ArmaLite AR-7
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The ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer is a semi-automatic firearm in .22 Long Rifle caliber, developed in 1959 from the
AR-5 The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and ...
that was adopted by the
U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...
as a pilot and aircrew survival weapon. The AR-7 was adopted and modified by the
Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; , commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Indep ...
as an aircrew survival weapon in the 1980s. The AR-7 was designed by American firearms designer
Eugene Stoner Eugene Morrison Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997) was an American machinist and firearms designer who is most associated with the development of the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle that was redesigned and modified by Colt's Manufacturing Compan ...
, who is most associated with the development of the
ArmaLite AR-15 The ArmaLite AR-15 is a gas-operated assault rifle manufactured in the United States between 1959 and 1964. Designed by American gun manufacturer ArmaLite in 1956, it was based on its AR-10 rifle. The ArmaLite AR-15 was designed to be a lightw ...
rifle that was adopted by the US military as the M16. The civilian AR-7's intended markets today are backpackers and other recreational users as a takedown utility rifle. The AR-7 is intended for users of recreational vehicles (automobile, airplane, or boat) who might need a weapon for foraging or defense in a wilderness emergency.


History and design

The prototype of what would become the AR-7 was designed by Eugene Stoner at
ArmaLite ArmaLite, or Armalite, is an American small arms engineering company, formed in the early 1950s in Hollywood, California. Many of its products, as conceived by chief designer Eugene Stoner, relied on unique foam-filled fiberglass butt/stock fur ...
Inc., a division of
Fairchild Aircraft Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 19 ...
. The rifle shares some of the features of the
bolt-action Bolt action is a type of manual Action (firearms), firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt (firearms), turn-bolt via a cocking handle, bolt handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm (a ...
AR-5 The ArmaLite AR-5 is a lightweight bolt-action takedown rifle chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge and adopted as the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle by the United States Air Force. It was developed by ArmaLite, a division of Fairchild Engine and ...
, another takedown rifle designed by Stoner for ArmaLite and adopted by the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
in 1956 as the MA-1. The MA-1 was intended to replace the
M4 Survival Rifle The M4 Survival Rifle was a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle developed after World War II as part of the survival gear stored under the seat of American military aircraft. It was designed to give downed aircrew a survival weapon for foraging wild gam ...
and the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon which was a superposed ("over-under") twin-barrel rifle/shotgun chambered in .22 Hornet and .410 bore, using a break-open action. The AR-5 had the advantage of repeat fire over the then-standard M6, using the same .22 Hornet cartridge. When the AR-5 was adopted as the MA-1 but was not placed in issue due to the number of usable M4 and M6 survival weapons in USAF inventory, ArmaLite used the research and tooling for the AR-5 in developing the AR-7 for the civilian market.Duncan Long, ''AR-7 Super Systems'', Paladin Press, 1990. The AR-7 uses a blowback semi-automatic action in .22 Long Rifle but retains the AR-5/MA-1 feature of storing the disassembled parts within the hollow stock, which is filled with plastic foam and capable of floating. Like the bolt-action AR-5, the AR-7 was designed as a survival rifle for foraging small game for food. The AR-7 is constructed primarily of aluminum, with plastic for the stock, buttcap, and recoil spring guide. The bolt is steel. The original barrel was aluminum using a rifled steel liner; barrels of some production models have used all steel barrels, others have used barrels made of composite materials. The AR-7 measures overall when assembled. It disassembles to four sections (
barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...
,
action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...
,
stock Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the Share (finance), shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporatio ...
, and
magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
), with three parts storing inside the plastic stock, measuring long. The rifle weighs , light enough for convenient backpacking. The rear
sight Visual perception is the ability to detect light and use it to form an image of the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment. Photodetection without image formation is classified as ''light sensing''. In most vertebrates, visual percept ...
is a
peep sight Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers used as a sight (device), sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons such as firearms, airguns, crossbows, and Bow and arrow, bows, or less commonly as a primitive finde ...
, which comes on a flat metal blade with an aperture (in later production two different size apertures available by removing and flipping the rear sight), and is adjustable for elevation (up-down). The front sight is adjustable for windage (side-to-side). Accuracy is sufficient for hunting small game at ranges to .


Performance

Reliability of the AR-7 is highly dependent on the condition of the magazine and on the ammunition used, perhaps more so than with other models of semi-automatic .22 caliber rifles. The
feed ramp A feed ramp is a basic feature of many Breech-loading weapon, breech loading cartridge firearm designs. It is a tightly machined and polished piece of metal which guides a Cartridge (firearms), cartridge from the top of the Magazine (firearms), ...
is part of the magazine and is subject to damage from mishandling. Flat-nosed bullets tend to jam on the edge of the chamber of the barrel. The transition of the cartridge from magazine to barrel can be smoothed by minor beveling of the chamber of the barrel, by using round-nosed as opposed to flat-nosed bullets, and by paying attention to the condition of the feed lips and feed ramp of the magazine. Later production magazines include an external wire spring to align the cartridge; earlier magazines used two pinch marks at the top of the magazine body, which in use could become sprung open or worn. All iterations of the AR-7 from the ArmaLite to the Henry U.S. Survival rifle use a bolt and dual recoil springs that are heavy compared to most other .22 semiautomatics. The AR-7 requires high-velocity ammunition for reliable functioning. The manufacturers recommend use of round nose bullets in high-velocity loadings. It is possible to manually load a single round into the firing chamber, allowing use of flat-nosed bullets or low-velocity or subsonic ammunition. The barrel takedown nut tends to loosen during firing and may need hand-tightening to maintain both accuracy and reliability. ArmaLite sold the design to
Charter Arms Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers. Since its founding in 1964, Charter Arms has produced revolvers chambered in the following calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Ma ...
in 1973. According to some accounts posted by enthusiasts, this is when quality began to deteriorate. Barrels were said to have a tendency to warp. Other sources state that the first production at Charter had problems which were corrected in later production runs.


Production history

''(Summary of information available in The Blue Book of Gun Values)'' *1959-1973:
ArmaLite ArmaLite, or Armalite, is an American small arms engineering company, formed in the early 1950s in Hollywood, California. Many of its products, as conceived by chief designer Eugene Stoner, relied on unique foam-filled fiberglass butt/stock fur ...
*1973-1990:
Charter Arms Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers. Since its founding in 1964, Charter Arms has produced revolvers chambered in the following calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Ma ...
*1990-1997: Survival Arms - Cocoa, Florida *1998-2004: AR-7 Industries - LLC, Meriden, Connecticut (bought by ArmaLite in 2004) *1997–2007:
Henry Repeating Arms Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company. As of 2019, Henry Repeating Arms ranked in the top five of U.S. long gun manufacturers, and eighth overall in total firearms production, manufacturing over 300,000 firearms annually. H ...
Co. - Brooklyn, New York *2007–present:
Henry Repeating Arms Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company. As of 2019, Henry Repeating Arms ranked in the top five of U.S. long gun manufacturers, and eighth overall in total firearms production, manufacturing over 300,000 firearms annually. H ...
Co. - Bayonne, New Jersey


AR-7 variants


ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer

Original ArmaLite barrels had a steel liner in an aluminum shell. The stock was a foam filled plastic shell with internal recesses for the receiver, barrel and one magazine and did not accept the receiver with a magazine in place. The original ArmaLite stock retained buoyancy longer than some later stocks by other makers. The receiver did not provide for a
scope mount Scope mounts are rigid implements used to attach (typically) a telescopic sight or other types of optical sights onto a firearm. The mount can be made integral to the scope body (such as the Zeiss rail) or, more commonly, an external fitting t ...
. The rear sight was a peep aperture, adjustable for elevation. The front sight was drift-adjustable for windage.


Argentine variant

The AR-7 was also manufactured in Argentina as the ''Sistema de Armas .22 LR Fire de Brenta''. It came with various barrel lengths, shrouds and fixed rifle stocks as well as pistol grips with retractable stocks.


Herter's Outdoor Supply

Herter's, Hy Hunter and American International Distributors marketed .22 replicas of the Broomhandle Mauser (as "Bolomauser"),
Thompson submachine gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun, invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Arm ...
(as "T-62 Civilian Defense Model") and
M1 Carbine The M1 carbine (formally the United States carbine, caliber .30, M1) is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine chambered in the .30 carbine (7.62×33mm) cartridge that was issued to the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War, and t ...
made on AR-7 receivers and barrels.


Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer

The
Charter Arms Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers. Since its founding in 1964, Charter Arms has produced revolvers chambered in the following calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Ma ...
AR-7 Explorer rifle replicated the ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer with variations in finish.


Charter Arms Explorer II pistol

Explorer II was a pistol version of the AR-7. It resembled a Broomhandle Mauser. The receiver had a built-in pistol grip with no provision for the rifle stock (the internal parts are interchangeable between rifle and pistol). The rear sight of the pistol was an open notch adjustable for windage and elevation. The Explorer II front sight was integral with the barrel shell and was not adjustable. The magazine well in front of the trigger guard would accept any magazine designed for the rifle. A spare 8-round magazine could be carried inside the grip. The most common barrel was . Optional barrel lengths included and .


Legal note

Because the U.S. 1934 NFA regulations set the minimum rifle barrel length at , Charter Arms made the barrels of the Explorer I rifle and Explorer II pistol non-interchangeable to prevent installing the pistol barrel on the rifle. The AR-7 barrel has an alignment lug that mates a notch in the receiver. The rifle receiver notch and barrel lug are on top; the pistol notch and lug are broader and on the bottom. If a Charter Arms factory-made pistol barrel were installed on a rifle, the extractor on the bolt would be opposite the extractor slot in the barrel, preventing the bolt from closing (plus the front sight would be upside down). Modifying the pistol barrel to fit the rifle, or modifying the rifle receiver to accept the pistol barrel, would be "making a short barrel rifle" legally requiring federal registration on an ATF Form 1 with payment of a $200.00 tax. Conversely, after the Supreme Court ruling in ''United States v. Thompson/Center Arms Co.'', modifying the pistol to accept the rifle barrel and/or stock, or modifying the rifle barrel or stock to fit the pistol is legal so long as you do not have the rifle stock attached at the same time as the pistol barrel. It is legal (as a pistol) to have the rifle barrel attached with the pistol grip; there is no federal maximum pistol barrel length. In the United Kingdom this rifle is a Section 1 Firearm requiring a Firearms Certificate to buy or acquire.


AR-7 Industries

AR-7 Industries made solid steel barrels much heavier than the AR-7 barrels by ArmaLite, Charter or Henry. There was also a U.S. survival variant.


Henry Survival Rifle

In 1980, the design and production rights passed on to
Henry Repeating Arms Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company. As of 2019, Henry Repeating Arms ranked in the top five of U.S. long gun manufacturers, and eighth overall in total firearms production, manufacturing over 300,000 firearms annually. H ...
and the compact rifle was slightly revised, resulting in improved reliability and durability. The AR-7 is now (2018) known as the Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 rifle. An ABS material replaced the original stock plastic, which was prone to cracking and failure. The receiver recess in the Henry stock allows storage of the receiver with a magazine in place and the rifle is normally sold with two magazines. The latest versions of the Henry allow for storage of three magazines total, with two in the stock recess, and one in the receiver. The modern Henry U.S. Survival Rifle floats on water for a while either assembled or stored, although it is not entirely waterproof and will sink eventually. The rifles now include a full Teflon coating on the outer surface. Henry added a
Dovetail rail A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joinery technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery (carpentry), including furniture, cabinets, log buildings, and traditional timber framing. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart, a ...
(aka Weaver .22 Tip-Off Mount rail) on the top of the receiver for attaching a wide variety of optics. Henry introduced a 5-round magazine for jurisdictions that limit magazine capacity for hunting wild game.


Israeli pilot's survival rifle

Another variant was made by ArmaLite and sold to the
Israeli Military The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, an ...
for use as pilot/aircrew survival weapons, replacing the 9mm Beretta 1951 8-shot handgun. The Israelis further modified these rifles, adding a telescoping stock, a pistol grip from a FAL-type rifle, shortening the barrel (to ), and adding a front sight based on the K98k Mauser. The shoulder stock held two magazines, with a third magazine in the receiver, plus forty rounds of ammunition stored inside the pistol grip. After Israeli service, some of these rifles were re-imported into the U.S. by Bricklee Trading Company for sale on the civilian market. The barrels are marked with the BTC identification as required by U.S. law on imported guns. The Israeli version commands a premium among collectors. In order to comply with U.S. Federal law on minimum rifle barrel length of 16", a 3-inch
muzzle brake A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral (ported barrel) to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter re ...
was permanently attached.Jeremiah Knupp, "The Unlikely Resilience of the AR-7 Survival Rifle"
American Rifleman, 27 Dec 2016.


Operation

The AR-7 functions as a simple blowback semi-automatic. The AR-7 is a light firearm with a heavy bolt and twin recoil springs.


Aftermarket modifications

The fact that both the barrel and stock are detachable has led to a plethora of after-market accessories, similar to those available for the
Ruger 10/22 The Ruger 10/22 is a series of semi-automatic rifles produced by American firearm manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co., chambered for the .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge. It uses a patented 10-round rotary magazine, though higher capacity box ...
. Barrels, stocks, and grips, of varying finishes and utility, can be added to the rifle. These include collapsible stocks, wire-framed stocks, pistol grips, flash suppressors, shrouded barrels, high-capacity magazines, telescopic sights, reflex 'red dot' sights and other occasionally fanciful-looking hardware, some at a cost greater than the rifle itself. Such accessories often make it impossible to use the original floating stock for storage of modified parts. The current Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 has a 3/8" scope sight rail integral with the receiver to accept standard Weaver-style "Tip-Off" rings. For earlier makes, B Square supplied the Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer Scope Mount Base, an accessory bracket with a 3/8" rail. The base attached by the receiver side plate screw (the Charter Arms side plate screw is longer than that of the ArmaLite). This base can be used on the ArmaLite and the Charter Arms Explorer rifles and the Charter Arms Explorer II pistol. However, with the base in place, the rifle receiver will no longer fit the recess in the stock for storage. (The B Square Charter Arms AR-7 base is not needed on the Henry version and will not fit the Henry receiver.) Apart from the highly modified AR-7 Israeli survival rifles, most AR-7 models lack provision for a carry sling. AR-7 owners have adapted slings designed for use on guns without modification, such as universal shotgun slings designed to cup the shotgun buttstock at the rear and clamp to the barrel or magazine tube at the front. Given the light weight of the AR-7, 2.5 pounds, a proper length of parachute cord with a
slip knot The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily undone by pulling the tail ( working end). The slip knot is related to the running knot, which will release when the standing end is pulled. Both knots are identical and are composed of a slippe ...
at either end can be used as a sling or
lanyard A lanyard is a length of cord, webbing, or strap that may serve any of various functions, which include a means of attachment, restraint, retrieval, activation, and deactivation. A lanyard is also a piece of rigging used to secure or lowe ...
.


See also

* List of ArmaLite rifles * Preetz Model 65 * Marlin Model 70P


References


External links


Henry Repeating Arms webpage for the AR-7/U.S. Survival RiflePhotos of the AR-7 Survival Rifle
{{Authority control Survival guns Semi-automatic rifles of the United States Takedown guns .22 LR firearms