Let’s face it: sometimes you just want something with more… oomph… than your 9mm. Maybe it’s because you need to stop a bear, maybe it’s for some other reason. But what do you do if you don’t want something as big as a rifle? Sure, you can go for a pistol caliber carbine, but you’re looking at pistol caliber ammunition, which takes us back to the first part: you want more stopping power. And a carbine may just be bigger than you want.

If you’re in that situation (wanting more stopping power than pistol caliber ammunition but wanting something smaller than a rifle), there is a solution: a rifle caliber pistol.

For the people looking for exactly this situation, FN has a SCAR pistol, now, which chambers in rifle caliber, so that you can scratch that particular itch. Todd Burgreen writes,

A little brother has joined the SCAR family ranks—the SCAR 15P. SCAR devotees will be thrilled that their go-to rifle platform has finally joined the rifle caliber non-traditional form pistol ranks. 

The SCAR can be viewed as an amalgamation of improvements made in rifle design since the field became predominated by the AK and AR designs. FN America (FN) chose to go with a more complete approach with the SCAR versus just taking an AR platform and making it piston driven.  SCAR stands for Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR). FN originally designed the SCAR in response to a United States Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) request for a weapon to supersede the M16/M4 platform.

Burgreen continues:

The FN SCAR 15P weighs in at 5.6 pounds and measures 19.75 inches overall. The SCAR 15P’s cold hammer-forged, 7.5-inch barrel sports a chrome lining. It comes equipped with a three-prong flash hider using ½”x28 threads. The SCAR 15P utilizes a true 5.56MM chamber, enabling it to fire both 5.56MM and .223 Remington loads.

Now, as you’ll notice in the image above, this SCAR isn’t anything that you’re going to carry concealed (at least, not without a trench coat straight out of The Matrix), but if you’re looking for something chambered in 5.56mm, you probably aren’t looking for tiny. You’re looking for power. And, in this case, something that you can put into a bag (maybe a bug out bag) for easy transport.

So, if you’re in the market for a rifle caliber firearm but want something a bit smaller, the FN SCAR 15P may be one to consider.