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Ar-7
- Thread starter uglydukwling
- Start date
I believe the Armalite and charter had issues with stocks cracking (due to being early polymers), as well as the charter extended 25 round mags being complete junk.
Good news is you don't see those ones so often and the Henry one is alright, its mostly a novelty rifle its not bad at what it does but some of the AR7 design elements don't really work that well.
Things I've notice with the Henry AR7 the front sight insert is plastic and likes to expand/shrink with the heat to the point where it can fall out.
Good news is you don't see those ones so often and the Henry one is alright, its mostly a novelty rifle its not bad at what it does but some of the AR7 design elements don't really work that well.
Things I've notice with the Henry AR7 the front sight insert is plastic and likes to expand/shrink with the heat to the point where it can fall out.
Yes there are differences between the different manufacturers of the AR-7. Parts may or may not be interchangeable depending on who manufactured the parts and who manufactured the rifle. The rifles have been manufactured by Armalite, Charter Arms, Survival Arms, AR-7 Industries and Henry Repeating Arms.
The first generation of Armalite is probably the most valuable. It can be identified by the brown stock and the serial number is on the right side of the receiver above the trigger guard. The serial number is not visible when the stock is attached. The second generation Armalite rifles have the multi colour swirl stock and the serial number is on the right side of the receiver in front of the trigger guard.
Some Armalite rifles were modified for the Israeli Air Force. They have a wire collapsing stock with a FN FAL type pistol grip. If I recall correctly they had 13" steel barrels and had flash hiders welded to them when the were imported back into the U.S. They are fairly valuable.
Charter Arms probably manufactured the most rifles. Henry may have produced more now. The Charter Arms rifles have foam in the stock and will float assembled or disassemble virtually forever. Reliability is questionable and often depends on the condition of the magazine. The feed ramp is on the magazine and the breach face is flat which results in FTF. The Charter Arms rifles can only carry one 8 round magazine when stowed in the stock. Many people modified the chamber by adding a small feed ramp to it.
Survival Arms made several versions of the rifle. The basic one had the standard stock that the rifle could be stowed in. The others came with tubular metal stocks, a collapsing and non collapsing version and barrel shrouds.
Henry Repeating Arms has produced four versions, possibly five versions of the rifle. The first rifles were manufactured in Brooklyn NY and the design is virtually the same as the Charter Arms rifles. This is the most unreliable version of the Henry rifle. The second version was manufactured in Bayonne NJ and the serial number is etched on the right side of the receiver. I can't remember if this version is the same as the Charter Arms or if this was when they redesigned the rifle. The third version is manufactured in Bayonne NJ but the serial number and model number is marked in white on the right side of the receiver. This version is the redesigned version and has the orange insert in the stock which can hold three magazine. Two in the stock and one in the receiver. This version also has a rail which permits mounting of optics. Henry uses a modified magazine which can be identified by the wire running up the side of the magazine. Henry also added a small feed ramp to the chamber. Henry rifles are not waterproof and will float for a limited time period. Disassembled they sink quickly. Assembled they float for a few minutes. There is no foam in the stock. The forth version has a modified trigger and hammer which reduces the trigger pull to about half of the original design. These rifles are manufactured in Rice Lake WI. There is apparently an upgraded barrel with a redesigned solid metal breach which would be the fifth version but I have not actually seen one yet.
There are two different bolt designs, bolts with extractor grooves and bolts without. This is one of the biggest differences. I can't say with 100% certainty which manufacturers had bolts with extractor grooves and some manufacturers may have made bolts with or without the groove. From the rifles I have examined Armalite has it. Charter Arms and Survival Arms do not have it. The Henry rifles from the 3 version onward have it. I have never examined a AR-7 Industries rifle or the 1st or 2nd version of the Henry rifle.
The extractor groove permits much easier disassembly of the rifle. Once the barrel is removed you can push back slight on the bolt and then remove the cocking handle. This allows the bolt, action springs and action spring guide to be removed out of the front of the receiver.
To remove bolts without the extractor groove the receiver side plate has to be removed. Then the magazine release and the extractor removed so that the bolt, action springs and action spring guide can be removed from the receiver. When you remove the side plate there is the risk that the hammer, hammer spring, trigger and trigger spring may become dislodged and the magazine release spring can be launched across the room. Reassembly can sometimes be challenging.
The first generation of Armalite is probably the most valuable. It can be identified by the brown stock and the serial number is on the right side of the receiver above the trigger guard. The serial number is not visible when the stock is attached. The second generation Armalite rifles have the multi colour swirl stock and the serial number is on the right side of the receiver in front of the trigger guard.
Some Armalite rifles were modified for the Israeli Air Force. They have a wire collapsing stock with a FN FAL type pistol grip. If I recall correctly they had 13" steel barrels and had flash hiders welded to them when the were imported back into the U.S. They are fairly valuable.
Charter Arms probably manufactured the most rifles. Henry may have produced more now. The Charter Arms rifles have foam in the stock and will float assembled or disassemble virtually forever. Reliability is questionable and often depends on the condition of the magazine. The feed ramp is on the magazine and the breach face is flat which results in FTF. The Charter Arms rifles can only carry one 8 round magazine when stowed in the stock. Many people modified the chamber by adding a small feed ramp to it.
Survival Arms made several versions of the rifle. The basic one had the standard stock that the rifle could be stowed in. The others came with tubular metal stocks, a collapsing and non collapsing version and barrel shrouds.
Henry Repeating Arms has produced four versions, possibly five versions of the rifle. The first rifles were manufactured in Brooklyn NY and the design is virtually the same as the Charter Arms rifles. This is the most unreliable version of the Henry rifle. The second version was manufactured in Bayonne NJ and the serial number is etched on the right side of the receiver. I can't remember if this version is the same as the Charter Arms or if this was when they redesigned the rifle. The third version is manufactured in Bayonne NJ but the serial number and model number is marked in white on the right side of the receiver. This version is the redesigned version and has the orange insert in the stock which can hold three magazine. Two in the stock and one in the receiver. This version also has a rail which permits mounting of optics. Henry uses a modified magazine which can be identified by the wire running up the side of the magazine. Henry also added a small feed ramp to the chamber. Henry rifles are not waterproof and will float for a limited time period. Disassembled they sink quickly. Assembled they float for a few minutes. There is no foam in the stock. The forth version has a modified trigger and hammer which reduces the trigger pull to about half of the original design. These rifles are manufactured in Rice Lake WI. There is apparently an upgraded barrel with a redesigned solid metal breach which would be the fifth version but I have not actually seen one yet.
There are two different bolt designs, bolts with extractor grooves and bolts without. This is one of the biggest differences. I can't say with 100% certainty which manufacturers had bolts with extractor grooves and some manufacturers may have made bolts with or without the groove. From the rifles I have examined Armalite has it. Charter Arms and Survival Arms do not have it. The Henry rifles from the 3 version onward have it. I have never examined a AR-7 Industries rifle or the 1st or 2nd version of the Henry rifle.
The extractor groove permits much easier disassembly of the rifle. Once the barrel is removed you can push back slight on the bolt and then remove the cocking handle. This allows the bolt, action springs and action spring guide to be removed out of the front of the receiver.
To remove bolts without the extractor groove the receiver side plate has to be removed. Then the magazine release and the extractor removed so that the bolt, action springs and action spring guide can be removed from the receiver. When you remove the side plate there is the risk that the hammer, hammer spring, trigger and trigger spring may become dislodged and the magazine release spring can be launched across the room. Reassembly can sometimes be challenging.
