ACR, XCR, SCAR, and RA M96's are rather dissimilar from the AR family, aside from being military specification designs turned into semi-auto black modern sporting rifles for the civilian market. They all have features that may have been influenced by the military AR rifles, but they are very different machines. The exception in your list being the MH/MV, which is a proprietary rifle following as closely to the AR10/15 layout and design as is possible while still deliberately maintaining a Canadian non-restricted status. The .308 PAR (can't speak for the .223, I've never handled one) was quite clearly an AR308 design taken by Troy and turned into a pump action rifle, with enough changes to make it "not an AR variant (and yes, you know which 'AR's' I mean)", including incompatible uppers/lowers, same as you can find on the ATRS rifles, and is something you will almost certainly see on the new NEA102 as well. NEA is most likely going the "AR-102 variant so it's not restricted" route since otherwise, despite the differences, it would deemed an AR variant based on it's almost identical (key word-almost) form, features, and function to the restricted types of AR.
Again, technically? PAR, MV/MH, not an AR because ARMALITE didn't design them.
Legally? Not a restricted AR variant, because ATRS specifically designed an AR variant to not be an AR variant, I don't have to say that, they did. Troy took an AR10 and butchered it into a pump action, and called it a proprietary design.
I'm not debating if either of these rifles are legally or technically speaking a direct AR variant, because TECHNICALLY they obviously are not. There is no debate there.
Practically speaking, PAR's and MH/MV rifles are AR variants, someone took the AR15/AR10 design and made it to meet the silly rules. Scars, XCR's, ACR's, and whatever else, are obviously not AR variants. They are only similar in look to people who think black guns are scary and all the same. They are Scar's, XCR's, and ACR's, and were never trying to be a copy of an AR, unlike firearms like the Modern hunter or PAR, which are trying their hardest to be an AR, while at the same time trying to push the limits of what it means not to be an AR.
Anyway it's been nice but I gotta peace off of here. You are right, and I'm not wrong. Ever handled a Modern Varmint/Hunter or PAR? Shooting one might change your perspective of how much "not an AR" they are.
How about that NEA102, might put my buying of an XCR-L off and get one of them instead if they are NR.
