R2 Scout
Visual design by Anghele (M.A.C.)
The Scout Rifle
In 1980s, a world-renowned expert in small arms, Jeff Cooper, expressed strong disappointment that contemporary rifles differed little from those made a century ago. He believed, in his own words, that advances in metallurgy, optics and plastics could make the rifle a handy, light instrument, that could do a great many things equally well.
According to Cooper's concept, a Scout Rifle should have the following characteristics:
* An unloaded weight, with accessories, of no more than 3 kilograms.
* An overall length of no more than 1 meter.
* A removable telescopic sight of low magnification, preserving peripheral vision, and without any risk of striking one's brow during recoil.
* Ghost ring auxiliary iron sights. Such sights should be usable as a full-time system, and not only a backup.
* A three-point Ching sling, increasing comfort and stability while firing.
* Chambering in a common and available caliber.
* Sufficient power to reliably defeat all reasonable targets. Cooper himself has been swaying between .308 and .375 calibers.
* Accuracy of 2 MOA or less groups at 200 meters.
* Good ergonomic characteristics, making the rifle easy to fire for any shooter.
Such a rifle is intended to be suitable for both civilian and military use. In civilian use, it is particularly suitable as a hunter's weapon, allowing it to be carried with ease, and as a moving target shooting rifle, light weight making it quick to aim. In military use, a Scout Rifle can be an excellent sniper weapon at most common ranges, especially so for special operations forces, where weight is at a premium. Most preferably, both needs should be served by the same rifle, supporting people's constitutional right to a well armed militia.
Cooper's call had not remained unheard by firearm manufacturers. Some of the biggest brand names in firearms - Steyr, Ruger, Savage, Springfield Arms - stepped up to the task. Indeed, a few rifles intended to fulfill Cooper's requirements were produced, such as Steyr Scout, Savage Scout and Ruger Frontier.
However, while excellent rifles in their own right, none have yet completely satisfied the requirements set forth by the concept, most commonly failing to meet the weight or length restrictions.
Indeed, Cooper's requirements, despite being formulated over 20 years ago, when interpreted without compromise, are highly challenging even in 2010. In order to produce a ready to fire system at 3kg, including two full-time sight systems, a sling support, and all required accessories, the rifle itself has to be barely heavier than 2kg. At the same time, this rifle has to be able to not only handle firing the powerful .375-inch magnum rounds, but do so with so little recoil as to be easily handled by any shooter, which means not only the well-experienced hunter, but also his daughter. None of this could be done at the cost of accuracy: while the 2 MOA requirement is rather relaxed, the Scout Rifle is expected to be frequently fired from standing position, in a very short timeframe, and deliver this accuracy in such usage.
R2 Scout
Where regular platforms could not achieve success, the R2 platform makes a logical choice for the task. Indeed, the stress-distributing, weight-saving construction could allow for finally meeting the mass restrictions, with the ARCS keeping recoil down and the reliable action reducing the training period.
At the same time, the R2 series was in need of an extension. The reason is that a number of militaries, for one reason or another, but usually simply for the lack of a dedicated DMR, have adopted R2S as a designated marksman rifle, rather than a specialist sniper only weapon. However, at a loaded weight of 7-10kg and with muzzle energies in excess of 20kJ, the R2S rather takes the niche of a long range sniper rifle, akin to the .408 M200, and even an anti-materiel weapon, its capabilities being is excessive for general marksman duties. Most requirements for a DMR and a Scout Rifle being very similar, R2 Scout can also be very useful in that role.
Based on the updated R2.1 platform, the Scout represents a new direction in the development of R2. It is simpler, lighter, easier to use and maintain, and more affordable than all previous weapons of the series. R2 Scout is limited to CL8-40 rounds rather than CL8-80, but this still exceeds Cooper's original requirements of .375 caliber performance.
At an early point in R2 development, the target price point had been set at $35,000, only $10,000 more than R1. This could not be achieved due to the technical limitations and complications, raising the price higher. With R2 Scout, a highly accurate, lightweight, very high performance weapon for $35,000 is finally available.
Simplification
For minimum weight, the R2 Scout is based on R2L chassis rather than mainline R2. R2L, the lightweight version, differs from mainline R2 in reduced use of high-tech alloys and metal matrix composites in favor of lighter and less expensive polymer matrix composites, specifically carbon fiber and carbon-aramide reinforced polymers.
In order to keep the weight further down, some systems that are of very limited use in a sniper rifle, have been removed. Specifically, some of the changes of R2 Scout from its parent R2L include:
* R2 Scout does not support fully automatic fire.
* Most EACS components have been removed from the rifle.
* The phase-shift barrel cooling system has been removed.
* Instead of an integral tensioning system, a free-floating tensioning sleeve is used.
* There are only two internal accessory channels, both half-length.
The least significant, but in reality the most controversial change, far exceeding the above combined in public reaction, was the removal of the backup mechanical ignition system from the rifle. It had been long overdue - the years of field experience with R1 and R2 have shown the electrical ignition system to be more reliable than its mechanical counterpart, and cases of malfunction to be rare. Furthermore, a large proportion of failures have been at least in part attributable to the rudimentary mechanical ignition system, which contains moving parts and requires significant tolerances, thus allowing dirt to get inside the places it normally couldn't, complicating the maintenance, and, in case of R1, being prone to going off when not required, damaging accuracy. In hindsight, it has been decreasing overall weapon reliability rather than improving it.
Unsurprisingly, this decision has caused an amount of outcry and bickering in the community, no lesser in scope than the one caused by removing LPT ports from motherboards, although a lot lesser in substance, since mechanical ignition, unlike LPT ports, does not provide any unique capability.
While the initial response of the Order of Knights to this outcry has been revolving around the highly helpful advice to "Get over it", the political power of the rather more traditionalist (and less educated) Order of Paladins, combined with customer-centered policies of ALC, have forced the Knights to pretend to implement a change in policy.
As such, the required fixed parts for the mechanical ignition system have not been removed, and the Scout can still be outfitted with it, via a custom order (for extra $1,000) or using a self-installation kit (extra $500). If it is not installed, the openings reserved for it are filled with removable thermoplastic seals, and the striker hole in the ignition system face is sealed with a soldered-in metal plug.
While the restriction on fully automatic fire can be circumvented by tuning the action control, doing so risks overheating and even round cookoff, as the Scout lacks the phase-shift cooling system characteristic of other R2 weapons.
Accurizing
While the rifle is simplified, all the above changes do not have a significant effect on accuracy, profound or adverse, under normal conditions. The accuracy improvements compared to the parent R2L come from a number of dedicated accurizing measures:
* A special competition trigger pull system is used, which can be tuned to sense very light amounts of pressure or changes in trigger pressure.
Tactile feedback has been improved to give clear indication of when the rifle is just about to fire.
* The full-size round loading piston, used in regular R2, up to R2S, has been replaced by a special low-resistance piston, with reduced diameter, lightweight construction and extra-low-friction travel, using only 35% of the original force.
* Unlike R2L, chambers for which are produced by truncating flawed R2 chambers, the Scout uses a custom-designed, custom-built chamber with thinner walls. While built using the same composite, the new chamber is 20% lighter than the one in R2L and almost twice lighter than the R2 chamber.
* Since the peak pressures are lower, the safety factor for the main action could be lowered. The barrel throat has been redesigned for reduced pressure, with a slight external flattening for round ejection and asymmetrical reinforcement compensating for it in the lower part.
The above measures, together with a local redesign of the feeding and ejection mechanism, have allowed to reduce chamber travel from 27mm in the original rifle to just 16mm. Additionally, since the Scout does not have to sustain automatic fire, it doesn't need a force reserve to push the heat-expanded chamber into the containment zone. Combined with a lighter chamber, it allowed for a reduction of forces and impulses involved in the reloading process to only 18% of those in the original R2. Now the entire cycle of manually moving the chamber down, feeding a full-size CL8-40 round, and returning the chamber to the firing position, including the mechanical losses, only takes 90 N*mm of energy. For comparison, pulling a regular trigger with 2 kg force and 1 cm travel requires about 100 N*mm.
This reduction in forces has several significant consequences:
- In semi-automatic and burst fire, forces in the automatic action are very small, improving precision for rounds after the first.
- In burst fire, the time required to reload is reduced, allowing for faster bursts.
- In self-cycling single fire mode, the action assist system could be significantly simplified.
- In single fire, cycling the action is unusually easy – enough that the entire process can be done without any aid of the left hand and without removing the index finger off the trigger, but rather just cycling the specially provided handle with the thumb. This provides, in Single Fire mode, true bolt action control and accuracy with just a small fraction of extra delay and effort.
As well as the R2S, the Scout is equipped with a barrel vibrations attenuator - a fully mechanical adjustable tension system that can change the barrel's inherent vibration frequency by altering the stiffness of its muzzle end attachment to the sleeve. With the attenuator set perfectly correct for the barrel and the round, the frequency is such that the angular deflection is zero when the bullet leaves the muzzle, thus greatly reducing the inaccuracy caused by vibrations.
Indeed, at 50-200m ranges, in static target and running target shooting, Scout has proven to be the most accurate of the R2 series, surpassing even the R2S, thanks to the ease of aiming and to the accurizing measures taken.
Applications
It should be noted that despite Scout's stellar performance at 200m distance, at long ranges the accuracy advantage is still steadily on the side of R2S, stemming from its raw power – a CL8-80 fired from R2S has 2.2 times more muzzle energy than the most powerful round available for R2 Scout. In practical military use, R2S also tends to maintain accuracy better due to its heavy-duty, abuse-resistant construction, as well as the general effects of additional weight.
As such, the Scout does not replace R2S or compete with it, but rather extends the advantages of the R2 technology into a number of fields where it has been long awaited.
* R2 Scout makes an excellent sporting rifle for any competitions where it is not banned by the rules. For instance, in biathlon, its light weight, compact shape, ease of carrying, excellent ergonomics and benchmark accuracy can give the athlete a number of competitive advantages, each of them small, but totaling to a chance for a higher position.
* While the regular R2 is an excellent weapon for hunting big and dangerous game, it is heavy and excessive for medium game hunting. R2 Scout offers a weapon for both medium and large game, and at a significantly lower price point, which matters in this market.
* In military applications, R2 Scout is currently, as the name implies, the ultimate Scout Rifle – a weapon for reconnaissance missions, where convenience is more important than absolute firepower.
Detailed Specifications
Barrel length: 630mm
Length, compacted: 820mm
Length, maximum: 960mm
Weight, empty: 2.40kg
Weight, with scope and bipod, loaded with 20 CL8-40 rounds: 2.90 kg
Fire modes: Safety, Manual, Semi-automatic, Burst
Selector type:
- 4-position main lever switch
- 3-position sliding secondary selector
- Infinitely adjustable pressure-sensitive trigger (3-position by default)
Caliber: CL8-25 or CL8-40
Rate of fire:
30 rpm in Manual Mode
60 rpm in Semi-Automatic mode (with 30-rd magazines)
Muzzle velocity: Round-dependent, up to 2,000 m/s
Muzzle energy: Round-dependent, up to 11,000 J (at low MV)
Accuracy, benchrested, with match-grade CL8-40:
0.25 MOA (10mm) at 100m
0.45 MOA (65mm) at 500m
0.70 MOA (200mm) at 1,000m
1.15 MOA (500mm) at 1,500m
Accuracy, practical:
0.5 MOA at 100 to 250m
0.8 MOA at 250 to 750m
1.7 MOA at 750m to 1500m
Derived from service testing by shooters with 5 to 10 years experience, year-round, low wind, good weapon condition, match CL8-25 and CL8-40 rounds used.
Accurate range:
1,200m with CL8-40
Defined as 400mm groups and sub-250mm CEP being achievable in practical low wind conditions.
Maximum effective range:
1,150m with CL8-25
2,100m with CL8-40
Armor penetration at 500m and 30 degrees:
With match rounds: NIJ class 3A
With armor-piercing rounds: STANAG level II … STANAG level III
Packages and Pricing
Minimum package
Includes the rifle itself, ARCK021 field cleaning kit, limited warranty.
Retail - $31,500
Large-volume orders - $30,000
Special offer – Scout Package
Includes:
- R2 Scout rifle
- Brotherhood of Steel MPTS-1 telescopic sight with 40mm objective, 2x-8x optical magnification, metal matrix composite chassis and carbon fiber reinforced plastic outer casing.
- Aramide three-point Ching sling
- 250mm lightweight bipod, convertible into VFG
- Stanhope survival knife with bayonet mounting provision (made in Pontinia)
- Field cleaning kit [#ARCK021]
- Main maintenance kit [#ARCK121]
- ARL-015D internal tactical light
- Lifetime supply of solid lubricant
- Servicing instructions and detailed information in digital form
- 4 reusable aramide reinforced plastic magazines – 10-round, 2x20-round, 25-round
- Rapid magazine reloading device and custom round casting die set
- Fiberglass storage and transportation case
- DIY-type lifetime warranty: only spare parts are covered
Price:
Retail - $35,000
Large-volume orders - $33,000
Deployment package
Includes:
- R2 Scout rifle
- A telescopic sight of customer choice:
- Kevlar three-point Ching sling
- 250mm lightweight bipod, convertible into VFG
- ARL-030D internal tactical light
- Integrated laser targeting system
- Stanhope survival knife with bayonet mounting provision (made in Pontinia)
- Field cleaning kit [#ARCK021]
- Main maintenance kit [#ARCK121]
- Lifetime supply of solid lubricant
- Servicing instructions and detailed information in printed and digital form
- 1 thin-film rechargeable accessory battery
- 1 lightweight clamp-terminated electric cord
- 6 reusable magnesium alloy magazines – 10-round, 2x20-round, 25-round, 30-round (CL8-40), 30-round (CL8-25)
- 6 reusable aramide reinforced plastic magazines
- Rapid magazine reloading device and custom round casting die set
- Fiberglass storage and transportation case
- Full lifetime warranty
Price:
Retail - $40,000
Large-volume orders - $38,000
