with FN FAL rifles, semi-automatic only. The Argentinians were issued FN FAL rifles, selective fire variations and both went head to head. Special Air Service (22nd Reg.) and Special Boat Service carried a mixture of FAl, G3 and HK-33 rifles, SBS also had MC51 carbines (a highly modified and shortened G3) made by royal ordnance... Argentina and UK are FAR from third world countries, people need to get outside the US more often and see that not every "third world" country is truly "third world" but that's the average American mentality (unfortunately). US troops abuse issued weapons, too. Don't believe it? look at how many FUBAR guns get sent to depots from abuse, how about US troops using barrels on M16 variants to pry crates and brake pallet banding?. We had only had poly based firearms for for what, thirty some years now? we know steel holds up to the test of time. HK developed the first poly handgun despite what Glock and Sig lovers sing.

How many people buying a FAL will be doing regular barrel swaps? really? FALs I've seen had both threaded and pinned barrels, if you are building one up yourself on a DSA receiver this will be problematic if you have never done it before but otherwise it is a straight forward process. You would take the FAL over the G3? I would take the G3 OVER the FAL if I could only have one. G3 mounting optics with the claw mount is a pinch, I can get sub moa 300 yards with mine using the German issue scope and mount (match ammo, of course). G3 requires NO tools to take down, all push pins and can strip a G3 in under a minute with practice (that's front hand guard, remove butt stock, drop trigger housing/pack, drop bolt). G3 barrel is pressed into the trunnion, shop press to remove the barrel/replace. Charging handle is non reciprocating, the cocking tube free floats so not interference with the barrel and roller delayed operation. If the extractor brakes no worries, a true mil-spec G3 clone with have sufficient flutes (and flute depth) to still kick spent casings out and keep on working.

The SCAR....weekend warrior / arm chair commando approved:

The SCAR is a piece of plastic shit, it's disposable. I can't tell you how many FAL's and G3's I've seen which had pitting, rust and corrosion all over them in a former commonwealth country yet they still function flawlessly after 40+ years. The FAL has seen it all, peace time and war time. they have seen snow, mud, dirt, sand, being dropped/thrown from transport vehicles/stomped on, exposure to harsh corrosive salt air, yet they keep on going. The SCAR will NEVER EVER survive the above over a 40+ year life span, no way. The SCAR has SLIGHTLY less felt recoil and is less heavy, the FAL has more recoil and weighs more (all steel construction) but has a longer service life, easy to maintain, accurate and battle proven. And the FAL looks like your neighbor's hot 18 year old daughter in a bikini,the SCAR looks like your neighbor's wife.... A G3 or FAL clone will blow that plastic toy SCAR out of the water.