The FN SCAR 17S is a gas-piston semi-automatic .308 Winchester built for hard field and range use. It has an MSRP of $3,999. Its two-piece bolt carrier runs on a hydraulic buffer, which FN credits for reduced felt recoil and faster follow-up shots than the rifle it replaced.

It comes with folding iron sights adjustable at both ends, a vertical foregrip, a piston removal tool and a soft case with modular inserts, alongside a steel-bodied magazine. The stock folds to the side, telescopes for length and carries an adjustable cheekpiece, and the charging handle can be set up on either side of the receiver. The gas regulator has two positions, the selector levers and the magazine release are sized for either hand, and the grip takes AR grips. The trigger is a single stage at 6.3 lbs.

If you’re cross-shopping, the Sig Sauer 716i Tread has an MSRP of $1,519.99 and weighs 8.50 lbs on a direct-impingement AR lower, so triggers and parts come from the AR market. The IWI Galil ACE Gen II has an MSRP of $2,179 at 8.38 lbs, with a long-stroke piston in a milled steel receiver and a side-folding stock of its own. The FN has an MSRP above the two of them put together, for a piston rifle FN has sold since 2008.