I've been eying these too.

 

I have a friend who got one and he enjoys it. I've shot it but for whet shooting I do, I like my H001Y better - just a personal thing though. His AR 7 was a little finicky on ammo (but a lot of rifles are that way). His seems to like CCI MiniMags the best. He's put quite a few through his and I believe it's become better on some of the other ammo brands.

His only complaint was not so much the trigger pull but the "roughness" of the trigger itself on his finger. I suggested he put a piece of heat shrink tubing over the trigger and see what happened. He did and said that solution really worked out well for him.

The one thing I was amazed at was the accuracy of it. With the plastic sights I wasn't expecting too much but it shot really well. Once he got used to it, he had no problem at 50 yards with taking out pop cans, etc. I can see where they would be handy for someone who like to hike, camp, etc.

Glad to hear you like yours - have fun with it and let us know how it works with various ammos if you can. Enjoy! :bthumb:

 

Have a blast when i shoot my Henry AR-7, granted and i understand that it is not an everyday 22 like a 10/22 or anything else. it does what it is suppose to do. And i agree it is an surprisingly accurate at short distance....:bthumb:

 

This Is A Serious Question If Anyone Can Answer It.

I own a Charter Arms AR-7. These earned the deserved nickname jam-o-matics. From all that I've read Henry has almost entirely fixed this problem by redesigning the breech area of the barrel and some improvement in the design and manufacture (especially the feed ramp area) of the 8 round magazine.

It says right on Henry's web page that parts from Henry AR-7s and PRIOR manufactured AR-7s ARE interchangeable. This answers ONE of my questions.

I live in NJ and was contemplating buying a Henry AR-7 along with all the crap I would encounter buying a new rifle in NJ. Contemplating these factors caused the following plan to gel in my head:

1. The Henry improvements are in the Barrel and magazine.
2. I can buy Henry barrels and magazines....No FOID required!
3. By doing this I will have a Henry/Charter hybrid that will WORK. (Good as Henry)
4. Finally, a lot CHEAPER than buying a NEW HENRY AR-7.

I cannot fault my logic. If any of you see any flaws in my logic please point them out. I mean that sincerely.

-G-

 

I own a Charter Arms AR-7. These earned the deserved nickname jam-o-matics. From all that I've read Henry has almost entirely fixed this problem by redesigning the breech area of the barrel and some improvement in the design and manufacture (especially the feed ramp area) of the 8 round magazine.

It says right on Henry's web page that parts from Henry AR-7s and PRIOR manufactured AR-7s ARE interchangeable. This answers ONE of my questions.

I live in NJ and was contemplating buying a Henry AR-7 along with all the crap I would encounter buying a new rifle in NJ. Contemplating these factors caused the following plan to gel in my head:

1. The Henry improvements are in the Barrel and magazine.
2. I can buy Henry barrels and magazines....No FOID required!
3. By doing this I will have a Henry/Charter hybrid that will WORK. (Good as Henry)
4. Finally, a lot CHEAPER than buying a NEW HENRY AR-7.

I cannot fault my logic. If any of you see any flaws in my logic please point them out. I mean that sincerely.

-G-

I'm going to try to answer your question. I have a Henry Survival that I bought new in 2006. I also have an Armalite AR-7. I have taken both of them apart and have the parts positioned side by side on my desk.

1. The AR-7 bolt diameter is 0.870 and the Henry bolt diameter is 0.892. The Henry bolt WILL NOT fit in the AR-7 receiver. So, NOT ALL PARTS ARE INTERCHANGABLE!!! I suspect that the bolts are different weights but do not have a way to accurately measure them.

2. The Henry recoil springs are much different. They are 4" long and made of about 0.023 wire. The AR-7 springs are 4 3/8" long and made of abut 0.026 wire. Don't know if they are made of different wire or not. The AR-7 springs also have about twice as many coils per inch as the Henry springs. I guess I knew this about the springs but had forgotten it. I think that lighter springs might be key to improving operation of the older guns. My Henry has never given me any trouble but the AR-7 has. I might try swapping out the recoil springs in the AR-7 and see what happens.

I can see no other major differences. I do know that stocks, barrels, mags, and bolt handles are interchangable.

Hope this helps.

 

Good luck !! ^^^^^^

Let us know how this all works out, stranger things have happened.

Wet

 

Exactly :bthumb:

 

I will cast another vote in favor of the Henry version of the AR7. Mine had a problem, after many years, with light primer strikes. Henry stepped up, fixed it in short order and it shoots up my small supply of ammo too easy....accurate too!
FM

 

Hope you enjoy your new Henry. I enjoy mine. Lot's of things you can do to them. My apologies for stepping on your thread.

 

I'm hoping to get to shoot mine a little more this weekend. I just got home from my gun pusher and picked up my second MP-15 S&W. Hoping for decent weather tomorrow.

 

I would be careful when trying to use HenryAR-7 parts in other brands of AR-7's. Some parts will interchange, but only with some hand fitting. Our magazines will probably need to be fitted inorder to work due to a magazine catch that has been slightly changed.
In general I don't recomend using our parts in "other" Survival Rifles.

Kenbo1

 

I see that you are a gunsmith for Henry Arms. I guess you are the "go to" guy for accurate answers. Since everything I've read concerning the jams with Charter Arms AR-7s had to do with the magazine/breech interface and also from what I've read, this is the area where Henry has made their major corrections, you can see how a layman like myself might assume that my problem might be resolved by replacing barrel and/or magazine and thereby salvaging the AR-7 I already have.

Even though I speak only for myself I suspect there's a lot of Charter Arms AR-7 owners out there who might like to know if their current rifle is salvageable without going through the time, expense, and in some states the red tape and inconvenience of purchasing a new rifle.

You point out the possible incompatibility of the Henry magazine and the magazine well and attachment systems of other manufacturers. This is a good point and I thank you for it. I will start small. I will purchase only one Henry AR-7 magazine and see how it does (if at all) in my Charter Arms AR-7. Even if it doesn't work I can save it for use when I'm forced to buy a Henry.

Thank you for your input.

-G-

 

Yes. I will share them EXACTLY later tonight.

-G-

 

Has anybody here ever mounted a Henry AR-7 barrel and/or used Henry magazines on a Charter Arms AR-7?

If so, could you share your experiences as to whether or not there were any improvements and/or changes in either direction?

Henry has told me that they have sold barrels and magazines separately but did not offer any opinion as to results.

-G-

 

What's a AR-7?

I thought I knew all Henry products. What is a Henry AR-7??

 

http://henryrepeating.com/rifle-survival-ar7.cfm

Henry has been producing a derivative of the original Armalite AR-7.

 

I guess I'm just getting old! I know about this gun. Just didn't remember the AR designation.

 

Quiet

I love my Henry Survival Rifle...the first time I took it to the indoor range it was so quiet that I wasn't sure that it worked (of course, virtually no recoil). Everybody at the range thought it was very cool. It probably just seemed quiet since all the 45/40/357/9mm 'cannons' going off in the other lanes.

 

I've always liked the idea behind the AR-7. A LGS had a sale on all guns for Father's day so I bought the Henry. Hope to try it next week.

 

Watching this intently. I'm very interested in the Henry AR-7 and want to know others' experience with it before I purchase one.

 

...know what you want to use it for and it's limitations; and when you're good with that, then get a Henry AR7...it does not excel as an everyday plinker

 

...anyone do a mod to get a fiber optic front sight on this? i'm figuring out something that works and still get it into the stock...i think one with that peep sight would be a nice improvement...

----

the base of many aftermarket front sights have a "wedge"; though the ar7's sight is also a wedge, it is much larger/wider...i'd have to go somewhere that had a large selection of them so i could at least eyeball them for a fit; not so easy for me...

 

Let us know if you figure it out, I would like to try it out also.... :bthumb:

 

Sorry I keep posting the same photo, it's the only one I have, I had no problems with reliability with my Henry but I never really liked the fat stock.
I wish Henry would make a solid but slimmer stock as an after market goodie.
You could still use the original if you are going camping/canoeing etc.

 

Regarding stocks, over time several people have made stocks for the AR-7, one was Majestic Arms who made a complete package of stuff. Another was a fellow by the name of John Cook, another was muttmotorpool.com but the AR-7 section is strangely gone. They had beautiful and unusual stocks but the workmanship justified prices beyond the gun price and they quit. But they had the photos up for ages so that people could get ideas how to make their own.

I also have these email addresses for stocks but now i cant remember which is which and who is who
otterc@earthlink.net
k6ero@cox.net
Maybe its John Cook?

On the topic, if anyone wants slings and bags for the AR-7, look for Slim River on eBay.

 

i keep/store my ar7 in a form fitting (almost lol) slip case called the "Survivster" which i got off ebay awhile back...has molle clips that i can attach to the back of a pack.

also bought the "Slim River" sling and use that in conjunction with the Survivster case...it works ok; i can carry the ar7 in different ways and it's protected from getting banged up...

we don't have many carry options to choose from, so i think i got the best available that works for me...

 

i keep/store my ar7 in a form fitting (almost lol) slip case called the "Survivster" which i got off ebay awhile back...has molle clips that i can attach to the back of a pack.

Getting my Henry AR-7 next week. Can't find any info about the "Survivster" of which you speak. Can you tell me who makes it, or have pics?

 

I highly recommend the Henry U.S. Survival Rifle. I also call it the "AR-7" but that designation really belongs to Charter Arms who made an inferior product.

I have put thousands of rounds through my Henry AR-7 with few, if any problems. The firearm is easy to maintain and clean. It is remarkably accurate. It takes a lot of hard use. Everybody on the range agrees: it's a FUN rifle to shoot. The people who really like it, do so because it is so light weight.

There are some nuances you need to be aware of. After about 32 rounds, the barrel warms up and the barrel screw loosens. This problem is especially noticeable on indoor ranges during the winter time when your AR-7 gets cold from being stored in your trunk. You'll know when it happens! Suddenly, you won't be able to hit the broad side of a barn. Check the barrel screw and don't be surprised if its loose.

There is a plate on the receiver housing that is held in by a screw. It tends to come loose under the same kind of winter conditions. If your Henry starts mis-feeding, check it. Have a small screwdriver or gun tool handy and tighten it up.

The rifle butt cap tends to come loose after hard useage. I've beefed up the seal with plumbers' tape. This works fine at room temperature. Unfortunately, if my AR-7 has been sitting in the sun for any length of time, even the plumbers' tape won't help.

If your AR-7 has been sitting in the sun (while packed in its stock) don't hold it with the butt cap down when it's packed. Use some duct tape to hold the butt cap on if it's going to be in the sun for a while. Or carry it in a small carrying case, backpack, toolbox or whatever. Perhaps someone will have a better tip for dealing with this.

All in all, the Henry AR-7 is a great firearm and lots of fun to use on the range. I'll take it over a Ruger 10/22 take-down any day because it's lighter, floats, takes punishment and cleans easily in the field. I can put a sling around my Ruger 10/22 and call it a day if I'm taking it into the field. For real portability and overall survivability, I'll take my Henry AR-7.

 

There are some nuances you need to be aware of. After about 32 rounds, the barrel warms up and the barrel screw loosens.

Actually, that's more a function of dry threads and vibration. Put some anti-sieze or heavy grease on the threads: that should enable you to
1: tighten the nut more reliably [0] &
2: fill the gaps btw the male & female threads so that they don't act as a ratchet from the vibration coming thru when firing the bullet & the bolt bouncing off the end of the barrel upon returning to battery.

There is a plate on the receiver housing that is held in by a screw. It tends to come loose under the same kind of winter conditions.

This is why they invented Loc-Tite...

If your AR-7 has been sitting in the sun (while packed in its stock) don't hold it with the butt cap down when it's packed. Use some duct tape to hold the butt cap on if it's going to be in the sun for a while. Or carry it in a small carrying case, backpack, toolbox or whatever. Perhaps someone will have a better tip for dealing with this.

Get some white spray paint & spray the butt a color that will reflect more light? [IE, decrease absorption, which turns to heat...] There's always the solution of not leaving the broken-down rifle lying around in the sun & storing it in your pack where it belongs...

Good tips from real-world experience there, thanks! :bthumb:

[0] Not "gorilla tight," just consistently snugged up.

 

Hi skeeve. Nice to meet you.

I've tried gun oil on the threads. That seemed have no impact. I've always relied on "presence of mind" to just remember to check the barrel screw. I'll try a more viscous lubricant. Do you have any recommendations.

I've never used Loc Tite for fear it will Lock TOO tight. The receiver plate is rarely, if ever a problem in the summer. In the winter, it's assured to come loose so I'll give Loc Tite a try.

I don't plan on spray painting my AR-7 white. I might try to seal the butt cover by adding some more plumbers' tape.

You mentioned something interesting about the Henry AR-7. It DOES vibrate when a round is fired.

 

i still like my little, Henry ...It does exactly what it is suppose to do. I do like the Slim River sling that was posted earlier and I am going to buy me one here soon. I do enjoy reading about The little things people do to there AR 7 ....:bthumb:

 

My Henry arrived today (purchased off ARMSLIST), and have already ordered the Slim River sling. Looking forward to trying this thing out... soon!