Anyone who’s been around Glock fans for a while is likely familiar with some version of the refrain, “I wish Glock would build a rifle.” Thanks to a couple manufacturers, including FAB Defense of Israel, Glock owners won’t have to wait a lifetime—or even more than a couple weeks.
FAB Defense designed the KPOS Scout, an aluminum and polymer shroud that slips over and around the slide and frame of most Glock pistols to create a short-barreled rifle (SBR). Ported models aren’t excluded from use with the Scout. The sample shown in this review fits the Glock 17 and 19.
You’re likely thinking “fine, but an SBR is NFA-regulated, and the waiting period for registration is a heckuva lot longer than two weeks!” And you’d be correct, of course. Add a 16-inch barrel to this kit, though, and you’ve got yourself a Glock rifle that’ll add some accuracy, and a lot of fun, to your plain ol’ Glock.
With the 16-inch barrel by IGB inserted in the Glock 17, assembly looked straightforward enough—but the included instructions and all but one of the very few online tutorials lacked a vital piece of information about moving a non-obvious tab at the rear of the receiver portion of the stock out of the way. Knowing that, installation was quick, easy, and free of fiddling with tiny parts that are easily lost, putting the Scout a notch above at least some of its competition in this department
The KPOS Scout upper is formed of 6061 aluminum. Bridging the ejection port is a 1913 Picatinny rail. Up front, a fat flash hider of sorts extends a couple inches (exact length depends on which model Glock is inserted) beyond the real muzzle, making its mean look just a little more so. The false muzzle device also inspires a serious warning in the product manual to not place the hand closer to the end than the foregrip.
Speaking of the pistol grip-style foregrip, it’s part of what makes this setup cool. It folds rearward, flat against the upper, for storage or transport. When folded, it also acts as an effective trigger protector. It flips down and is ready for action with just a flick of the wrist. The foregrip is well textured and, while it’s quite unnecessary for recoil management, it provides an important and tactile index point for a device that may well be used in dark conditions. FAB Defense outsourced here; the foregrip is by FGGI.
An AR-style charging handle, sans a lever, performs the task of racking. The Glock’s grip and fold-down foregrip offer two points of manual contact. Shoulder contact is via what Fab Defense calls the lower, or folding stock.
This skeletonized stock folds nice and flat against the upper, making the package very compact and easy to transport. A pushbutton release allows to unfold and lock into place in full extension. A stylized butt and hiking boot sole-like pad round out the tactical appearance. The hard rubber butt pad makes for a solid point of contact and looks great. It’s a little surprising there’s not a molded polymer butt, which would make the Scout even lighter than its already light 1.44 pounds, without a firearm installed.
Other useful features are a sling swivel and loop on the upper where it meets the stock. FAB Defense kindly provides a bungee-construction single point sling with the Scout. On each side of the forend is just enough rail to attach a light or other device. These small rails are placed well forward so as not to impede handling, as well as minimizing the shadow cast by the false muzzle device if the kit is used with a light.
All the features of this device come in a very compact package. The Scout is just 6.70 inches tall, 12.84 inches long, and 2.87 inches wide. With the stock deployed, the length increases to 21.34 inches, shoulder to flash hider. The width decreases to 2.36 inches with the stock open. Keep in mind, these are maximum dimensions for the largest parts of the device. It’s truly compact in comparison to most carbines and even mot SBRs.
The KPOS Scout isn’t the first Glock carbine conversion on the market, in fact DownRangeDaily covered this kit by CAA in December 2017. The KPOS Scout is a variation on this theme, but has its own unique look. Unlike the CAA Micro Roni, the Scout comes in a choice of four colors to contrast or match black: gray, olive drab, desert tan, and of course all black.
Accuracy shouldn’t be affected by firing the Scout with a standard Glock barrel, though the addition of a stock can certainly help operator stability, and thus enhance accuracy at distance. As a baseline, our best five-shot group with Speer Gold Dot 147 grain ammunition at 25 yards, from a bagged rest and seated shooter position, was 2.1 inches—an impressive result for a “naked” Glock, but the way it was obtained is unrealistic for any practical purpose.
With the 16-inch IGB barrel on board, the accuracy test was repeated in the same manner, first with Federal 115 grain aluminum-cased ammo—this inexpensive option was supposed to be a baseline for zeroing the Aimpoint Micro red dot, but turned out the best group. Here are the results:
Load Five-shot group size
Federal aluminum FMJ 115 grain 1.5 inches
Sig Sauer Elite Match 147 grain 3.4 inches
Precision Delta PDP Pro 124 grain 4.0 inches
It’s possible that heat, both ambient and shooting-related, played a role in this test. The rounds were fired in order of grain weight, from lightest to heaviest, on a 100-degree day.
With an NFA permit and pistol in place, the KPOS Scout makes an extremely portable pistol that handles like a carbine. With the longer barrel, the NFA requirement is negated and the user can enjoy a true dual-purpose tool for target practice and home defense.
The FAB Defense KPOS Scout isn’t easy to find in the States, but is available by order from Israel. Currently ZFI, Inc. offers it for $299.95. ZFI knocks 10 percent off for customers who register on their website. American-based distributors are needed. Potential dealers should contact ZFI for information.