Henry AR-7

[KandyRedCoi]

mostly reviews seems to be negative

i heard henry has resolved most if not all issues but i might be wrong

are there any fixes? i really wanted this as a plinker as well as a pack gun
kinda hard to make it a survival gun if i cant even put a couple thousand rds thru it

the papoos is not self contained so its out of the question

[DippyPower]

I think you may have misunderstood me. If you want to put a few thousand rounds through it you can and they are fun to shoot. Mine has about 1000 through it now. I take it with me to the range most of the time, but I will only run about 50 rounds through it to practice then switch to my Marlin 795 because I did not buy the Henry as my primary plinking gun.

Here are some of the problems I see with the AR-7 as a plinking gun. First, it is oddly shaped and has a long length of pull compared to other .22s. Second, you have to make sure that you fully insert the magazine or you get feeding problems. Third, there is nothing to hold onto at the front of the gun besides the barrel or front of the receiver. You have to be careful holding onto the receiver as you can move the magazine enough to cause feed problems. With the barrel you have to be careful as it heats up with continuous firing. I have found it best to hold onto the barrel nut with my thumb and index finger and then use the rest of my hand to push against the receiver to bring the gun into my shoulder. Fourth the barrel is thin and will bend easier than those of other guns and there are no sling swivels so it is best to carry it any distance packed in the stock and in a bag/pack. If you can live with the limits of the design it is a great little gun.

[KandyRedCoi]

^gotcha!

i wonder if the feeding issues has been solved
on the "later/newer" models? or is it mostly from the magazines?

[bohoki]

i have a charter arms and my ramline magazines fitted for it fit really loose in the us survival from henry it seems there magazines front to back are longer my a milimeter or so and do not fit in my charter another reason i got rid of it

why have 2 of the same gun that uses different magazines

[pilote]

I have one of the current production ones and I like it just fine. If you want one get one. It is what it is. It is a trunk/plane/backpack gun. It is not a gun you take to the range to put a few hundred/thousand rounds through for fun. If you do get one, I am of the camp that recommends you should always put the barrel on the receiver before you attach the receiver to the stock.

If you search around there should be more threads about the Henry AR-7 in this section.

i have a current one too...you have stated the pluses and minuses of the henry ar7 quite succinctly; i bought mine and use it and i am VERY happy i have it as a choice...

many will buy one as a primary rifle and nearly all of them will be disappointed...to you who are considering one because it looks cool; DON'T...it's not an everyday rifle; put the same money into a 10/22 and you'll be much happier.

a satisfied ar7 owner is a multi-gun owner who knows exactly what the limitations of it are and to use it for certain situations...

[KandyRedCoi]

^true that, i have several 22, but if i like shooting this, ill probably shoot it often...is there a fix for the feeding issues from the barrel liner?

i guess another good option for a folding, light weight .22lr would be the KelTec SU22, but i havent heard much about them either, they dont breakdown as small as the Henry and is about 1.5lbs heavier...hmmmmmmm

[SVT-40]

About 15 years ago Federal Ordinance (Briklee Trading Co) had some Ex Israeli Armalite AR-7's which had been converted by the Israeli's to use as pilot seat back emergency rifles. The used a FAL pistol grip which had a recess for loose.22LR ammo which was held in by a rubber cap, a K-98 front sight hood and a Uzi sling. Extra magazines were held in a spring steel device which fit in the wire sliding stock butt. It all came apart with ball detentes. Pretty neat little rifles.

Another note. AR-7's are very ammo sensitive. If you get jams try another mfg and bullet type.

[bohoki]

i remember those here is a scan of my manual

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/ar7-1.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/ar-7-2.jpg

i love how it says "gun will not float"

[DippyPower]

is there a fix for the feeding issues from the barrel liner?

The barrel cover is steel where it attaches to the receiver. The easiest way to fix the feeding problem is to make sure you fully insert the magazine. According to the internet you can shape the the bottom of the chamber carefully to make it a smoother transition from the magazine to the chamber.
As SVT-40 if one brand of ammo does not work for you switch. Mine does not like Federal bulk packs, but Federal target loads, CCI, and Winchester work fine.

[k1dude]

I'd be all over those Israeli one's if they still made them! I'll bet the Israeli's also improved the reliability.

[KandyRedCoi]

^gotcha...thanks for the input...

[SVT-40]

i remember those here is a scan of my manual

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/ar7-1.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/bohoki/ar-7-2.jpg

i love how it says "gun will not float"

I have the same "manual". Did you buy a rifle?

[7.62 Charlie]

Here is some other options

Marlin papoose



Kel-tec SU-22



These aren't my rifles BTW

[mossy]

wow this thing is really nifty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmpy_PLZGic

[pilote]

here's how you avoid nearly all jamming on a ar7...never use bulk ammo.

cci minimags is my basic load; cci hypervelocity stingers and velocitors are sensational in an ar7, that stiff spring can handle it...

federal bulk and remington jam in mine...still doing research on cci blazer (cci's bulk bullets); it MAY work consistently for my purposes...