SCAR-L

The SCAR-L is an assault rifle that is featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon
The SCAR-L (or SCAR-Light) is the player's default weapon during most part of the campaign, and it cannot be traded out, except on some missions where it's replaced by a sniper rifle. Because of the Arcade nature of the game, the weapon is fairly weak, often taking almost one magazine to take out one enemy, but this is balanced by making the "reload" faster.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
"Accurate, mobile, and among the highest damage dealing assault rifles, the SCAR-L competes for the top spot in aggressive, mid-range combat. Its low rate of fire helps conserve ammo through sustained bursts, but can cause problems in close range skirmishes against rapid-fire weapons."

- Call of Duty: Elite description

Campaign
The SCAR-L makes a campaign appearance in the mission "Bag and Drag" with an ACOG Scope, along with an USP .45 and rarely used by Delta Force members in the mission "Goalpost". It can also be seen inside Makarov's fortress.

Multiplayer
The SCAR-L is unlocked at level 6, possesses a moderately high rate of fire, low recoil, and good, unobstructed iron sights. It does, however, deal the second lowest damage per bullet (35) of any assault rifle at close range. It still results in a three-shot kill at close range, but it makes it more difficult to get kills through walls; note that the SCAR-L also cannot kill in a headshot and a body shot, although it will kill in 2 headshots thanks to its higher-than-average headshot multiplier. It makes up for its lack of damage with impressive range; its damage drops off at 1200 units (30 meters), which is second only to the AK-47 in the full-auto assault rifle category. Because of this and of its low recoil, the ACOG Scope performs fairly well on the SCAR-L, enhancing its already high effectiveness at longer ranges. It can be reload cancelled easily, even without having to fire an entire magazine, because its magazine is filled before it is even inserted into the gun. For the most part, it is similar to the SCAR-H, with a higher rate of fire, larger magazine, and a slightly faster reload. However, it has lower damage at range and higher idle sway (which can be remedied with Stability) compared to its higher-caliber variant. Its low unlock level and good damage make it extremely common.

Special Ops
The SCAR-L is available for both Survival and Mission modes.

Mission Mode
The SCAR-L is used by the player providing overwatch in the Mission Mode challenge Invisible Threat, and a starting weapon in the missions Little Bros and Server Crash. It is also found in mission Vertigo.

Survival Mode
The SCAR-L is available in Survival Mode at level 5 and costs $3000.

The SCAR-L is a popular choice for early and later stages of gameplay, due to its moderate damage, clear iron sights, and low recoil. Stopping power and ammunition may be a problem in later waves, though, especially because it is not carried by any enemy type, which prevents the scavenging of free ammunition from fallen foes.

Attachments

 * Red Dot Sight - Unlocked at weapon level 2.
 * Suppressor - Unlocked at weapon level 5.
 * Grenade Launcher (M320) - Unlocked at weapon level 8.
 * ACOG Scope - Unlocked at weapon level 11.
 * Heartbeat Sensor - Unlocked at weapon level 14.
 * Holographic Sight - Unlocked at weapon level 17.
 * Shotgun - Unlocked at weapon level 20.
 * Hybrid Sight - Unlocked at weapon level 23.
 * Extended Mags - Unlocked at weapon level 26.
 * Thermal Scope - Unlocked at weapon level 29.

Proficiency

 * Kick - Unlocked at weapon level 4.
 * Impact - Unlocked at weapon level 9.
 * Attachments - Unlocked at weapon level 12.
 * Focus - Unlocked at weapon level 16.
 * Breath - Unlocked at weapon level 22.
 * Stability - Unlocked at weapon level 28.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance
The SCAR-L is featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3: Defiance as the "SCAR". It has a standard 30 round magazine with 150 rounds to carry, with decent iron sights and fire rate. It is also permanently equipped with an arctic camouflage and can only be found leaning on vehicles, walls and ammo crates; it is never seen used by enemy forces

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * One of the soldiers in the background of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer menu screen is holding a SCAR-L with a Holographic Sight, but it isn't seen anywhere else in the game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

 * The Create-A-Class picture of the SCAR-L lacks the front sight.
 * In Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the SCAR-L has a slightly different reload animation if it is equipped with a Heartbeat Sensor, this is similar to the SCAR-H in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which also has a slightly different animation, as the player does not hit the bolt release on both weapons, rather, he simply taps the bolt release with his thumb.
 * When picking up a SCAR-L with a Heartbeat Sensor off the ground, the usual charging animation is changed. The player instead tilts the gun more counter-clockwise to avoid hitting the sensor when charging the bolt. It is unconfirmed whether there is a different animation with a hybrid sight.
 * The pickup icon for this weapon shows it with an M320 grenade launcher and a Red dot sight.
 * The icon for the Standard and Face Off Playlists shows a SCAR-L with an ACOG Scope and a Silencer.
 * The headshot multiplier is slightly higher at 1.5x than the usual 1.4x.
 * Unlike the third-person and Create-A-Class picture of the SCAR-L, the magazine in first person is not curved; mimicking the Modern Warfare 2 first-person model of the SCAR-H with an elongated magazine.
 * Both the SCAR-H and SCAR-L have some writing below the iron sight and the side.
 * The SCAR-L's iron sights have the numbers 2-6 underneath them.
 * The SCAR-L has the exact reload animation as the SCAR-H of Modern Warfare 2, only it is slightly faster.
 * The pickup icon has the SCAR-L pointed to the right, while other weapons' pickup icons face the left. It shares this trait with the XM25.
 * The SCAR-L in the Call of Duty ELITE description states it is one of the highest damage among the assault rifles, but yet is has the second lowest, only in front of the FAD.
 * When the Heartbeat Sensor or the Hybrid Sight are equipped, the reload animation changes. Instead of slamming the bolt, the player presses it.

Videos
Video:Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Free for All with SCAR-L

Free-For-All with the SCAR-L

Video:Modern Warfare 3 Wii Golden Gun Showcase Episode II SCAR-L

Wii gameplay of the SCAR-L with gold camouflage