The SCSA Taipan X looks and handles like an AR, but it isn’t a semi-auto. Southern Cross Small Arms builds it in Australia, where semi-autos are tightly restricted, as a manually operated rifle: you cycle it with a spring-assisted pump. In Canada it is sold as non-restricted, so a standard PAL covers it. We stock the .300 Blackout version with a 16.5 inch barrel in FDE and Bronze. Here are the specs, how it shoots, how it compares with the Taipan EVO, and what to know about magazines.
SCSA Taipan X specs
- Calibre: .300 AAC Blackout (the X is also made in .223 Wylde)
- Barrel: 16.5 inch stainless steel, threaded 1/2×28 for standard AR muzzle devices
- Twist: 1:8
- Weight: 7 lb 4.7 oz, about 3.3 kg, per the US importer
- Action: spring-assisted pump with a straight-pull bolt
- Magazines: AR-pattern
- Hand: right-handed only
- Finishes in stock: FDE and Bronze
How the pump and straight-pull action works
SCSA describes it as a spring-assisted pump action with a straight-pull bolt. In practice you shoot it like a pump shotgun: run the forend back and forward between shots and keep your cheek on the stock and your eye in the optic. The spring takes some of the effort out of the stroke, so follow-up shots come quickly. Slow down and it works like any straight-pull.
One Canadian review of the .223 version reported groups around 1 MOA, which is very good for a pump gun, along with a handful of quirks. It can be picky with some polymer magazines. The moving forend makes it awkward to rest on a bag at the bench. A standard AR trigger doesn’t drop in. A clean chamber helps extraction.
Why the .300 Blackout version
.300 Blackout was designed to get the most out of a short barrel, and it runs both supersonic and subsonic loads. Supersonic expanding loads are a common choice for deer at moderate range, and subsonic rounds are quiet and soft-shooting for the range. It also works from AR-pattern magazines. Check your province’s hunting rules before you take it after big game.
Magazines and the five-round rule
Canadian law caps any magazine designed for a semi-automatic long gun at five rounds, and AR-pattern rifle magazines fall under that even when they go in a pump rifle like this one. A pinned magazine is fine as long as the alteration is permanent. Our guide to the rifles that are still legal covers the wider rules. With .300 Blackout, test your magazines with the ammo you plan to use, since some feed it better than others.
SCSA Taipan X vs Taipan EVO and EVO Scout
- Taipan X: metal lower, straight magazine well, and a trigger that is its own design rather than AR drop-in.
- Taipan EVO: a polymer lower and grip, roughly 300 grams lighter, a flared magazine well, and a lower that takes standard AR triggers.
- Taipan EVO Scout: the short one, with a 12.5 inch barrel in .223 Wylde. We stock it at $1,544.88; our EVO Scout overview has the details.
Pick the X for a metal lower and the .300 Blackout chambering we carry. Pick the Scout if you want the shortest, handiest package in .223.
Is the SCSA Taipan X legal in Canada?
Yes. It is classified non-restricted, so you need a standard PAL and nothing more, and it can be used for hunting where your province allows the calibre. Storage and transport follow the normal non-restricted rules. If you are weighing it against other manually operated rifles, our best straight-pull rifles list covers the field.
Buy the SCSA Taipan X
Taipan X .300 BLK FDE, $1,358.88
The Taipan X in FDE has the 16.5 inch threaded barrel in .300 Blackout, finished in flat dark earth.
🛒 Buy the Taipan X .300 BLK FDE, $1,358.88
Taipan X .300 BLK Bronze, $1,368.88
The Taipan X in Bronze is the same rifle in the burnt bronze finish.
🛒 Buy the Taipan X .300 BLK Bronze, $1,368.88
Both are in stock and ship across Canada once we have confirmed your licence. Full factory specs are on the US importer’s Taipan page.
Prices current as of November 2026.