Need help. New Scar 17s with mag drop and feed problems

[smokey77]

My take on the dinged brass:

The magazine feed angle is somehow wrong and is causing some portion of the bolt to slam into the brass and cause the ding. This problem usually manifests as more of an elongated gouge, but I could see where it may show up as you've posted. I have seen it bad enough to actually gouge entirely through the brass as well. These guns usually also exhibit other feeding problems (such as bolt over base). If this were true, then maybe the magazine tilt is also screwing with the latch enough that the force down on the magazine is also causing it to pop out. If you say you also saw shaved brass everywhere, I would bet this is the case.

If this is indeed the problem, then it needs to go back to FN, as this isn't really something you can fix yourself (provided the issue is the gun and not the magazine). Since you showed the the lower appearing to have a problem as well, it may simply be a case of an out-of-spec lower. Still, it needs to go to FN as they should replace it and it may alert them of a problem that may affect more than just your rifle (hopefully it is a one-of, and we can hope this doesn't affect military rifles).

The holes and marks on the brass are clear in the 10 that I took a picture of, and there were some slight marks on maybe 5 others. So that is only 15 out of 250 rounds total. Some brass had some scratching on it, but it wasnt anything severe, you really had to look for it to see it, so I didnt take pictures of it. What bothered me is that I had about 15 mag drops, so its more than a coincidence that the number of holes/dents in the brass matches the number of malfunctions.

On the other hand (thinking out of the box), I'm thinking that maybe there was a nail or wire mesh, or something sharp on the wood dividers that separate the shooters lanes at the outdoor range I was at. So when the brass ejected, it smacked something sharp that made the holes? I have to check the next time I go back to the range. I cant think of anything on the rifle internals that is pointy or sharp enough to make that hole.

Yes, It left a while ago to FNH, so I should be hearing from them soon. I will keep you all updated. Thanks for the comments and help.

[Wizzard]

Actually the canted barrel issue is easily fixed at home. Do a search here on the forum. These are Battle rifles, not designed to re shoot brass, so it is doubtful that dented brass are much of an issue to FNH.

Correct, but the thing is you shouldn't have to fix it yourself at that price point, it should be aligned 'correctly' at the factory...at the very least caught by QA. The brass damage is a concern for those of us that reload...even the mil sells spent brass to liquidators. Keep us posted smokey as I'm very curious...I'm doubting the shell case damage is from some random debris, it's practically punching holes in the casings...they will fix it no doubt

[Kyohte]

I can't think that the SCAR would be ejecting brass so harshly that they could hit something and dent, especially in the exact same manner across multiple rounds. I've had guns that really chuck brass and never encountered issues like that. Like someone else said, that's really worse than the fluting on HK91s. It is worth mentioning this to FNH.

I had a MSAR STG-E4 that would gouge brass so bad it would penetrate into the case. It wasn't 100% either, it was probably 1-2 rounds per 2-3 magazines. Of course, they always occurred with a FTF malfunction. I eventually got it worked.

I will also agree that canted barrels and things like this really shouldn't be an issue with a rifle that's over $2000. To add to that, when I got my 17S, the magazine release roll pin was partially out, making it difficult to depress and change magazines. It wasn't a huge issue (as I just tapped it back in), but it's one of those things that just shouldn't happen.

[smokey77]

I can't think that the SCAR would be ejecting brass so harshly that they could hit something and dent, especially in the exact same manner across multiple rounds. I've had guns that really chuck brass and never encountered issues like that. Like someone else said, that's really worse than the fluting on HK91s. It is worth mentioning this to FNH.

I had a MSAR STG-E4 that would gouge brass so bad it would penetrate into the case. It wasn't 100% either, it was probably 1-2 rounds per 2-3 magazines. Of course, they always occurred with a FTF malfunction. I eventually got it worked.

I will also agree that canted barrels and things like this really shouldn't be an issue with a rifle that's over $2000. To add to that, when I got my 17S, the magazine release roll pin was partially out, making it difficult to depress and change magazines. It wasn't a huge issue (as I just tapped it back in), but it's one of those things that just shouldn't happen.

True very true. All good points. The brass with the hole in it is really strange, it does go all the way through, you can shine a light through the hole.

I did take video clips of the malfunction while firing, and also pics of the brass, and all the photos I took of the shavings, and other stuff I thought was unusual, and then burned them onto a CD-RW. Sent it with the repair form, and rifle/magazine.
I still have the brass with me, so if they need it, I will send it.

[smokey77]

UPDATE ... Repair completed, my 17s is on the way back. FNH repair center would not give me exact specifics regarding the repair, only told me that there was a problem with the lower, and the parts were replaced. The service tech said it is their policy to not give exact details about repairs because they did not want "anti-gun" supporters to use this information. I was a bit shocked to hear this, but I'm ok with it, as long as they figured out what was wrong, and fixed it. After a few minutes of begging for more info and insisting that I love my 17s and just was curious as to what happened, he revealed there was an issue with the mag catch being out of spec, and the parts were replaced and all is good. I wont know for sure if the problem was fixed until I get it back and put some rounds down range.

[82ND.ABN.MED]

I just saw the picture of your mag, its got a serial # on it....Hey Guys I might be wrong but I thought that the 1 Magazine that came with the SCAR was not supposed to have a serial number on it. (was this a used SCAR?)
- Either way the Gun Shop you bought it from should have given you a lifetime warranty (if there a good gun shop). Take it back and have them look it over

[Turnanewleaf]

I just saw the picture of your mag, its got a serial # on it....Hey Guys I might be wrong but I thought that the 1 Magazine that came with the SCAR was not supposed to have a serial number on it. (was this a used SCAR?)
- Either way the Gun Shop you bought it from should have given you a lifetime warranty (if there a good gun shop). Take it back and have them look it over

The mag that came with my SCAR 17 has a serial number on it.

To the OP, keep us posted

[SgtStrykerUSMC43]

I just saw the picture of your mag, its got a serial # on it....Hey Guys I might be wrong but I thought that the 1 Magazine that came with the SCAR was not supposed to have a serial number on it. (was this a used SCAR?)
- Either way the Gun Shop you bought it from should have given you a lifetime warranty (if there a good gun shop). Take it back and have them look it over

The "serial number" is a D&H Industries Cage Code. I think we'll see more of these supplied with the 7.62 guns as D&H has apparently corrected the issues they had early on in producing U.S. magazines under contract for FNH.

[82ND.ABN.MED]

The "serial number" is a D&H Industries Cage Code. I think we'll see more of these supplied with the 7.62 guns as D&H has apparently corrected the issues they had early on in producing U.S. magazines under contract for FNH.

Thanks Sarge, I had read you mention something to that extent a while back, and that's what promted me to write that. I thought that Smokey might have gotten Burned.......I thought it might be a used SCAR that had been sold as new, or that they might have switched the belgiun mag with the D&H one.

but it looks like the problems been fixed, Smokey let us know how it goes once you get a few round down range

[smokey77]

I just saw the picture of your mag, its got a serial # on it....Hey Guys I might be wrong but I thought that the 1 Magazine that came with the SCAR was not supposed to have a serial number on it. (was this a used SCAR?)
- Either way the Gun Shop you bought it from should have given you a lifetime warranty (if there a good gun shop). Take it back and have them look it over

Nope it was brand spanking new, the box was factory sealed, and it had that thick grease protective film gunk that you need remove prior to shooting. I am 100% sure it was brand new. I did send it back to the dealer who sent it to FNH, and the problem was not the D&H mag, it was the lower.