Ares TAR-21 Tavor Review

Firekitten · 17-06-2009 6:06pm #1

Ares TAR-21C Tavor Review
By Sniperkitty

Ares Tar-21C... Tavor... The latest rifle out of Israel, and a revolution in its real steel form... how does it compare in Ares latest offering? Well we shall find out...

When i recived the Tavor, it was in a plain cardboard box with a small sticker showing the weapon and the ares logo... not a box art fan, I delved inside to find what i was really after...

The gun is well packaged in sturdy foam, and to be honest, the gun is nigh on unbreakable.... atleast by the usual efforts of Parcel Farce... Handling it for the first time is an experience... the build quality is excelent... With a few minor exceptions... its hard to belive im not holding a Real TAR-21C...

The body is made from a sturdy fibre and the buttplate is a combination of rubber and rubber coated plastic as the real one.... The iron sights are smooth and functional, and extremely accurate.

The cocking handle when pulled, slides the hop cover back, and locks it in place to allow the shooter to ajust thier hopup. Releasing the bolt catch not only sends the cover forwards... but releases spring tension inside the gearbox...

Punching out the rather stiff pin at the rear allows the butt to hinge open, and access the battery compartment, and rear of the gearbox, and motor ajustment screw...

Shown here, is the rear of the gearbox... as you know, the weapon has a quick change spring system... well you know... I timed myself to see just how quick... I can go from 370fps for a recent milsim game at Catterick Garrison North Yorkshire England... to a Emerald Isle friendly 328 in under 120 seconds...

Unscrew the cap, use a large allen key to twist the spring guide when then lifts out... if you are careful, or flies out and gives you a black eye if you are not. Guess which ive learned the hard way?

The gearbox uses a long stroke design, so the fps is less relevant to range and accuracy than you would imagine... but more on that later.

The Mars sight... Lovely bit of kit in real steel, but the Ares weapon's one letdown...

The Sight seems almost an afterthought. The lenses are somewhat loose, and the dot is extremely defuse, Usable, but not too nice on a 545euro aeg yes?
The sight is removable when one undoes the screw behind the rear sight, lifting the sight assembly and nv mount base off the weapon, 4 screws bellow this, and the front sling loop removed allows the mars and its base to lift clear of the weapon. The two allen bolts remove the sight which quite pleasingly connects to the laser's pressure switch on the handguard via spring loaded pin contacts... no direct wire, giving the user a quick and easy method of removing the integrated sight.

Eventually I am told a ris mount base will be released, allowing the user to mount Trijicon Reflex, or Trijicon Acog sights as per real steel....

anyone here mounts an eotech, or an eclan, or a sniper scope please be aware that iI will come for you in your sleep...

The weapon's pistol grip is a good feature... as with the real steel, it is comfortable and fits practically any hand, small or spade...

Before someone mentions seam lines... yes, it has some quite obvious seams, BUT, the body is moulded fibrey stuff... as per real steel, and i can tell you with total certainty, that the mould lines are entirely accurate! so dont moan...

Skirmish review.
I took the Tavor to Operation Nimbus Moon at Catterick Garrison Fibua Village (Winney Hill Village) for 24 hours of milsim fun.

How did the Tavor perform you ask? Beyond any expectation I had.
Due to a cock up, id installed a 300fps spring, and only realised at crono in the morning... naturally id not brought a spare to take advantage of her gearbox toys... as the limit was 370 for aegs... i was obviously a tad miffed.
I was wrong...

The rifle has extremely high accuracy and long range due to its long stroke design, and the tightbore barrel that comes as standard. With .25bbs, I was hitting targets on my crosshairs at 60m, and amining off to about 80m... its revolutionery in performance... The gun also includes a mosfet trigger unit, which is not advertised... giving a high rate of fire, and zero trigger lag with an 8.4v 1400mah Mini battery.

The bullpup design meant I coult turn corners extremely fast, much faster than even an aug or sa80, the reduced profile also benefited me in other tight spaces. The weapon sits naturally in your shoulder, allowing quick, comfortable aiming, and smooth transitions from left to right hand depending on situation due to ambidextrous design. Admitedly, the selector is only on the left, but the fingers can operate it as easily as the thumb if being held left handed.

Did i mention that the 300fps Tavor was outshooting 370fps Systema PTWs? I didn't think so... but I have now... Just a little food for thought.

Overall? the gun is well worth its price tag, It feels like no other AEG ive owned or used. and performs like a skirmisher's dream. This is certainly one for fans of IDF gear and weapons... and dispite the mars let down, its a beautiful system.

Internals: 10/10 - Performs like a dream, easy to work on.

Externals: 8/10 - Due to mars letdown, and one or two inconsistancies with the real steel, not construction!

Optics: 7/10 - Mars is a letdown, but the inbuilt laser is accurate, holds
zero, and practical in cqb, the iron sights are also a dream to use and make up for the mars.

Skirmishability: 10/10 - This gun almost shoots for you.

Overall: 9/10 - The mars is the only blemish I can find to be bruitally honest.

As a fan of Israeli firearms, this weapon is a perfect addition to any skirmisher's collection, and has now earned the title of 'baby' faster than any other weapon I own.... (Note from Kitty: The only aeg i call baby, not including Eliana my Maruzen type 96)

As for sling options... paracord loop, threaded through on your side of choice, (front loop is reversable.) and clip sling on... yes its realistic... its how the IDF do it.
And on that note, i feel its time to big up www.zahal.org... thier IDF improved rifle sling is beyond comfortable, and practical, and ofcourse looks lovely and authentic on the Tavor after being left over when i sold my IDF m4.
Ris options.... well any of you pimping fans are out of luck here... it has none. There will be a scope mount available soon as i said, and a tip from the IDF... get a g36c side rail, or length of ris about 4 inches long with holes, and use two inch long bolts, and a nut with a 1cm washer, to bolt the rail to the offhand (whichever side you choose) cocking handle slot, this gives you a (perfectly level) with the barrel rail for mounting of tactical flashlights... I use one on mine, and its efficient and simple. If someone says ris unit, i will be dishing out slaps...

Hope the review helps, Enjoy all

Sniperkitty

Puding · 29-06-2009 10:44pm

(asked Firekitten last week about posting my review hear no point in making two posts for same aeg)

My tavor was delivered today, out of the box felt great mars as everyone has said is ****, i hope ares take note of what people are saying and either a) fix this on future models b) see the ares without the mars and add maybe a rail lowering the price,

Unfortunately my gearbox locked up after 2 mags of testing and the built in gearbox reset did not seem to do the job, spent the afternoon taking apart the ares gearbox 3 times trying to improve the reliability and stop the locking up, i was semi successful i was apply to set to working 95% ok, if i lock up know a quick flick to auto does the job but not really what i was looking for in a new aeg this does seem to be a common issue with gearbox horizontal motors and semi

Good
- Weight
- Feel
- Texture of body
- Balance
- Range
- Rof
- Hop up built into gearbox (excellent air seal)
- Gearbox internal excellent great compression from piston

Bad
- Having to open gearbox out of the box
- semi lock up at times
- MARs (it really is a pill of crap not even worth anything as a paper weight)
- Battery
- Gearbox is a pain to work on
- Unique Parts
- Unable to remove motor without taking gearbox apart
- Hop up built in gearbox ( pain in the ass when working on gearbox )

Well go into more depth in the future and will post some pictures tomorrow.

Puding · 30-06-2009 1:50pm

Think i've tracked down the problem to the motor, some how it seems to be tightening itself during full auto and the motor is pushing itself into the bevel gear and locking up, this of course should not be happening and will need another take down to investigate, up side is i will document the process for a take down guide.

Puding · 01-07-2009 1:06pm

Ares Tavor TAR-21 Takedown

Part 1: Removing the gearbox from the body

First get everything ready you will need in a clear area, and when you have plenty of time to spare, if you are rushing as with everything we do in life you will make mistakes.

Then make shore the aeg is on safe and remove the magazine and battery. Once you have removed the battery close the back plate and put the pin back in, this will stop the door being damaged as you work on the aeg.

Remove the sling mount, mine was very tight and i needed to use a pin hammer ad punch.

Remove the two screws showing on the top face of the tavor just behind the mars replica, you will know be able to lift the plate there holding in place away from the boy know, put this to one side.

Removing the previous section know exposes 4 screws that you need to remove, once these have been undone the mars replica and its mounting plate should come away from the body.

This is the only really tricky bit of the process, i;ve blown the light up on this picture to try and show clearly the 2 grub screws you know need to undo, the first grub screw on the top right hand side of the picture just needs to be undone. The second grub screw located on the bottom left hand side of the picture needs to be undone and then to use a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the block from the end of the shaft and place this safely to one side.

This is what the piece you are removing will look like, keep it safely to one side.

Know remove the above pins and the sling point.

Lastly remove the 2 screws that are found at the bottom of the mag well.

The gearbox will know slide out of the body, be careful as two push rods and the inner barrel will come with the gearbox, this is perfectly normal.

Gearbox: take down of this to follow in part 2

Puding · 01-07-2009 4:37pm

Know considering the mars sight suck so so much i thought will i had my tavor in pieces i would have a little bit of a play with putting together a rail for mounting optics, i used a g36c side rail and some parts i had lying around.

First off i put together a rail with spacers so i could use an acog.

Works well, the spacers i think need to have more bulk to them as it looks a bit weak but then again the referace pictures of real steel i have look the same, also tryed the riser with a eotech.

Know i know kitty threatened to hunt people down if they used an eotech but at the moment i do not care, the acog looks nice and i like it unfortuntaly the quality of airsoft replica acogs do not give enought eye relief for me to use it naturaly and it to be comfortable with reflex shooting, the tar 21 just screems speed and when you use it, its the same it crys out for a reflex sight and the eotech works where as the mars does not.

Eotech without the riser just the rail.

Fresz19 · 11-07-2009 1:10pm

What type of battery is going into the reflex sight?

I just got this thing

and I already have problem, i pull the thing in front to open hopup but hopup dosent opens...

Puding · 11-07-2009 1:25pm

more than likely the cable in the battery area is blocking the section that comes back, open the battery cover/butt plate and then pull the handle back to open the cover and expose the hop up, you will be able to see the section that moves back

Fresz19 · 11-07-2009 1:30pm

It sounds like the rot jumped out the place.

What type of battery does laser takes?

Puding · 11-07-2009 1:35pm

aaa for laser and reddot i think, but would not say 100% without checking, i remov ed mine right away so never looked

Fresz19 · 11-07-2009 2:44pm

Ok, problem solved. Little screw came out some how, how its on place and everything is fine.

AAA battery is too small and AA is too big, any other oprions?

Fresz19 · 11-07-2009 7:57pm

I found what type of battery fits in... Its LR1 x2

aerodriver · 19-07-2009 9:53pm

Hi guys,

For those of you who have experimented with taking your Tavors apart, does the foregrip come off easily? The reason I ask, is that there appears to be a hole in the underside of the grip that would allow fitting of a bipod stud or RIS rail...can anyone answer if this is the case?

Rooky1 · 21-07-2009 9:33pm

Hi guys
I know some of you seemed to have a problem with the hop up wheel.
Mine was very loose, it turns out that the screw holding the adjuster wheel is a fraction too long!
I just put a small shim on top of the wheel and screwed the screw back down with a drop of medium thread lock and it seems to have done the trick.

Firekitten · 26-07-2009 10:08pm

take out a few screws at the front and the grip comes off, and yes, its for a bipod stud, ris rail? only if you make more holes, and its not level... Ris under there would be uncomfortable anway, if you want a vertical grip, grab the front of the trigger guard, thats actuall comfortable...

Firekitten · 26-07-2009 10:19pm

take out a few screws at the front and the grip comes off, and yes, its for a bipod stud, ris rail? only if you make more holes, and its not level... Ris under there would be uncomfortable anway, if you want a vertical grip, grab the front of the trigger guard, thats actuall comfortable...

aerodriver · 03-08-2009 9:26pm

Firekitten,

Thanks for the reply, I was thinking bipod, and then Acog now that Ares have released side and top rails to replace the so-so Mars sight.

Incidentally can anyone reccomend a 9.6 2200 or more mAh battery that will fit/where I can find one?

Thanks

Firekitten · 03-08-2009 9:58pm

not a chance of a 2200 fitting...

aerodriver · 12-08-2009 7:47pm

Did the G36C side rail mounted instead of the MARS screw directly into the holes on the mount into which the Mars sat? By that I mean, there are two small screws which attach to the underside of the MARS and hold it to the base, do these match up with the holes on the G36C rail?

Lemming · 13-08-2009 11:58am

aerodriver wrote: »

Did the G36C side rail mounted instead of the MARS screw directly into the holes on the mount into which the Mars sat? By that I mean, there are two small screws which attach to the underside of the MARS and hold it to the base, do these match up with the holes on the G36C rail?

From FireKitten:

I didnt use a g36 side rail, I used two bolts, two thick washers, (and nuts) and a length of rail I drilled holes in to create a reasonable facimilie of the Accurate MARS rail. Pudding is the one to ask about g36 rails, I dont have any to use!

Future questions to pudding or lemming, I'm on holiday now

Airsofter101 · 15-05-2010 7:41pm

Please help me, I am going to buy a ARES gun in about 2 weeks but I dont know weather to buy the Ares L85A2 or the T.A.R. 21, a bit of a price difference but that doesn't matter and I love both designs so please help me

Darth Phoenix · 15-05-2010 8:57pm

Airsofter101 wrote: »

Please help me, I am going to buy a ARES gun in about 2 weeks but I dont know weather to buy the Ares L85A2 or the T.A.R. 21, a bit of a price difference but that doesn't matter and I love both designs so please help me

I have the tar 21 myself and i simply love it to bits, it has yet to give me trouble but i know they have a bad rep for reliabilaty especially the first few batches that came to ireland.Its a gun you either love or hate and as far as upgrading is concerned it can be awkward as the parts are different to most aeg. Like nearly all aeg's just change the hop up rubber and its sweet

If your thinking about the L85 i would recommend the g&g version if you want to pick that one, heard and seen some horror stories on the ares ver but they were the older version i seen and i've no idea about the ones tbh.
A mate of mine has the g&g ver for a year and a half and its still going strong, only thing he change was hop up and shimmed it

As much as i love the tar 21 i wouldnt recommend it mainly due to the price as it is not justified, the red dot is a dead paper weight in my opnion but the laser is decent and considering the money spent on this gun it ougt to be.....if your not fussed about colour i would go for the dark earth ver which has a slightly longer barrell and no scope and includes the top and side rails...not sure about price of them, they may be cheaper considering its without scope...
Hope that helps.

Jams · 05-07-2010 8:01pm

Just in case anyone reading this is thinking of buying a Tar21, but wants to replace the MARS, I wanted to recored the fact that the Ares Top Rail is a very easy fit.

Everything comes apart just as described by Puding. The MARS is held on by two screws and when it comes off the Top Rail screws into those same screw holes, form the other side.

I was able to fit an ACOG on it and the back part of the ACOG just touched the top of the rear iron sight.

Looking forward to trying it out.

decp · 04-01-2011 6:34pm

Hi, Just wondering where would you get a 300-320 fps spring ?

Any help would be apreciated.

Cheers

elDiablo79 · 04-01-2011 7:26pm

guarder sp90 do about 320 depending on gun and air leaks etc,. ehobbyasia.com sell them. i know some tavors had issues with the air nozzel leaking air and lads had to use heavyer springs to get up the fps. it might need a new air nozzel but i dont know which make of nozzel was the one which fixed the leak.

decp · 04-01-2011 8:51pm

Thanks for the reply but it really is a spring I need. Any ideas ?

decp · 04-01-2011 8:55pm

Ooooops just copped what you wrote "guarder sp90" .....sorry I will follow that up.............Thanks

pampers_Norway · 19-12-2011 9:36pm

i bought an ares tar 21 a while ago and i have woundered what the ting(s) behind the rear iron sight are, is it for an magnifier or something?

Ares TAR-21 Tavor Review

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