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ARES Defense Announces Belt-Fed MCR Lite at NASGW

By on November 2, 2015 in Guns

Two words: Belt… Fed… That’s all you need to know about the ARES Defense Belt-Fed MCR Lite that was introduced at NASGW.

ARES MCR

From ARES Defense:

ARES Defense Systems, the country’s leading manufacturer of innovative, mission-configurable firearms, parts and accessories announced the introduction of its belt-fed MCR® Lite at NASGW in New Orleans. The MCR® Lite is an upper receiver assembly that fits standard AR15/M4 lower receivers and just like the full-featured MCR® (Mission Configurable Rifle) upper receivers, it features gas-piston operation, a true (3 second) quick-change barrel assembly and the ability to feed from M27 linked ammunition belts or standard AR magazines at the shooter’s discretion.

“ARES Defense built its business on our belt-fed rifles and upper receiver assemblies which among others, have been purchased by civilians, US government and militaries overseas.” says Geoffrey Herring, President-CEO of ARES Defense. “At 8.5 lbs, the MCR® is the lightest and most portable belt-fed in the world and like all ARES Defense products is 100% Made in the USA. We recently released an engineering test video of our AMG-2 government model where we demonstrate a continuous 700-round burst of automatic fire to show the reliability of our belt-fed line. While the full-featured MCR® and AMG-2 models are a first choice for professional shooters, we wanted to provide a Lite model that allows recreational shooters to experience the thrill of our belt-fed systems at a fraction of the price of our full-feature models.”

The primary differences between the MCR® and the MCR® Lite is that the Lite model has a fixed gas port, aluminum feed tray, round feed roller housing and lighter barrel than the MCR®. Available for immediate shipment by ARES Defense and also being carried by distributors AMCHAR, RSR and others, the MCR® Lite carries an MSRP price tag of $2,995.

ARES Defense AMG-2 video demonstrating a 700-round burst can be found at the following link:

For more information, please email sales@aresdefense.com or contact ARES Defense by telephone at (321) 242-8410. Additional details available on the ARES Defense website: www.aresdefense.com

About ARES Defense

Since its founding in 1997, ARES Defense Systems has focused on the development of military small arms and accessories of unique versatility, innovation and exceptional quality for military, law enforcement and commercial customers. Engineered and manufactured with the highest quality American-made materials, ARES products are produced on state-of-the-art CNC machining centers in an ultra modern facility by a highly skilled workforce.

Headquartered on the USA’s Space Coast, ARES’ intense dedication to mission critical innovation has resulted in numerous patented advancements resulting in lighter, stronger, better performing weapons and accessories for the operator. To learn more about ARES Defense Systems visit www.aresdefense.com.

Follow ARES Defense on Facebook at facebook.com/aresdefense, Instagram at @aresdefense, and on Twitter @ARESDefense.

 

News and a Teaser from Scalarworks

By on October 30, 2015 in Guns

Scalarworks has announced that their excellent, lightweight optics mounts will receive several upgrades including a switch from 6061-T6 aluminum to the stronger 7075-T6 alloy. They have also hinted at an entire line of mounts to support multiple optics and then dropped more than just a hint when they released the following photo.

scalarworks tease

In addition to the LDM for the Aimpoint Micro, you can expect to see mounts for the Aimpoint CompM4 and PRO,  and Trijicon RMR and MRO.

Now Shipping: Magpul PMAG30 AK/AKM GEN M3

By on October 29, 2015 in Guns

Magpul just made my day. They are now shipping their PMAG30 AK/AKM GEN M3 magazines. If you listen carefully, you can hear AK shooters around the country tearing their wallets from their pockets.

Magpul PMAG AK Gen M3

The Magpul PMAG30 AK/AKM GEN M3 makes use of Magpul’s special sauce polymer throughout and features metal reinforced locking lugs. They also have all the features you have come to expect from Magpul’s magazines like a quality stainless spring, anti-tilt follower, paint pen marking matrix, and more.

The MSRP on these magazines is $26.95 and street prices will be lower. This should turn the metal reinforced, polymer AK magazine market upside down in the USA.

Features:

  • Impact and crush resistant polymer body
  • Stainless steel rear locking lug and reinforced front lug and spine for increased durability
  • Constant-curve internal geometry for smooth feeding
  • Anti-tilt, self-lubricating follower for increased reliability
  • Long life stainless steel spring
  • Ribbed gripping surface and aggressive front and rear texture for positive magazine handling
  • Paint pen dot matrix panels on the bottom of the body to allow for identification marking
  • Flared floorplate aids magazine handling and disassembly yet is slim enough for use with most pouches

Review: KE Arms DMR Trigger

By on October 29, 2015 in Guns

The KE Arms DMR Trigger is one of the more affordable premium triggers on the market. Don’t confuse that with it being a “cheap” trigger. In my time with it, this trigger has done nothing but impress.

KE Arms DMR Trigger

Overview

The DMR Trigger is a cassette style trigger meaning all components are captured inside an aluminum cassette or chassis. This makes installation extremely easy and ensures consistency across all receivers – even those made from polymer.

All of the DMR’s trigger parts are wire EDM cut from A2 tool steel which is darn tough stuff. KE Arms states that it has a 4.5#, single stage trigger pull. The reset is adjustable via a set screw.

Observations from Use

My log book tells me that I have just over 600 rounds on this trigger but I know it is probably in the neighborhood of 800 due to a few range trips that didn’t make it into the log book. It also has countless dry fire cycles on it. That round count hardly qualifies as a long term endurance test so keep that in mind as you read on.

Installation is easy. You simply drop it into your lower receiver. Push the trigger and hammer pins into place and then tighten the 2 small set screws that keep tension on the trigger module. You can then adjust the reset to your liking. It is very straightforward thanks to the cassette design.

KE Arms DMR Trigger Interior

I found that the reset was actually shorter than I prefer out of the box on a light, crisp single stage trigger. If you don’t stay on top of a trigger like that, you can see some doubling – not because the trigger is malfunctioning but because of poor trigger management on the part of the shooter. I was glad to find that with just about a quarter of a turn on the reset adjustment screw, the reset became slightly longer and, surprisingly, more positive. It is still very short and very fast but small adjustments can make a big difference in how this trigger feels.

As I currently have it adjusted, the DMR Trigger breaks at a very clean 4.3 pounds (averaged over 10 pulls on my Wheeler trigger pull scale). It has almost zero perceptible creep. You have to concentrate hard to find what little creep there is. The trigger travel is very short and the reset is positive and easily perceptible. This trigger is fast.

The trigger bow is shaped more like a bolt action rifle than what you are probably used to on an AR-15. It is thinner, more rounded, and slightly less curved than a typical AR-15 trigger bow. I found that my finger very naturally found the lower part of the bow and, while it is different, it feels great. I suspect that, due to the rounded shape, that those of you who put a bit more finger on the trigger will really like this trigger bow.

I appreciate how low profile the cassette part of this trigger is. Some cassette style triggers have fairly large outer containers which strikes me as a bit of a waste of weight. The DMR Trigger has just enough material in its cassette to contain the pins.

KE Arm DMR Trigger Tension Set Screw

If you have a CAV 15 lower from Cav Arms or GWACS Armory, this is one of the few match triggers that will fit without modification to your lower but you will need the original extended Cav Arms pins with c-clamps which are a bit hard to find as of the time of this writing.

UPDATE: KE Arms has stated that the DMR Trigger will work in the CAV-15 lowers without the extended pins as long as you do not over torque the tension set screws.

I did find that the DMR Trigger was too tight to fit one of my aluminum lowers. It fit every other lower that I tried so I am inclined to believe that the lower was slightly out of spec.

I can already hear some of you saying that you wouldn’t consider an adjustable trigger for duty. That is fine. I am not sure I would either. I applied blue thread locking compound and this trigger hasn’t budged in the time that I have used it. This trigger has also seen quite a bit of time in the skilled hands of KE Arms sponsored 2-Gun and 3-Gun competitors where it has performed well. You’ll have to weigh out the pros and cons yourself before deciding if it is the trigger is right for your specific application.

Wrap Up

This trigger is light, crisp, and fast. The A2 tool steel components are confidence inspiring. The installation is easy. The price is very competitive. I would love to see a non-adjustable version.

Check out the KE Arms DMR Trigger.

Disclosure: This trigger was provided to me for review by KE Arms.

KE Arms DMR Installed

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