Hey, fellow SCAR owners!

A little while back, we talked about manufacturing a replacement SCAR stock latch, since it seems to be a recurring failure point for SCAR owners, and OEM support through the only distributor, Midwest Gun Works, has been discontinued.

With the release of the SCAR Gen 2, we've decided to move forward with this project. There are currently no market alternatives, OEM or aftermarket (including TangoDown), and we suspect FN won't offer OEM support or address the issue going forward. Given the opportunity and the investment already made, we figured it made sense to improve the design as well, rather than simply reproduce the same part that's been causing so much frustration for users.

What you'll see in our post is the result of several rounds of prototyping and testing: our final, batch-producible Version 1.0 of our Enhanced SCAR Stock Latch. To date, we've manufactured more than 30 units. We'll include a diagram of our part nomenclature to avoid confusion. Note: the OEM latch shown for comparison is FDE and is marked with gold paint.

Functionally and visually, our Enhanced latch is similar to the OEM part, with a few key differences:

1. Polymer: We selected a polymer composite that we believe is better suited to the latch application, prioritizing strength and stability under realistic thermal exposure and focusing on overall durability, rigidity, and impact resistance.
2. Rear support ridge: During OEM function testing, we noticed that the latch can occasionally pop out when the polymer receiver plate depresses upon the latch locking teeth, for example, when the stock is swung into full extension. This happens because the receiver plate physically rocks the latch outward, away from the latch ledge catch, into the stock cavity. Under spring tension, this can pop the latch free as if the user were intentionally removing it, except that it's unintentional and it'll shoot out into the unknown. We're not certain whether this is specific to the buttstocks we tested, to OEM latches, or to general wear, but we were able to reproduce the issue across multiple OEM latches and stocks. On the rearmost part of the latch (oriented muzzle-to-stock, as installed), there's a slight outward ridge at the base of the "U" shape. We've increased the thickness of this ridge to prevent pop-out.
3. Retaining ledge length: To further address the pop-out issue, we've also lengthened the ledge that clips within the detent in the stock, securing the latch under spring tension.

  
**FAQ:**

* Why were OEM latches discontinued? 
   * We have no idea.
* Why were aftermarket alternatives discontinued?
   * We've reached out to a few aftermarket manufacturers; the word on the block is that FN has updated the latch's polymer composition to address the issue. Clearly, that is not the case; repeated use of the OEM stock would still wear the latches down to the point of breaking. Discontinuing it is a poor oversight in our opinion.
* Does this work with the SCAR Gen 2? 
   * We haven't had a chance to get our hands on a SCAR Gen 2. However, based on all the diagrams and information, the stock is functionally and dimensionally identical to the Gen 1. Long answer short: **Yes**, it should work. If anyone would like to provide a Gen 2 and stock for testing, that'd be great. 
* Why the decision to make the latch polymer again?
   * The decision to move forward with a polymer latch comes down to a few reasons, and it's certainly **not** a case of planned obsolescence. As much as we'd love to keep manufacturing these parts throughout the SCAR platform's lifespan, there are some considerations worth explaining. First, we believe this part was, in fact, designed as a piece of **functional obsolescence**, or more accurately, a **sacrificial component**. Our reasoning (assuming FN's engineers knew what they were doing) is that of all the things you'd want to fail on the stock after repeated normal operation, like locking or slapping the stock into place, or abnormal use, like a hard lateral impact, the latch is the one you'd choose. It's a low-cost, low-consequence failure point compared to the alternatives. Second, the latch sits within the stock cavity and interfaces directly with all-polymer components. If you asked us which part of the stock matters most, we'd say it's the receiver plate, since it allows the rifle to keep firing even if the rest of the stock is functionally destroyed. The latch's locking teeth make direct contact with and impact the receiver plate whenever the stock is swung into full extension. It follows that FN's engineers would want the latch to give way before the receiver plate's locking lugs do. We think this is supported by the fact that the polymer used in the receiver plate is noticeably denser and more durable than the rest of the stock. As for why the receiver plate isn't metal, it comes down to harmonics, and it remains a hotly debated topic among owners as to the reason why the receiver plate screws do or don't cant when replaced. **Because of this, we believe a metal alternative would be less than ideal.** 
* Does the new Polymer Composite mean that it won't break? 
   * No. As with all polymer parts, they are subject to wear and tear. We do believe, and through testing, have established that we **at least** achieved parity in durability. And if our chemical/materials engineer is not lying about his qualifications, the enhanced latch **will** outlast the OEM latch. Then again, we haven't been able to test any of the OEM latches or our latches to failure yet. 
* Is it possible that other parts of the stock, or even the stock itself, will be made in the future? 
   * Possibly. We're unsure as to the demand for these latches. We know that the stock itself is quite difficult to obtain, given the limited release. We are more likely to consider other parts of the stock before the stock as a whole. 
* What colors do you offer?
   * Black. If you really wanted to, I suppose you could paint over it.
* What sort of testing was conducted on the OEM and your Latch?
   * Repeated function testing of opening and closing the stock. Material composition testing. Firing of a SCAR 17S and 16S with both latches installed. 
* How is it made? 
   * Wouldn't you like to know you industrial spy? Jk, injection molded. 
* How many OEM latches and Buttstocks did you use as a sample size?
   * A total of four Buttstocks and accompanying latches were utilized to account for the manufacturer's margin of error. All were new and purchased from MGW. Three were black, one was FDE. Sorry to the folks that were looking to buy them, we needed to buy some because that was...the **only** way to get the latches. 
* Are you guys passing off OEM latches as your own?
   * No, if we had the chance to scalp all the latches before it was discontinued, we wouldn't even bother making them. We'd just use them for ourselves. 
* Where will this be sold, and at what price point? 
   * I don't think I'm allowed to post that here. We are working on distribution and trying to figure out the best place to bring it to market. We obviously need to consider shipping, manufacturing, and parnership/distributor costs, but we aren't looking to stray far from OEM costs. Our first thought is from the trunk of a beaten-up Crown Vic in an alley in every major city.
* Will these always be in stock, i.e. constantly manufactured? 
   * Frankly, no, we don't know the demand and will be making these in batches. We do expect a surplus, as we are SCAR owners ourselves. 
* Why do the photos look so amateurish and like they were taken on a paper towel? 
   * Because they were, in fact, taken to the table in our factory kitchen. The paper towels are from Costco. 
* You showcased the spring. Will that also be included?
   *  Yes. We don't think the spring is subject to as much wear as the latch. However, sometimes the pop-out happens with the OEM, and you might have lost it (at home, in the kitchen, in your garage, in your mom's basement, or even in the field). In addition, it's nice to have another part that literally isn't sold anywhere else (we think).



SCAR Enhanced Stock Latch