Customized FightLite SCR
:: Utilizes AR-15 upper receivers
:: Similar ergonomics to a traditional rifle or shotgun
:: Accepts most AR-15 magazines
Innovation is driven by many factors. Sometimes it’s by need, sometimes by opportunity. One thing is certain: Innovation is almost always pushed forward by creativity. The firearm you see here is probably one of the more unique innovations that have come to market in the past decade. Its owner, Ben Dixon, picked it up about five years ago and it’s been a workhorse for him ever since.
Initially introduced in 2014 by Ares Defense Systems (ADS), the SCR is now offered by ADS’s subsidiary, FightLite Industries. The SCR is an innovative firearm that blends the accuracy and reliability of an AR-15 with the ergonomics of a traditional rifle or shotgun. SCR stands for Sport Configurable Rifle, and the example featured here has been customized by its owner to serve a variety of purposes to include roles as a varmint hunter and all-around truck gun.
Dixon gives us the lowdown on how he came across his SCR: “About five years ago, I decided I wanted to try out something different than the usual ARs that I had owned up until then. I read about the SCR in a magazine and thought it interesting that it was a hybrid between an AR and a more classic rifle. Since I had plenty of AR upper parts lying around, I figured I’d buy a complete SCR lower to try it out. Back then the brand was called Ares Defense, now the brand is called FightLite. So if you look at mine, it says Ares on it, but it’s pretty much the same thing.”
Just how did the SCR work out for Dixon? “It was a fun curiosity at first,” he tells us. “My buddies would come over and check it out and not think much about it. It wasn’t until I modified it that they really took notice. As far as shooting it, I liked it a lot. It doesn’t use an AR trigger—it’s more like a shotgun trigger—but you’d be very surprised at just how good it feels. Pull is crisp and light enough to take some pretty tight groups at distance. Aside from having a great factory trigger, the ergonomics are familiar since I shoot a lot of shotguns.”
Dixon bought a complete SCR lower receiver but pieced together the AR-15 upper that tops it from the AR parts bin in his garage. “Being an owner of a few ARs, I ended up with plenty of parts that I used to build this upper,” he says. “The only new items I bought just for this build were the barrel, charging handle, iron sights, and optic.
You have to keep in mind that I assembled this upper about five years ago so the parts aren’t the latest and greatest any more, but they’re still very cool in my opinion. They work well enough that I haven’t been tempted to change them since.”
Part by part, Dixon gave us a rundown of the components he used to build it. “I started with a scratch and dent ‘keyhole’ Cerro Forge upper that I had in my parts bin and mounted a 5.56mm Faxon Gunner profile barrel in it. I bought this Faxon barrel because it has an ultra-slim profile and a 3-port brake pinned and welded to it for a 16-inch overall length.
The barrel itself is 14.5 inches long but the muzzle brake brings it to 16 inches overall. It’s so slim that the gas block diameter is just 0.625 inches. Luckily, Superlative Arms makes adjustable gas blocks that small; I was able to use one of their bleed-off models with a Melonite finish on this build.
“I absolutely love this barrel. It’s accurate and is one of the lightest barrels I’ve come across. The thin profile of the muzzle brake allows the pinned-and-welded barrel to be installed on and removed from any upper receiver without any issues.” Barrel nuts that usually wouldn’t clear most pinned and welded muzzle brakes are sure to fit over Faxon’s super-slim brake, allowing it to easily move to different uppers.
Dixon continues: “After the barrel was mounted, I installed a 13.5-inch m-lok handguard. Unfortunately I don’t remember the brand; it was a take-off part that I had stashed in my parts bin. I like how narrow it is. I did buy a Rainier Industries Avalanche ambidextrous charging handle for this upper, though. It was a fancy new part back then and I thought it was really cool how they designed it to function.
The handles on it can be swapped out for different styles, so I chose a set of knurled handles that are super easy to grip. Although it’s non-functional for the SCR, I did install a Strike Industries forward assist into the upper receiver just so that it didn’t have a hole there where the forward assist was missing.”
This SCR features a synthetic Monte Carlo stock, which means there’s a raised hump in the stock’s upper ridge that helps provide a higher cheek weld than the standard stock the original Ares SCR came with. “At the time, the Monte Carlo version of the SCR lower was hard to come by and consistently sold out as soon as any were restocked,” Dixon says. “I jumped on it as soon as I saw one. The raised part helps keep my head perfectly in-line with a low-mounted optic.” We took a look and it now looks like this stock profile is standard on all of FightLite’s current SCR offerings.
The rest of the lower remains factory stock except for the magazine release. “The SCR’s one design misstep is the location of its magazine release button,” Dixon adds. “Unless you’ve got fingers like E.T., you’re not going to be able to reach it with your firing hand still on the grip. For a right-handed shooter like me to change mags, you have to release the grip or use your off-hand and reach around to the right side of the receiver to hit the release. The only thing I could think of to make the situation better was to make the mag release bigger and add an ambidextrous function to it.
“I installed a Knight’s Armament ambidextrous magazine release with their cold weather button kit on the lower. The cold weather button enlarges the mag release, making it an easier target to hit, and the ambi lever on the opposite side of the receiver gives me another option for ejecting the magazine. In fact, the ambi lever extends rearward enough that if I had my left hand on the grip I can just manage to reach it without breaking my grip.”
The SCR can take just about any AR-15 pattern magazine. Dixon likes using shorter 10- and 20-round mags because they’re easier to store in his range bag. He did mention that the 30 or more rounders that he’s tried function just as well. The SCR uses a proprietary bolt carrier and buffer system. The bolt carrier group is similar to that of an AR-15, except that it has a strut that extends back and downward into the stock. The bolt, however, is the same as those found in any common AR-15. In place of a standard buffer and action spring, a smaller buffer and recoil spring help cycle the action.
Dixon completed his SCR by adding some accessories and painted it himself using DuraCoat spray coatings. He explains how he created the great looking camo job: “My SCR was originally all black. Blah, boring. I wanted to give it a different look that would also last so I decided to pick up a few rattle cans of DuraCoat. It’s kind of like Cerakote but without all the hassle. I used pieces of masking tape to create the pattern it wears today. This stuff is great; it’s barely shown any wear over the past five years of use.”
Accessory-wise, he added a Magpul m-lok hand stop kit as well as backup iron sights from a CZ Scorpion EVO. Why the CZ sights, you may ask? We wondered as well. “The height of the buttstock relative to the upper receiver’s Pic rail is different from an AR’s,” he reveals. “It requires lower irons and a lower optic position, too.
After some experimenting and looking at what other people did on the forums, I learned that this sight setup works well for my SCR. The CZ Scorpion EVO’s irons are a good height for the SCR, as is a low-mounted red dot. In my case, I went with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro. The red dot and irons don’t co-witness at all, but if I need to use the irons for any reason, I’d just remove the DeltaPoint.”
After spending some time with Dixon’s SCR, we started to think about tinkering with one ourselves too. His build is maybe several years old, but it still seems pretty innovative and unique in many ways. It’s refreshing to see different platforms receive well-thought-out mods. We’re looking forward to seeing what other older platforms get the modified treatment that they deserve. In the meantime, we’ll be looking at FightLight’s website to see what else they offer.
Build Sheet – Customized FightLite SCR
Specifications
Caliber: 5.56x45mm
Capacity: Varies on magazine
Overall Length: 36.0 in.
Weight Unloaded: 6 lbs, 3 oz.
Barrel Length: 14.5 in. (16.0 in. w/pinned, welded muzzle brake)
Featured Accessories
Optic: Leupold DeltaPoint Pro
Sights: CZ Scorpion EVO front & rear irons
Barrel: Faxon Gunner profile barrel w/integral slim 3-port brake
Parts & Accessories: Rainier Industries Avalanche ambidextrous charging handle, Superlative Arms .625” adjustable gas block, Knight’s Armament Co. ambidextrous magazine release w/cold weather button kit, Magpul m-lok hand stop kit, Strike Industries AR forward assist, DuraCoat aerosol UV
About the Owner
Name: Ben Dixon
Occupation: Restaurant Manager
