Today my family and I went target shooting at a local gun range. I finally got to try out my new rifle, the U.S Survival AR-7 rifle.
Why did we choose this rifle? I admit, I am no expert with firearms. The truth is, my husband actually did all the research about the various rifles to choose from. After he looked at all the choices, he narrowed it down and we talked about features. The main reasons we decided on this rifle for me is the portability of the rifle, as well ease of use. He did tell me that there are better alternatives, other rifles are much more accurate and reliable, but they are not as convenient or as portable as the AR-7. As you can see from the photo above, the whole rifle disassembles. The barrel, receiver and ammunition clips fit inside the stock. The stock, when it is sealed, is made of waterproof material and is said to be able to float in case it’s ever dropped in water. However, I have not tested the waterproof aspect, we just took it target shooting. To reassemble, all you have to do is attach the receiver to the stock, insert the barrel and screw on the barrel nut, with no special tools required. I am not very technical, so it had to be very easy. Another thing I like about it this rifle is very lightweight.
In regards to bullets, the rifle takes .22 bullets but as my husband researched it, he was aware that this rifle does not work well with standard .22 bullets. We bought Mini mag 22 LR. These bullets are 1235 FPS (feed per second). I fired 50 rounds with these bullets and the rifle worked very well with no misfires. It was very easy to shoot, and at 25 yards, my shots were pretty close to the target.
I do not have any connection to the the manufacturer of the rifle or bullets, and I do not recommend anyone purchase a rifle without thoroughly investigating all the choices. If you are considering purchasing a rifle, please check out various brands and models and do extensive research before making a choice. For my target shooting purposes, the AR-7 worked fine.
I do love my AR-7. But, I am sending back to Henry this week because I have been communicating with them about the uncoated round mis-feeding issue. I will keep you in the loop if they are able to fix the issue or not.
Oh, and technically, the butt stock is not waterproof, it will let in water. Not that I recommended playing with it in the water unless you have to…
Hey Jack, That is good the the AR-7 folks are willing to try and fix it. I would be interested in finding if they are successful. Thanks!
The biggest issue with feed up hangs is that the barrel chamber isn’t chamfered enough and aftermarket magazines – especially the extended 15rd and magazines made by Triple K. I had this problem with a old Charter Arms AR-7 and a friends new Henry. We used a little JB Paste (rubbing compound) and a .308cal bullet and chamferred the (in basic terms) where the end of barrel gets connected to the receiver. Don’t over do it, but just enough to get rid of the roughness. His rifle has fired just fine since then using standard .22LR ammo – Federal Classic .22’s are hit or miss lately, we’ve had a lot of failure to fire with them in our .22’s from Ruger and Marlin.
FWIW, I have over 3000rds through my 20-some year old AR7, the stock is cracked – from over tightening it and wore out the original magazine but it still fires when I pull the trigger with everything from from 22 sub-sonics (these don’t work in semi-automatic mode) to the 22cal Mini-mags – which should be used sparingly due to the receiver being just a piece of forged aluminum.
Hi Jason, This sounds like a good fix, we’ll try it out. Thanks!
Ar-7 has been around for a long time.I had a Charter Arms version back in early 80’s it shot ok.But there has always been a problem with many of them not feeding properly.Short of sending them back,I would recommend trying different mags and or ammo until you find the combo that works in your gun. If you have one that works right they are a neat little gun. I have heard nothing but good about Henry Arms.
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Good start for a compact 22LR. I would also suggest that you look at a Ruger 10/22. You can pick one up new at Walmart or buy a used one from the trading post or gun store or pawn shop. They are with out a doubt one of the easiest Rifle to modify that you will find on the market. They are rugged and sturdy and will hold a much larger magazine than your survival rifle.
I just bought a Henry lever action 22 mag…kind of exspensive but a great little gun..Ive been thinking on an AR7 to add to my BOB for a few yrs now but keep reading about the problems with them…by what Jason said it sounds like a simple enough fix..wonder why Henry doesnt address it and put an end to the problem
Jack over at Suburban Survival Blog actually returned his AR 7 rifle to the manufacturer for a fix-they seemed very responsive according to his blog post. The fix does sound simple enough. Thanks for the comment.
Apartment Prepper and everybody else:
1. Does this weapon allow for a scope?
2. Bigus Macus, what magazine does a Ruger 10/22 hold?
Hello Armed and Prepping, the AR 7 allows for a small scope. Keep in mind, you will have to keep attaching and removing the scope each you use it, which may detract from the portability. There is no room for the scope in the rifle stock, you would to store it separately or elsewhere in your bug out bag. Hope this helps.