Halp Slowly becoming an eww-American

My buddy brought over a SCAR a couple years to go to shoot in the backyard. Holy shit that gun is so fucking loud. I had on full hearing protection and it was still sounding like someone cracking a whip right next to my ear. Also the pressure wave that hits you. I can't imagine using that on a battlefield. Not only that, but after like 60 rounds the barrel is red hot (with a suppressor) and took forever to cool down. On the plus side, at 100 or 200ft I was hitting a 4" disc pretty easily with iron sights.
I really do prefer the M14 for .308 semi autos. My brother had one of those custom jobs from the place on Long Island. It's like a gentle push and not really super loud. The only thing is they are HEAVY.