Suppressor is the way to go. The scar will make you feel like someone is jabbing an icepick in your head without earpro. I had a suppressor for it, but its pretty much dead now. When I was active duty I would shoot 5.56 with my left earpro loose or out so I could still communicate, but you just can't do that with 7.62 and they way the compensator is set up.
The bolt carrier group is massive in the scar. Not a lot of felt recoil at all, but anything mounted on the rifle gets a hard shock as that giant block of steel moves around.
I too prefer dumbfoundingly overwhelming home defence. When the front door gets kicked in in the middle of the night, why get out of bed? Put so many rounds through the walls that the only thing to worry about is cleaning up the piss covered body of the person that kicked the door in, lol.
Far as suppressors go I hear that most subsonic won't cycle in a standard ar15.....gotta find a way around that. Saw some piston systems that are adjustable. But I like direct impengment myself.
Call me crazy.....
On them just getting dead.....have you bothered making your own? You can use freeze plugs inside a maglight tube. The freeze plugs are expensive as fuck online, but Napa carries them for 2 bucks each.
The 16in is for mid range target and shit hits the fan so needs to get fucked up.
The 10.5 pistol AR is home defense when shit needs to die quickly. It is so goddamn loud too. I zeroed it to 50ft and seems to hold. Only 4 mags put through the pistol as of now.
When I get to Oklahoma I am starting a trust and going to make it an SBR and apply for a couple suppressors along with another lower to SBR as I want to make a 300 blackout.
Make it the way it was intended. Just going to make my own suppressors as well. Kinda like this shit and the freedom it allows. I know it will all need a serial, and I am ok with that long as it is for this....plus I can make lowers all day everyday.
Doesn't matter really.
Far as the scar eating optics I haven't heard that, but I know it does hit like a jackhammer. The price of freedom right?