Ruger 10/22 Takedown Vs. Henry U.S. Survival AR-7

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mobgma

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Does anyone have a Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 22LR that can comment on it vs/ a Ruger 10/22 Takedown?

I was interested in purchasing the Ruger Takedown until I saw the Henry AR7. Sort of apples and oranges I know but I figured I might try something different from everyone else who rushed to buy the Takedown which I am sure is a great 22.

Can they even be bought here in Canada? Are there restrictions from it being able to be taken down to just the stock length at 16.5"?

Henry AR7

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http://www.henryrepeating.com/rifle-survival-ar7.cfm
 
The 10/22 takedown is pretty much a 10/22 with the ability to quickly remove the barrel, it takes any/all 10/22 mags and is compatible with most 10/22 accessories.

The henry AR-7 is legal in Canada, it's much smaller than the 10/22 takedown but the stock is bulkier and it's limited to factory 8 rnd mags. Older charter arms AR-7 15rnd mags do exist but they're hard to find. I've also found that it functions most reliably with high velocity loads.

IMO, the 10/22 is a more versatile gun if you're willing to sacrifice some compactness. If size is important, the AR-7 might be a better choice if you don't mind limited mag options/accessories.
 
You pay for quality - the 10/22 is the standard semi-auto .22 rifle; if the AR-7 was ever going to dominate the market, they would have done so starting forty years ago.

I have a 10/22 and recently handled an AR-7. I smiled and gave it back to the clerk, and left the store with my money in my wallet.
 
The Henry is great for it's intended purpose. It shoots great with Aguila sss 60 gr but they are not sold in Canada?

I have uesd the subsonic sniper 60 gr, with good success on alligators out to about 60yds. My limited experience with other rounds makes me believe accuracy falls off quickly after 45-50yds.

It will jam if very dirty or mag is inserted poorly or mag lips are worn/ bent.

A very handy tool that I kept on my atv while in the states.
 
I think both rifles have their ups and downs, I personally bought the 10/22 takedown, but I think the AR-7 has its niche where the 10/22 doesn't compare.

If you want a more portable 22lr semi, that is reliable and solidly built, get the 10/22 takedown. It is built more sturdy, has better magazines, better action, more accurate, and takes a lot of the standard 10/22 accessories out there. However all of this comes at a size and weight compromise in comparison to the AR-7.

The AR-7 is much more compact and light weight. Great for a bug out bag, or survival kit for a vehicle or for backpacking. But that comes at a cost of lighter and cheaper materials. There is a lot of plastic, and accuracy and reliability are not at the same level of a 10/22.

As other people have said here, also take a look at the Marlin Papoose 70pss. IMO its probably a good "in between" rifle compared to both of these, and might be even as good or better than the ruger as far as reliability and accuracy go. I was originally going to get the Papoose, but I decided I liked the flexibility of the 10/22 platform, and since I already have a 10/22 I could share magazines etc. I also like the bag the Ruger comes in alot.

One finally opinion if this matters at all, both the AR-7 and Papoose are ugly IMO, and the Ruger Takedown is a much better looking rifle.
 
Oh one other important thing I forgot to mention.

The AR-7 is very SLOW to put together, the 10/22 Takedown basically goes together as quick as you can pull it out of the bag. And what I also did was put a low profile picatinny rail that allows me to see my iron sights, along with a scope with QD rings. So it all packs away beautifully in the provided bag, and I have the option of a quick assembly and use of iron sights, or take an extra 10 seconds and clip on the scope. And it all holds together zero PERFECTLY!
 
mikeystew said:
Like the proverbial broken record... The marlin 70pss papoose really deserves to be included in this comparison.
Click to expand...

And, like the proverbial scratched cd, I will just say that I killed a Papoose inside of 4 months - Store did warranty me a new one, but I sold it off, as I was so unimpressed with the pot metal in the receiver. Bent out of true from my twig-like arms pulling back slightly on the magazine while firing, and ended up making the rifle a single shot, as the mag was no longer in line with the chamber, and a round would not feed.

The AR-7 was designed as emergency use rifle - Use it when your airplane crashes, until rescue, then throw it away.

I have yet to see / test one of the Ruger take downs, but if they are as good as the regular ones, they are far and away the best option, IMHO.

Your mileage may vary...
 
nelly said:
And, like the proverbial scratched cd, I will just say that I killed a Papoose inside of 4 months - Store did warranty me a new one, but I sold it off, as I was so unimpressed with the pot metal in the receiver. Bent out of true from my twig-like arms pulling back slightly on the magazine while firing, and ended up making the rifle a single shot, as the mag was no longer in line with the chamber, and a round would not feed.

The AR-7 was designed as emergency use rifle - Use it when your airplane crashes, until rescue, then throw it away.

I have yet to see / test one of the Ruger take downs, but if they are as good as the regular ones, they are far and away the best option, IMHO.

Your mileage may vary...
Click to expand...

It's a magazine, not a handle. Its not the guns fault you used it improperly.
 
I had the opportunity to look at the Henry AR-7 and compare it to my Charter Arms AR-7.
The Henry has a steel liner inside a synthetic tube in the barrel assembly, my Charter Arms has a steel tube encased in aluminum.
I know steel and aluminum react, so something has to put separate the two.
I would take the new Ruger 10/22 take-down over the AR-7 any day.
 
I owned both. I had the AR7 for two years. I was not bad, but it was a lot of plastic. It is kind of a novelty gun. I did a review and mine functioned well with just about any high velocity ammo, and was adequately accurate. The skinny metal barrel liner got hot real fast and then groups opened up. I was hoping to use it as a gopher gun when on work trips out west, but not with that bbl. The butt cover never fit completely right - still functioned but looked wonky. The front sight was plastic, and fell off. Henry warrantied very fast, but that made me look for a papoose. I tried to find one for a year. No luck. The trigger felt like sand was in it. The grip is fat and uncomfortable. The mag release is awkward. At the same time, it was an adequate emergency gun, but I wanted something more than adequate to take in the wilderness. I also like scopes, and a scope would not fit in the butt when it was taken down.

I bought a 10/22 takedown a month ago. I had it for two weeks and sold my AR7. That's my vote.

The 10/22 takes 10/22 mags, already have a bag full. I can get any part I need, and probably already have in my workshop. It is way more solid. The metal front sight had a sharp burr on the side, but I stoned it flat in a minute.

It shot great with the irons, but they were off by a few inches. Would not zero with a tasco mounted on the provided rail. I put a T1 Micro with a QD mount on it on a hunch and it shoots awesome.

The book says to snap the action closed a few times after assembly. This should say about ten times. If not, the first round or two is two to four minutes out, but then back on to zero. Tried it about a dozen times. Still holds zero.

It packs bigger than the AR-7, but is way more gun for not much more cash,weight, or space.
 
mikeystew said:
It's a magazine, not a handle. Its not the guns fault you used it improperly.
Click to expand...

I wasn't holding the magazine, but the lack of fore-end on the Papoose forced me to be in contact with the front edge of the mag. Thanks for telling me I don't know how to shoot: Do you even know me and my experience? Thanks for the assumptions. Would the vendor have warranteed it if I had abused the firearm? Would the manufacturer have agreed with the vendor, if it was not a systemic problem with the design?

Now, back to the OPs topic...
 
nelly said:
I wasn't holding the magazine, but the lack of fore-end on the Papoose forced me to be in contact with the front edge of the mag. Thanks for telling me I don't know how to shoot: Do you even know me and my experience? Thanks for the assumptions. Would the vendor have warranteed it if I had abused the firearm? Would the manufacturer have agreed with the vendor, if it was not a systemic problem with the design?

Now, back to the OPs topic...
Click to expand...

Look, I don't mean any offense. To be fair I was a bit overworked and stressed out the other day. Honestly I owned a papoose for years and the mag guide broke on me also after I dropped it accidentally. One of the little tabs that holds it in the action broke off and I didn't notice until weeks later when a piece fell out when I cleared the action.

It was a really cheap easy fix though. I ordered a new mag guide from WGP and installed it in all of 20 minutes. I also ordered an extra one as well as a buffer and action spring. I expect there to be necessary maintenance on these cheap semi-auto guns, it's like any cheap tool or machine, sometimes they need replacement parts. It happens.

It's a $239 rifle, after 5 years and thousands of rounds and countless camping trips it required an $18 part because I dropped it. I don't like pot metal either, but the fact is that's what you get for $239. And really, there are millions of marlin 795/70/70pss out there and you very rarely ever hear of someone having this problem.
 
If you want a gun (and can't live without a semi-auto)for regular use backpacking, get the Ruger.

I owned a Charter Arms AR7, and it wasn't a sad day when it went to the next owner. PITA thing would drop a mag on the ground at more or less random intervals, if you had contacted the release lever at any time earlier. To clarify, rather than dropping free immediately, it would hang there until it worked it's way the rest of the way clear of the lever, from being jostled as it was carried about. PITA single shot, when the mag couldn't be found. Stock felt like something out of a Disney cartoon. Not comfortable. Crappy barrel on mine would lea up if it got a bit warm, and wasn't great shakes for accurate when clean, either.
Live and learn.

The 10-22 I bought shortly after the AR7 went, is still a pretty solid running rifle. Zero parts input required. Sole change I made was to put on an identical factory stock that I had bought at a Salvation Army store for $2. Someones dog had chewed on it. But I wanted to drill a few holes in the stock, and didn't want to muck up the original one.

The 10-22 gets hosed out if it starts to get sticky, otherwise it gets run and wrung out, without any signs of slowing down.

I'd say that the Papoose bears looking at, even if there are known issues, supposedly.

Or skip it all and get an old Cooey single shot, or a new Cricket or similar little .22 to ride along on the backpack.

Cheers
Trev
 
trevj said:
If you want a gun (and can't live without a semi-auto)for regular use backpacking, get the Ruger.

I owned a Charter Arms AR7, and it wasn't a sad day when it went to the next owner. PITA thing would drop a mag on the ground at more or less random intervals, if you had contacted the release lever at any time earlier. To clarify, rather than dropping free immediately, it would hang there until it worked it's way the rest of the way clear of the lever, from being jostled as it was carried about. PITA single shot, when the mag couldn't be found. Stock felt like something out of a Disney cartoon. Not comfortable. Crappy barrel on mine would lea up if it got a bit warm, and wasn't great shakes for accurate when clean, either.
Live and learn.

The 10-22 I bought shortly after the AR7 went, is still a pretty solid running rifle. Zero parts input required. Sole change I made was to put on an identical factory stock that I had bought at a Salvation Army store for $2. Someones dog had chewed on it. But I wanted to drill a few holes in the stock, and didn't want to muck up the original one.

The 10-22 gets hosed out if it starts to get sticky, otherwise it gets run and wrung out, without any signs of slowing down.

I'd say that the Papoose bears looking at, even if there are known issues, supposedly.

Or skip it all and get an old Cooey single shot, or a new Cricket or similar little .22 to ride along on the backpack.

Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...
You can't compare the charter arms version to the improved Henry one.
 
Was just out in the bush with my buddies AR7. I was concerned when it jammed after every round with federal ammo but fed winchester super x with no jams. He carries it in a backpack when out for deer to use if he spots grouse. For his purposes the ruger seems too big. That being said I have several 10-22's and love them so just depends on your intended use.
 
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