Ares L1A1 is back - this time it's got wood!

[harborne blue]

JD Airsoft have them in stock - for £475! Ouch!

[farrasdevell]

anyone had a response from firesupport about pre-orders yet?

[Skarclaw]

Had a play (didn't shoot) with one at PAS today (£475). Was the plastic furniture version. Externally it felt great, nice and solid with no rattle. Most of the weight seemed to be by the magwell. Thought it was pretty pointable too. That's all I gotta say about it.

[M4_Fanatic]

I forgot about this topic (shame on me!).

I've had it for around 1 week now and these were my initial thoughts:
 

• Length issue seems fixed now - the flash hider was a separate screw on piece which extended the length.
• The take down lever is a bit of a pain as it is very easy to (accidentally) separate the upper and lower.
• The selector lever is very loose - it goes back into safe after each shot...
• FPS for my rifle was 425-430fps (on .2s)
• The carry handle feels flimsy..the rest feels ok
• It comes with a mid-cap magazine. However, it does need a bit of lubing before using otherwise you'll get feeding issues.

Hopefully this'll help everyone else decide!

[blobface]

Wonder how feasible it is to mod a TM next-gen SCAR-H gearbox to fit into this gun to take modded mags from SCAR-H... 

[Probotector]

I forgot about this topic (shame on me!).

 

I've had it for around 1 week now and these were my initial thoughts:

 

• Length issue seems fixed now - the flash hider was a separate screw on piece which extended the length.
• The take down lever is a bit of a pain as it is very easy to (accidentally) separate the upper and lower.
• The selector lever is very loose - it goes back into safe after each shot...
• FPS for my rifle was 425-430fps (on .2s)
• The carry handle feels flimsy..the rest feels ok
• It comes with a mid-cap magazine. However, it does need a bit of lubing before using otherwise you'll get feeding issues.

Hopefully this'll help everyone else decide!

 

Doesn't sound very convincing, too bad.

I hope the rumors are true that WE have their own GBB version in the works.

[chas]

445$ including shipping to US or Europe.

 

http://www.asiaairsoft.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=8367

[46templar]

Can anyone who has the SLR do a review on it please. I would like to buy one form me own xmas gift bcoz no one else will

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[farrasdevell]

I've not shot mine yet but outward look and feel is great. There is a little wobble between the upper/lower receiver (about 0.7-1mm) which i'm confident I can fix by accessing the screw above the takedown latch.

The gun still does not break as it should because of the nozzle hop unit as in the old version. this may be fixable with a dremel but untill I have looked at the hop unit out of the gum I'm not going to chop mine.
The grub screw that stops the flashider from removing chewed out it's threads before i could even get it close to tight enough to stop rotation, I suspect I might just epoxy the flash hider in place anyway. (not like i would ever commit the vile sin and put a silencer on it)

mags are substantial and feel sloid with a tiny amount of play when in the gun. not loaded one to check capacity yet.

 

but overall it is a freaking l1a1 and I love it.

[33lima]

Can anyone who has the SLR do a review on it please. I would like to buy one form me own xmas gift bcoz no one else will

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

These might be of interest, if you haven't already seen them:

 

 

 

...though I don't think much of many of the comments in the second one - eg anyone who thinks the SLR, real or airsoft, isn't ergonomic, hasn't handled many weapons.

 

And why people wander around with the carry handle raised, beats me

 

Gadge did a review of the re-issued Ares L1A1 in a recent issue of Airsoft Action (much of the article dealt with the story of the weapon, rather than the detail of the airsoft one).

 

 

I find the King Arms SLR somewhat more solid (apart from the externally-realistic but internally reamed out flash hider). My Star SLR (above) needed various screws tightened, to improve rigidity.

 

As for accuracy of appearance, the KA has the correct angular contours to the rear sight base (Star/Ares is inaccurately rounded), has correct lug-fitted gas plug with simulated gas piston & spring behind it (Star/Ares has an incorrect screw-fitted gas plug, with nothing in the gas tube). KA has a correct click-stop gas regulator (the Star/Ares one just rotates freely). The KA lacks the subtle but inaccurate vertical fold in the receiver of the Star/Ares. just ahead of the butt. Apart from that, the Star/Ares is somewhat the more accurate replica; the KA has a pistol grip slightly too far forward, the carry handle is not the correct shape, the safety catch goes to full auto then semi like an AK-47, and the KA pistol grip isn't as angular in cross section as the real thing.

 

The top/dust cover on the Star/Ares is a millimetre or two too long, leaving a slight gap if you fit a real one (for the SUIT sight, as in my example above). I filled the gap with a piece cut from an 'O' ring, pushed into position above the ejection port. I also screwed up tight the grub screw which retains the body locking latch, to prevent me from breaking the hop-up/air nozzle by inadvertently breaking the weapon shotgun fashion.

 

The Star/Ares rear sight leaf's spring is very weak, so that it's much easier than in real life to flip it down inadvertently. IIRC some filing or packing would be needed, to fit a real rear sight.

 

Because the Star/Ares is semi only (unless you buy and fit the full auto safety catch without the extension that prevents rotation to the full auto position) you can occasionally get AEG semi lock-up. This is best dealt with by carrying a small electrical screwdiver - with the mag off and the weapon inverted, you can depress a little tab up inside the rear of the magwell, which will clear the stoppage.

[Tarnish]

I picked mine up a couple of days ago and here are my thoughts having just had the fortune with work to carry out maintenance on half a dozen real L1A1s plus three original trials FN FALS from 1953/54.

 

The general appearance and feel if the rifle is spot on, weight and balance are very similar to the real thing. The plastic furniture is of a very good standard, perhaps just needs a little rubbing down on the edges. The carry handle feels just the same as the real thing, not flimsy as has been suggested. The screw on flash eliminator certainly benefits from a dose of thread locking compound as do some of the locking set screws. Rear sight was adjust right over to the left hand side. Markings are OK but not accurate, for example the UB38 that is marked would indicate a rifle manufactured in Belgium in 1938! There was also a laser etched reference number on the left of the mag well which I covered up temporarily with a black paint pen. There's noticeable play between the upper and lower receiver which will hopefully be corrected once I tighten up the take down lever adjustment screw. The gas plug is screwed in unlike the bayonet lug fitment of the real plug, so when fully tightened it is incorrectly orientated. Using locking compound, tighten then back off until the fake push button lies on the left hand side looking from the rear with the indicator groove uppermost. The gas regulator ring is loose not having the spring clip that secures it on the real thing, just a cosmetic problem. The bolt is painted black which I may strip to uncover a natural metal surface.

 

Overall quite happy so far, looking forward to putting some rounds through it in the not too distant future.

 

Check out the hair cuts and DILAC hats!

 

'>

 

 

Sent from my D2303 using Tapatalk

[33lima]

I picked mine up a couple of days ago and here are my thoughts having just had the fortune with work to carry out maintenance on half a dozen real L1A1s plus three original trials FN FALS from 1953/54.

 

The general appearance and feel if the rifle is spot on, weight and balance are very similar to the real thing. The plastic furniture is of a very good standard, perhaps just needs a little rubbing down on the edges. The carry handle feels just the same as the real thing, not flimsy as has been suggested. The screw on flash eliminator certainly benefits from a dose of thread locking compound as do some of the locking set screws. Rear sight was adjust right over to the left hand side. Markings are OK but not accurate, for example the UB38 that is marked would indicate a rifle manufactured in Belgium in 1938! There was also a laser etched reference number on the left of the mag well which I covered up temporarily with a black paint pen. There's noticeable play between the upper and lower receiver which will hopefully be corrected once I tighten up the take down lever adjustment screw. The gas plug is screwed in unlike the bayonet lug fitment of the real plug, so when fully tightened it is incorrectly orientated. Using locking compound, tighten then back off until the fake push button lies on the left hand side looking from the rear with the indicator groove uppermost. The gas regulator ring is loose not having the spring clip that secures it on the real thing, just a cosmetic problem. The bolt is painted black which I may strip to uncover a natural metal surface.

 

Overall quite happy so far, looking forward to putting some rounds through it in the not too distant future.

 

Check out the hair cuts and DILAC hats!

 

'>

 

 

Sent from my D2303 using Tapatalk

 

I think 'B' on an SLR indicates it was made at Birmingham Small Arms, not in Belgium. Mine (real not airsoft!) was UE58 (made at RSAF Enfield in 1958) serial # A53317. But yes (19)38 is about twenty years too early. F for Fazarkeley was the other common manufacturer's code, IIRC.

 

The slide, breechblock and receiver generally carried the same serial number.

 

The real slides on SLRs (the bit you can see inside the ejection port, which the cocking handle pulls back to reveal the hop-up on the airsoft version - on the real weapon, the breech block aka bolt sat inside this slide) were generally a sort of oily gunmetal colour, that you would get from adding a dab of black to silver paint, not the mid-grey of mine (made just before they were rebranded Ares) nor the black of the current versiion.

 

As you may know, the groove on the top of the gas plug was to help you make sure you had the plug in the right way up, in darkness if necessary. Reversed, the plug blocked off the gas port, which was required for firing the shortlived Energa AT grenade. Left uncorrected, this converted your SLR to a bolt action rifle with a very tiring spring action!

 

PS If you liked 'Shoot to Kill', you will also like this SKC training film from the same era, another one I remember well:

 

[Tarnish]

I think 'B' on an SLR indicates it was made at Birmingham Small Arms, not in Belgium. Mine (real not airsoft!) was UE58 (made at RSAF Enfield in 1958) serial # A53317. But yes (19)38 is about twenty years too early. F for Fazarkeley was the other common manufacturer's code, IIRC.

 

The slide, breechblock and receiver generally carried the same serial number.

 

The real slides on SLRs (the bit you can see inside the ejection port, which the cocking handle pulls back to reveal the hop-up on the airsoft version - on the real weapon, the breech block aka bolt sat inside this slide) were generally a sort of oily gunmetal colour, that you would get from adding a dab of black to silver paint, not the mid-grey of mine (made just before they were rebranded Ares) nor the black of the current versiion.

 

As you may know, the groove on the top of the gas plug was to help you make sure you had the plug in the right way up, in darkness if necessary. Reversed, the plug blocked off the gas port, which was required for firing the shortlived Energa AT grenade. Left uncorrected, this converted your SLR to a bolt action rifle with a very tiring spring action!

 

PS If you liked 'Shoot to Kill', you will also like this SKC training film from the same era, another one I remember well:

 

That's what I originally thought regards the B but the old EMERs stated that it means Belgium which was consistent with the markings on the X8E1 & X8E5 FN FALS I also got to play with as they had British style markings due to be made for a British contract. Also the very early batch L1A1s were Belgian made, two of them were thus marked UB58. The later ones went up to UE62, Enfield obviously. :-)

 

I also just noticed on my ARES (don't wanna spell that wrong!) that while it's UB on the upper it's UE on the lower. Ah well you can't have it all!

 

Sent from my D2303 using Tapatalk

N

[33lima]

I would be inclined to accept this as authoritative on SLR serial numbers:

 

http://www.enfieldcollector.com/serials.html

 

"The 7.62mm L1A1 series serial number prefixes similarly denote makers. UE is Enfield, UB is BSA, UF is Fazakerley and AD is Lithgow, Australia. 'SAF' was applied by the Lithgow factory to certain export sales and 'SR' for Lithgow sectionized rifles. South African 7.62mm FAL's were Belgian production metric models, engraved with the South African crest. Indian 7.62mm 1A rifles ran conventional serial number series with a letter prefix. 

 

"Serial numbers for British made L1A1 rifles and Small Arms ran in blocks with factory code and year prefix followed by the serial number commencing with an alphabet letter e.g. UB60 A85830 (last rifle by BSA for the 2nd quarter 1960). Third quarter numbers commenced with A85831. The initial BSA batch of L1A1 rifles for the quarter ending December 31 in 1957 was UB57 A1 - A870. For the quarter ending April 30th 1960, numbers were UB60 A63625 - A75299. The last serial number for the quarter ending 31st July 1960 was UB60 A85830. An anomaly... factory logged quarters ended with 30th April and 31st July???
'U' indicates UK. The next letter is the factory, 'E' for Enfield, 'F' for Fazakerley, 'B' for BSA Guns, 'S' for Sterling Engineering.
This was followed by the year indicator, e.g. '55' for 1955, then the serial number commencing with A1 which continued to A999,999 after which it advanced to a B prefix, starting with B1. The year indicator was irrespective of the serial number advance, e.g. the last rifle at Enfield in 1956 may have been UE 56 A2136, the first rifle in 1957 would thus be UE 57 A2137, until A999999 was reached after which the 'B' series was to be used commencing with B1, e.g. UF 68 B1.
     Repaired weapons are marked with factory code, year and 'F.T.R.' adjacent to the original serial number. Where two or more types of weapons are manufactured or repaired at the same factor, a separate series of numbers will be maintained for each type of weapon, each commencing at A1.
     For replacement numbers, i.e. unnumbered or illegible originals, SA prefixes were allocated for Army, SN for the Navy and SR for RAF. An example is an L1A1 returned by police in 1978 with an obliterated number was then engraved SA78 A1. 
     RSAF Enfield reported production of 103,400 L1A1 rifles, 108,300 L1A3 bayonets and 15,520 L1A2 grenade launchers by the end of the financial year 1961 for the War Office, Admiralty, Air Ministry, Ghana, Rhodesia, Nigeria and Singapore. Enfield FTR'd 10,000 No.4 Mk 2 rifles for Burma in that period, new No.4 rifles were made at ROF Fazakerley."

[Danke]

Just for fun the Canadian C1s and C2s start with L for Long Branch Arsenal. The most desirable where the L8s since that was the last production and thus the least shot out.