Questions for AR-7 Explorer enthusiasts...

[desmobob]

I have an older AR-7 from Survival Arms (third company in the AR-7 lineage: Armalite, then Charter Arms, then Survival Arms, now Henry). It's a hot mess, but it works. It doubled for a while when new back in the '90s and then settled down to actually being reliable. The front sight is drifted nearly out of its dovetail to get the rifle sighted in. I still think it's a hoot.

When I dug it out of the back of the safe this week I found that the thin plastic of the inside dividers/compartments of the butt stock has started to disintegrate. I had a heck of a time trying to get the barrel out! Does anyone know if the latest production Henry version butt stock will fit?

I've also misplaced one of the original magazines. I had two and, unlike the Henry version, there is only a place to store one of them in the stock so it's easy to misplace a second one. I know the magazines for the Henry don't interchange with the older AR-7 models. Numrich Gun Parts still has the original type in stock, so no problem there.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Will Henry even sell just the stock?


I actually thinking of picking up a new Henry AR7, even after the trauma of previously owning the Charter Arms version......

On the CA guns, you could keep one magazine in the receiver and a spare went in a cavity in the foam stock filler.

 

[desmobob]

Will Henry even sell just the stock?

Good question. I'll contact them about fitment and availability.

I actually thinking of picking up a new Henry AR7, even after the trauma of previously owning the Charter Arms version......

On the CA guns, you could keep one magazine in the receiver and a spare went in a cavity in the foam stock filler.

After reading your statement about fitting both mags, I ran to get my AR-7 and prepared to have a forehead-slap moment. But no... my receiver will absolutely not fit in the stock with a magazine inserted. And my stock is not foam-filled. It just has thin molded plastic (starting to break apart) to form the areas for the barrel, receiver and magazine to fit into. If the voids had been filled with expanding foam, the plastic might have held up!

I'll never forget putting the rifle together for the first time in my buddy's yard. I loaded it up and aimed at a mark on a pine tree. Crack-ack! Two rounds down range with one pull of the trigger! Then again, then again, and then no more second round ever again. It was fun while it lasted.

 

[Pat Riot]

I was told by a Henry rep that many parts, including the stocks were interchangeable. I do not know that for a fact.
I have one of the Henry AR-7s. It’s a cool little carbine.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Good question. I'll contact them about fitment and availability.





After reading your statement about fitting both mags, I ran to get my AR-7 and prepared to have a forehead-slap moment. But no... my receiver will absolutely not fit in the stock with a magazine inserted. And my stock is not foam-filled. It just has thin molded plastic (starting to break apart) to form the areas for the barrel, receiver and magazine to fit into. If the voids had been filled with expanding foam, the plastic might have held up!

I'll never forget putting the rifle together for the first time in my buddies yard. I loaded it up and aimed at a mark on a pine tree. Crack-ack! Two rounds down range with one pull of the trigger! Then again, then again, and then no more second round ever again. It was fun while it lasted.

I wouldn't be surprised if the lawyers had nerfed that feature....though I could swear another member here recently reported their Henry could be stowed with a seated mag. The Henrys use a plastic web stock insert, which seems fairly high quality. In any event, probably something that a Dremel could fix, lol.

 

[GRIZ22]

I've owned an Armalite. a Charter, and a Henry. The Henry is the best.

 

[jmorris]

I can’t answer your question but Henry has made at least two different versions, themselves.

The first ones had a plain stock and holds two mags, one in the receiver and a spare in the stock (a strategically placed toothpick stops the rattle), the new ones have “US Survival” molded into the stock and come with two spots for the mags they come with but the receiver will still store with an additional mag in it, for a total of 3 but only comes with two.



The newer receivers also weigh more.



Making the total weight greater on the new ones as well.

 

[Speedo66]

I actually thinking of picking up a new Henry AR7, even after the trauma of previously owning the Charter Arms version......
.

I also had a Charter Arms, two trips back the factory solved nothing.

I just couldn’t do that, the memories are still too vivid.

 

[bannockburn]

I also had a Charter Arms AR7 that was a waste of time, money, and effort in trying to get it to run with any sort of consistency. One of the most unreliable firearms I have ever owned!

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have an original Costa Mesa ArmaLite AR-7 made when ArmaLite was part of Fairchild Industries (logo: the Fairchild Pegasus in crosshairs).

I use Henry US Survival Rifle magazines in my original AR-7 rifle with no problems.

I have learned to stick to CCI MiniMag hi-vel copperplated round nose 40gr.
I suspect Stoner developed and tested the AR-7 with military issue Remington M24 Air Crew Survival Weapon ammo, FMJ hyper velocity.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My son has a Henry US Survival Rifle.
My ArmaLite AR-7 receiver is slightly loose in the Henry stock.
His Henry receiver won't fit my AR-7 stock. The Henry has a receiver with substantial Weaver Tip-Off 3/8" rail for .22 riflescope mounts and is beefed up overall.

Here's the parts wells in the Armalite buttstock.
My stock is in the swirled green pattern (imagine Realtree by Salvadore Dali) but Armalite also offered basic black and solid brown as well.

 

[ECVMatt]

God I hate these kind of threads....they make me develop an irrational need for a gun I don't have, but have always thought was cool. I remember ad's from the 80's with all kinds of cool add-ons.

Great info here, thanks.

 

[desmobob]

God I hate these kind of threads....they make me develop an irrational need for a gun I don't have, but have always thought was cool. I remember ad's from the 80's with all kinds of cool add-ons.

Great info here, thanks.

Funny how that works. Mine was literally rotting away in the back of the safe, unused for years, but now I feel the need to replace it with a new Henry version.

 

[jeepnik]

Regarding the break down of the plastic, likely caused by hydrocarbon based lubes. Being as I was a chemist working in the oil industry I knew about such things. I have only ever used graphite. Probably one reason mine has always been reliable. Lots of times they are stuffed back in the after cleaning with too much lube. Either that or put away filthy.

Mine now lives in a go bag with 500 rounds of its favorite stingers. It spent over twenty years as my Jeep gun before that.