Originally Posted By coldblue:
Doing mine a little different. Keep it minimal and low profile.  Since installing the KAC 3.1 required barrel removal, I substituted an extra upper with an integral case deflector in the process.
The forward assist is of course non-functional, so I plugged it. Love the feel of this rifle...and it has all the muscle memory of my first .22 and shotgun.
<a href="http://s1357.photobucket.com/user/D_A_Lutz/media/SCR%20Phase%201a_zps30mbn6db.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q759/D_A_Lutz/SCR%20Phase%201a_zps30mbn6db.jpg</a>

Originally Posted By Ares_Defense:
In the meantime and for the MRP fans in the bunch, here's a Lewis Machine (LMT) MRP upper fitted to an ARES SCR lower with a wooden stock, bipod and Leupold optic.

http://i57.tinypic.com/9i9reo.jpg

Originally Posted By gadgetguy1288:
Can you tell us definitively what stocks will fit with what modifications? I know that's one of the biggest questions I see.

Also, any ETA on when/if NiB will become an option for just the bcg? That's the main thing holding me back from ordering one is I want to get it with a coated BCG, I plan to use it as a 6.8 hunting rifle and weather(good or bad) doesn't usually scare me out of the woods, so it's just nice to have that little extra piece of mind for corrosion resistance.

Originally Posted By Bushmaster1984:
Real glad to see interest in these. A local shop near DC had one. I handled it and really liked the light weight and feel to it. Would buy over a mini 14 without a second thought. I'd slap a little t1 on that and call it good

Originally Posted By jwb47:
would a 458 socom or 50 beowulf upper work on this ?

Originally Posted By MatthewVanitas:
Another Ares question: is there a reason that the magwell can't be (more) flared? That's one criticism I've seen in a few reviews. Not a game-ruiner for me at all, but given a choice I'd certainly prefer a slight magwell flare rather than none, to help funnel the mag up to towards the chamber.

http://i59.tinypic.com/33ah1na.jpg

Originally Posted By SuperV:
The more pictures I see of this rifle, the more I want one.

Originally Posted By MatthewVanitas:
Another Ares question: is there a reason that the magwell can't be (more) flared? That's one criticism I've seen in a few reviews. Not a game-ruiner for me at all, but given a choice I'd certainly prefer a slight magwell flare rather than none, to help funnel the mag up to towards the chamber.

http://i59.tinypic.com/33ah1na.jpg

Originally Posted By factionfx:
I just picked up my ARES SCR lower last week and got to shoot it this weekend.  Here is my feedback.

I live in a non-ban state, so I picked this up just for fun.  I've always wanted a mini 30, but their reliability are hit and miss with steel cased Tula and I own a couple of 7.62x39 uppers that are accurate and run great.


#1, It ran 100% with several 223 and 7.62x39 uppers.  Great! 2 of the uppers have syrac adjustable gas blocks were tuned to run with standard carbine buffers on my AR's.  They ran perfect as well, so awesome!
#2, I don't understand why the bolt catch is an 'option' .  Seems like an extra expense for a $5 part, unless there is a state compliance issue that I am unaware of.  Money aside, the major pain is that it falls out when you take off the lower.  It would be nice if, at a minimum, it could be secured.  I have added some grease to the outside of it to simulate the same effect of adding grease to the safety lever spring to make it stick in the grip.  Hopefully that works well.  

Originally Posted By factionfx:
To keep it in perspective, for the almost $500 invested in this, I could buy 3x palmetto complete lowers with stocks at $130. I know it is a different market, slightly different product, etc.

Originally Posted By WrenchGuy:
Thanks for the reply, but a threaded pin (like those used on many .308 ARs) would be a much better option, that way the end user could easily switch bolt catches for other calibers if needed, or remove it and install a blank...that will not fall out.

If I had to use one due to living in a ban state, I would bond it in place with JB-Weld or some type of epoxy so its not lost in the field if the rifle were opened for any reason...but I would not use it as sold, period.

I do understand the reasoning, but the current design makes it a non-starter for me, I'll stick with my ARs & AKs.

EDIT...Perhaps a change to the insert that would use a threaded pin might be better, that way the insert can be bonded to the lower and never removed...that might interest me.

We’ve received some customer feedback both here and through email related to the bolt catch options for the ARES SCR, so we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their business and feedback and bring everyone up to speed on this topic. An area of concern that’s been expressed is the lack of a bolt catch as standard equipment on the ARES SCR, despite that our official press release photos and ARES SCR brochures (cut sheet) clearly display that it is not installed on the baseline rifle. But since it’s an area of concern for some we believe it might be helpful to shed some light and share our reasons.

As some of you are aware, the concept for the ARES SCR rifle began in 2003 (during the 1994 Assault Rifle Ban) as we didn’t believe that the law would actually sunset. Since that period of time, the ARES SCR has undergone about 4 complete design revisions before the designer (Geoffrey Herring) was satisfied with the ergonomics and final product. Concurrent to the development effort and as experience was gained in working with and shooting the prototypes, the entire logic and motivation for the rifle also shifted. We realized that the ARES SCR was actually a very fun and fast pointing rifle and could have broad market appeal far beyond the “beat the ban” logic of 2003; this is actually a really cool rifle all on its own which blends everything that we love about the AR platform (ruggedness, accuracy, modularity, accessory options, caliber options, part and magazine availability, etc.) with the slender and clean lines of a traditional sporting rifle. And we also realized that with a little more effort, the options available to the end-user could be significantly expanded over legacy black rifles.

So what are those options? Well, the bolt catch area is one of them and there are many more that can’t be disclosed just yet due to patent related timelines. But the bolt catch on a standard AR is one of the more difficult areas to change and one that usually involves a gunsmith. As mentioned above, Geoffrey Herring wanted to really expand the configuration options and flexibility of the ARES SCR and he wants the capability for all of it to be done at the user level; no gunsmithing required. So you might now be wondering why one would want the capability to change the bolt catch, so I’ll open the kimono a bit.

As pointed out by Mark Keefe in the September 2014 issue of American Rifleman (You are a card carrying member of the NRA, aren’t you?), small arms designers must always remain cognizant of the shifting state and federal legislation that has the potential to impact their companies and product lines. And this is especially true for Modern Sporting Rifles that have historically been dissected and legislated against based on “features”.

Next, being that the ARES SCR is a “sporting rifle”, the last thing you’d want is a spring loaded dust cover to smack the side of the receiver and scare off any game that you might be hunting. In this case, it is actually desirable for the bolt carrier to remain closed after the last shot fired, as the bolt carrier in this case functions as the dust cover to keep out debris like it does on many other popular sporting firearms.
Finally, we get to caliber conversions and sub-caliber models such as 9mm and .45 ACP that are being developed. If you happen to have some experience with traditional 9mm AR’s for example, then you may have noticed that the bolt catch is much longer in the area that interfaces with the magazine follower compares to that of a 5.56mm rifle. How would that work with a pre-installed bolt catch when caliber conversion on the fly might be desired and gunsmithing is usually required to change that part?

So, now that we’ve shared our motives for this part of the ARES SCR design; let’s cover availability and installation should one choose to install a bolt catch. The optional ARES SCR bolt catch should be available within the next 30-45 days and will be in the neighborhood of $20-$30. It is a modular sub-assembly that is installed in minutes with NO GUNSMITHING REQUIRED.

Installation is accomplished by removing the magazine and clearing the rifle of all ammunition. Next, separate the upper and lower receivers by pushing out the two captive takedown pins. Next, remove the plug that is factory installed in the lower by sliding it out the left side of the receiver. Install the bolt catch assembly by sliding in into the receiver and seat it firmly into its slot. Reassembly the receiver halves by following the instructions in the User’s Manual. That’s it! Here are some pictures for reference; total installation time about 2 minutes. Thank you for your continued interest in ARES Defense products!

Originally Posted By gadgetguy1288:
Interesting, I was actually told that by a Gibbz rep last year lol. Oh well, my next one will be an X-products anyways.

Originally Posted By bmfgsxr:
Regardless of living in a ban state i had wanted one of these as i like traditional stocks.  This is a really nice, light, handy rifle. It points quick, and even the factory upper is shooting 1" groups at 100 yds with bulk ammo.  Reaching the mag release isnt as quick as with an ar, but it can still be done quickly.  So far mine has functioned flawlessly.