Never look a gift horse in the......actually....

[Egon_247]

I did some work on my mates car for him and in payment he gave me a pew that I didn't have in my collection.....

An Ares Scar L. It didn't work (i knew this, he knows i like playing with them to revive them!) so i got to it.

stripped, cleaned, greased, shimmed, confused about this EFCS malarkey, figured it out, chrono'd at 0.6j (0.28g) and wondered why the ambidextrous selector was in a bag in the box....

OH MY GOD. what a faff. No, scratch that, WHAT A MONUMENTAL PAIN IN THE ASS THAT IS!!!

Now i have patience. I'm an engineer. things that come apart should go back together (with the odd left over screw of course) but even i gave up with that!!

Nightmare job. 

Anyway. Scar L now 1.1J on a 0.28 and with the help of the internet, firing semi/3 shot. Safe is more of a suggestion on behalf of the selector switch (that ISNT ambi!!!!!)

Just thought i'd vent/share. LOL.  

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

So the takeaway message is that Ares is as bad as Luke et al have lead us to believe?

An Ares was nearly the first gat I bought when I came back to airsoft, glad I dodged that particular bullet / pellet / plastic ball

 

[Sewdhull]

I've always had a thing about selector switches and had to fettle them so they feel right.

The geared ones seem have too much play and the others, well they grind or somesuch.

Bushing the geared ones is doable but alot of faff, but almost the only way unless maybe enhance the detent in some way.

 

[Egon_247]

So the takeaway message is that Ares is as bad as Luke et al have lead us to believe?

An Ares was nearly the first gat I bought when I came back to airsoft, glad I dodged that particular bullet / pellet / plastic ball

Ive worked on a lot of pews since i started this airsoft thing...and the ares gearbox has to be the most over thought thing i've seen yet. 

It looks awesome. dont get me wrong. its a stunner. 

Once you take it apart, the box is a bit over complicated. The whole "plug it into a programmer" thing is a bit pants. I suppose it was indicative of the time, i'm guessing its a bit older than the trigger/selector stuff we have now. 

It has a full cylinder on a 380mm barrel which i think is overvolumed a tad (2.9:1 by my guesses) so either i need to add 10cm to the barrel or port it.

Still, it was free and at least it takes M4 mags, which i have to say is helping on shelf space (AK, Aug, Mp5, M4, G3, P90...no sharing mags here!!)

Just need an optic as the sights look a bit meh and we're off slinging poly at the wallies..  

 

[Colin Allen]

So the takeaway message is that Ares is as bad as Luke et al have lead us to believe?

An Ares was nearly the first gat I bought when I came back to airsoft, glad I dodged that particular bullet / pellet / plastic ball

I spent some time today working on my Magpul/Ares Masada and was moaning commenting about some of the appalling design decisions, including the ambidextrous selectors; my son then asked why I have three Ares rifles if I hate them so much.  The answer is simple: they make some unusual and beautiful RIFs.

As Egon_247 noted, their gearboxes are wonderfully over engineered and as robust as a Russian warship.

 

[DerDer]

They make some interesting offerings. Have owned a VZ58 and a Tavor of theirs in the past. In fairness to them they have made some improvements in the latter over the years. A separate rotary hop up unit rather than an integrated model and a microswitch based gearbox rather than the rod based system of before. That being said, it can be wonderfully annoying to have installed you various upgrades and have the allen screws heads strip as you put the aeg back together. 

So wouldn't be in a rush to get another one from the firm. Although they still are cranking out different products from the rest of the market. The RDB and L42 are certainly fresh. Makes a change from the latest PCC or M4/AK with mlok foregrip. 

 

[Egon_247]

Had to laugh. Got home from work and my boy has tried every accessory on it already....?

 

[Colin Allen]

They make some interesting offerings. Have owned a VZ58 and a Tavor of theirs in the past. In fairness to them they have made some improvements in the latter over the years. A separate rotary hop up unit rather than an integrated model and a microswitch based gearbox rather than the rod based system of before. That being said, it can be wonderfully annoying to have installed you various upgrades and have the allen screws heads strip as you put the aeg back together. 

So wouldn't be in a rush to get another one from the firm. Although they still are cranking out different products from the rest of the market. The RDB and L42 are certainly fresh. Makes a change from the latest PCC or M4/AK with mlok foregrip. 

I have a VZ58, an SLR and a Masada (AK magwell version).  They are all interesting internally.

 

[DerDer]

Fair point. Will give Ares credit for keeping the L1A1 on the market.

Something King Arms could learn from...

 

[Colin Allen]

Fair point. Will give Ares credit for keeping the L1A1 on the market.

Something King Arms could learn from...

I really wish that KA would rerelease their one.

 

[Rogerborg]

The fact is that Ares guns just can't handle the raw throbbing power of Ares owners.

 

[Leo Greer]

The fact is that Ares guns just can't handle the raw throbbing power of Ares owners.

Pretty sure you’re not supposed to put that in there

 

[Lozart]

The whole "plug it into a programmer" thing is a bit pants. I suppose it was indicative of the time, i'm guessing its a bit older than the trigger/selector stuff we have now. 

The programmer was seen as a step forward! The trigger/fire selector thing came first in programmable mosfets (my own SCAR L has a BTC Chimera in it and that's how you program it) so being able to have a box with lights and clear selections was a bonus. Bit like the Programming card for the Gate Warfet.

 

[GiantKiwi]

Yup it was positively space age compared to the death by trigger pulls 'n' beeps process of other programmable units of the time.

 

[Egon_247]

Yup it was positively space age compared to the death by trigger pulls 'n' beeps process of other programmable units of the time.

Which is absolutely fine.....unless all your batteries are wired to deans....  

not the end of the universe but still. LOL. 

She's a pretty little thing. I've got to go skirmishing with this and my rebuilt M14 (read as "fragile and WILL break") so might need a back up for the back up for the back up... LOLOLOL.,..

 

[Colin Allen]

The programmer was seen as a step forward! The trigger/fire selector thing came first in programmable mosfets (my own SCAR L has a BTC Chimera in it and that's how you program it) so being able to have a box with lights and clear selections was a bonus. Bit like the Programming card for the Gate Warfet.

I quite like the programmer, although I recently had to wire it to Deans.  Changing the VZ58 to Deans delivered an unexpected bonus; the Deans connectors are just the right size to keep the three battery cells in exactly the right places to make refitting the handguard simple, rather that the nightmare it was before.

 

[Egon_247]

Damnit. Didn't put up a pic. ?

View attachment 122011

 

[Leo Greer]

Oooh, pwetty…