Henry AR7 Survial Rifle

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My step dad had one a few years back. The ar7 seemed like a pretty cool idea but to me not really worth it. It jammed a lot and was not very accurate or at least I wasn't very accurate shooting it. It also felt really cheap. I know weight savings is a big deal but the short fat plastic butt stock, skinny plastic barrel with metal insert, and heavy trigger just wasn't for me.

I do understand the novelty of it though, but i think there are better options for its intended purpose.

He did get my son a little Davy Crickett rifle this year for Christmas. Last week I took him out to shoot it for the first time, he is only a little over two years old now. Not only did my son have a blast shooting it but I did too. They are pretty cheap(around $100), come drilled and tapped for a scope, light weight (2.5lb), nice trigger(2.5lb pull), and pretty darn accurate too.

I had spinner targets swinging, and walnuts exploding on every shot with bulk pack Remington's. I would say minute of squirrel head for sure. It also shoots shorts, longs, and of course long rifle rounds. It can be taken most of the way down for cleaning and peep sights adjusted with just a small flat head screw driver. To me this would be an ideal hiking, camping, survival .22 rifle. My only complaint is that even though it's single shot bolt action there is no ramp into the chamber, which makes loading it kinda a pain in the arse if you have fat fingers.

He also got my niece one in pink too and I hear a lot of coon hunters like those because they are so easy to carry and see/find at night in the woods.

http://www.crickett.com/CrickettRifle/crickettrifle.html
 
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I had two of the Henry Survival Rifles and they are the only bad products I've ever encountered from that wonderful (IMO) company. Poorly finished and very unreliable.

In Henry's defense, the two I had were among the very first ones they produced -- they very well may have improved them over time, as I haven't even tried one since.
 
IMO, the AR-7 could quite likely be produced as something that would work if they made it as a simple bolt action instead of an autoloader. The actual Armalite survival rifle as purchased in small numbers by the military was a bolt action .22 Hornet, IIRC. The AR-7 we're discussing was/is produced for the civilian market. If it was a bolt action, ammo pickiness would largely be eliminated. That's a massive improvement right there.
 
That design is flawed. It's been through 3 or 4 different manufacturers and it's always a crap shoot as to if it's going to work.

I had one, "snake eyes". After a trip back to the factory with no improvement, sold it.

Bought a Marlin Papoose SS, never fails to fire.

If you want one, you want one, but you can't say you weren't warned.
 
-I'm just wondering. If Henry Repeating Arms messed up a simple and reliable design like the AR-7, what would they do to the higher-powered AR-5? Sleeved plastic or aluminum barrels, die-cast frames, other weight-saving shortcuts, and the lack of precision shown in their version of the AR-7? I'll pass, thanks.
 
-I'm just wondering. If Henry Repeating Arms messed up a simple and reliable design like the AR-7, what would they do to the higher-powered AR-5? Sleeved plastic or aluminum barrels, die-cast frames, other weight-saving shortcuts, and the lack of precision shown in their version of the AR-7? I'll pass, thanks.
Click to expand...

Actually Henry builds the only version of these that shoots consistently. Also if you have a problem they fix it promptly.

I don't like the basic design, but Henry is an excellent company.
 
theotherwaldo said:
-I'm just wondering. If Henry Repeating Arms messed up a simple and reliable design like the AR-7, what would they do to the higher-powered AR-5? Sleeved plastic or aluminum barrels, die-cast frames, other weight-saving shortcuts, and the lack of precision shown in their version of the AR-7? I'll pass, thanks.
Click to expand...
A simple and reliable design? Since when????
 
My original Armalites were entirely reliable. Never had a failure, even when fed sub-standard ammo. Now, with the later manufacturers, all I hear are gripes.

The Ar-7 was a simple and reliable design. Perhaps over-simplified, but that's to be expected in a survival tool. The critical component of the AR-7 is the magazine. It holds both the feed lips and the feed ramp. This is where the later manufacturers failed. Their magazines were junk. This led to feed-failures, shaved lead in the chambers and mechanisms, kinked ammo, and other problems.

If Henry has started turning out quality AR-7s then that's good to hear.

But, so far, that's not what I'm hearing in this thread.
 
Henry AR-7's function perfect with CCI Min-Mags...as does my Calico, GSG-5PK & 10/22s.

Sorry.
 
Nothing to be sorry about, rogertc1. This is what the OP should be hearing. An honest report from those that actually have and shoot the gun in question.

If anyone should say sorry it's me. I've never had a Henry AR-7. I should have kept my mouth shut.
 
I am a big fan of Henry, and think they make the finest leverguns in the world and offer the very best support, but they missed the boat entirely on the AR-7. My buddie's AR-7 has been back to the factory several times, and after shooting it extensively, his range report is thus: "If you need to use your Henry AR-7 Survival Rifle for actual survival ... you gonna die!" :eek:
 
I had one that I liked a lot, Charter Arms version. Got ripped off. So, I bought a used one from a guy, another Charter. I like 'em. If it jams, 90 percent of the time it'll be the feed ramp that's integral with the magazine. You can bend it in and out with needle nose pliers and make the thing work fine. Also, some folks have mentioned slightly beveling the chamber mouth on the barrel.

The trigger is awful, but I can shoot it. Don't try to improve it, not really possible. I get about 2" groups at 50 yards and that's okay for what the gun is for. It's good enough to hunt squirrel and small game with. I bought it as a uber light backpack rifle and to carry on the motorcycle. It's a rugged little gun, bangs and scuffs don't bother me. I have scoped mine, has a collapsible stock on it (think M4) and a barrel shroud. As is, it won't fit in the floating stock anymore, but I never liked that stock and don't need a boat/canoe gun. I did pick up a Marlin Papoose floating case, though, and keep it in that.

The gun fills a useful niche if you're a hiker, canoeist, outdoorsman that wants a light, small survival 22 along that you can take game with in a pinch. It ain't the POS the net would have you believe. But, it's not exactly a high grade target rifle, either. It has its purpose IMHO. I have other .22s I shoot more, 10/22, old Remington 512X, a Remington 597 magnum, and an old Mossberg 152 I gave to my daughter. That one belonged to my step dad. I like .22s and the AR7 is a unique one that fills a need for me being as it's the ONLY .22 I have that fits in my saddle bags other than my Contender and my Ruger Mk 2. It's very light on a hike, too.

One last comment, if you can't make an AR7 run, don't even think about gunsmithing school, you're sure to flunk. The thing is so simple, it's easy to figure out anything about it. It comes apart easily and a moron could do it, even THIS moron. That's one of the things that makes it a good survival gun IMHO and the fact that you can get spare parts for cheap if you so feel the need in your survivalist scenario day dreaming. LOL
 
I have an early 80's Charter Arms version. When I bought it, I also bought an aftermarket 15-round magazine - I don't remember the manufacturer. I just got used to clearing jams, and wasting ammo as the lead got bent when it nosedived into the feed ramp. When it fired, the rounds impacted where I wanted them to go, but the rifle wasn't anything special. Back then, I didn't know how to diagnose feeding problems, so I never realized that ALL my jams happened when I was using that crappy 15-round mag.

That rifle sat up on a shelf for over fifteen years gathering dust. Eventually, out of nostalgia more than anything else, I took it down. I hadn't cleaned it in more than a decade and a half. Any oil that had been in it had dried up. I took it apart, cleaned it out, lubed it up, and took it to the range with some new minimags. Not a single failure, using the original factory magazine. It was an indoor range, so I was limited to 25 yards, but the rounds still impacted where I wanted them to go. My best group was under a half inch, my worst was around an inch and a half, using the crappy stock peep sights. If I was in an environment where I had to nail a rabbit to feed myself, I have no doubt that this rifle would let me do that.
 
Forgot to mention the stock has a pebbled finish on the Henry which is not like the smooth CA's I have fondled. The lighter barrel of the Henty accually makes the ballance of the rifle better then the Charter too. Shooting only 100 CCI Mini-Mags I had zero FTF.
It is a keeper as far as I am concerned.
 
You just about have me convinced into getting one...just need to figure out what type of stock I want (consider building my own, possibly a folder). :)
 
I have an early 80's Charter Arms version. When I bought it, I also bought an aftermarket 15-round magazine - I don't remember the manufacturer. I just got used to clearing jams, and wasting ammo as the lead got bent when it nosedived into the feed ramp. When it fired, the rounds impacted where I wanted them to go, but the rifle wasn't anything special. Back then, I didn't know how to diagnose feeding problems, so I never realized that ALL my jams happened when I was using that crappy 15-round mag.
Click to expand...

I bet I have that same magazine. I got the feed ramp angled right, but it hangs up occasionally, rounds don't bump up when the top one is stripped off, makes the next round jam. I have it in this picture just for effect. I shoot the gun with the standard 8 rounders it came with and it feeds fine. I had a couple of the 25 round Ramline plastic mags back in the day, worked fine when new, but as they aged, they kinda fell apart, I think from being in the back of the seat in the cab of a hot pickup.

Stick with the issue mags and live happy. BTW, I also have the much maligned "explorer 2" pistol version. I just bought it because it was cheap, but it shoots well. Same crappy trigger, though. But, what the heck for 70 bucks brand new, eh? :D I used the magazine out of that pistol for a spare for the rifle since I never shoot the pistol I mean, I have a Mk2 Ruger, after all.

The stock and barrel shroud on mine were on it when I bought it from a friend. The scope mount I got from Charter Arms a long time ago. The case is a Marlin Papoose case Walmart had on a discount table one year for 8 bucks.

attachment.php
 
ArmaLite AR-7 circa 1967

Mine is an ArmaLite made in 1967 - cost $49.00

It was available with a black, brown or camo stock. The oine with the ugly brown stock was rare, but today it brings about 75% more thqn the others.

It will digest any brand of ammo and about one out of 100 rounds would jam. Not enough to get you crazy, but enough to make you aware that you might lose that follow up shot.

As you can see from the stock the gun has traveled a lot in my flight bag and back pack, but I didn't use it very much. The point is, a used Armalite might be a very good buy in that they seem to be more reliable than the other manufacturers' AR-7s and may have had very little ammo put through it.

My stock was the so-called "camo" stock:

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Does anybody have a suggestion to make this rifle shoot straight? I like the design and it shoots pretty reliably, but..can't get it to shoot accurately.
 
Hate to say it, but I doubt it ever will. The way it breaks down and the light components used are not conducive to great accuracy. :)
 
It is only $200 for a 22lr weapon that breaks down into a small package. What kind of accuracy does one expect?? Get a target gun if you want that.
One could put a scope on the AR7 too.
 
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