Otto Arms SCAR PDW stock – First Look

There has been a craze for smaller and smaller rifles. The pistol caliber carbine has exploded in popularity for it’s relatively short length and easy handling. Weapons like the CZ Scorpion and the Sig MPX often start as pistols and quickly become short barreled rifles. Not to mention bullpups are becoming more and more popular. Another concept is the PDW stock. There are now at least  three major companies I know of producing PDW stocks for the AR series of rifles. This can be traced back to the AAC Honey badger. A few of these PDW stocks require the use of specialized BCGs and buffer tubes. Luckily, AR owners are not the only game in town when ti comes to customizing existing platforms. Are you a member of the SCAR master race? Well, Otto Arms has you covered with a SCAR PDW stock.

Otto Arms is a small, American company that is involved in producing aftermarket accessories for the SCAR series of rifles. The SCAR rifles has a very dedicated and loyal following, and typically people who associate themselves with quality. That’s a fancy way of saying they don’t buy crap. So when Aaron and Nikita Ottosen dived into producing goods for the SCAR they couldn’t produce crap. And they don’t. One of their products, the SCAR PDW stock, is what we are looking at today.

Specs.

The SCAR PDW stock fits both the SCAR 16 or 17 models. The stock is lightweight, at only 14 ounces. It’s made from aluminum and stainless steel, and as far as I can look and see it’s plastic-free. It’s very well made and extremely solid in the hand.

Specs wise the SCAR PDW stock is a,

• 6 Position Stock
• Available in standard or extended cheek weld
• 4 QD points for Sling attachments
• LOP Closed – 3.6 inches
• LOP Open – 8.343

Benefits

Otto Arms definitely has a forward thinking mindset, their design addresses criticisms before they are made. The Otto Arms PDW Stock is still comparable to the stock SCAR 16s stock. First and foremost the biggest complaint is cheek weld. A lot of PDW stocks have the check weld of an AK under folder, which means not very much.

The extended cheek weld model of the Otto Arms PDW stock offers both a forward and rear cheek weld that is equivalent to a standard rifle. It allows the use of stock SCAR iron sights with ease. The biggest difference is the standard SCAR stock has an adjustable cheek weld.

Other than the cheek weld the Otto Arms stock offers the same advantages as the standard SCAR stock. Six position adjustable LOP, lightweight, and can operate completely collapsed. There is an argument to be had for collapsing versus folding. Folding certainly makes an overall shorter gun, but collapsing makes the weapon thinner overall. The other benefit is the sling mounts on the Otto Arms SCAR PDW stock. You can’t fold a stock with a sling attached to it. That’s why the standard SCAR stock does not have an intuitive method to attach a sling to it. Again, this is a personal preference. I prefer to attach a sling to the rear of the stock.

SCAR PDW Stock

FN actually produced a number of SCAR PDWs. These were equipped with a PDW collapsing stocks, and short barrels. Unfortunately as far as I know, FN does not sell their PDW stock. Someone looking to recreate that weapon would be out of luck. The Otto Arms SCAR PDW Stock is the only option I have found to make the recreation.

I know there are guys and gals out there that like to have something they normally can’t. Or they want an esoteric military rifle. Nodak Spud has a big business because of people wanting to create retro lowers. Same concept here. Personally, I’ve been looking to do an SBR, and combining this stock with a short barrel would give me something truly unique. (Sidenote you can get short barrels from Otto arms too.)

Review

The review will be coming soon. I’ve waxed poetically about the Otto Arms SCAR PDW stock because I like it. It’s made a solid first impression. However, that’s all subject to change once rounds start going down range. It may break, it may fail, but I doubt. There will be a full review soon, so be on the lookout for it. Otto Arms also has some upcoming products that are interesting, so make sure you check them out here. I won’t say anything yet, but they are doing some unique stuff, and I hope to work with them again on some of their projects.