Gear Review Portable Survival Rifle

Semi-automatic portable rifle that weighs a mere 3-1/2 pounds and measures in at 16-1/2" long when broken down and stowed in its waterproof stock. US Air Force pilots have been toting AR-7s since 1959, keeping them tidily stowed in cargo compartments, ready for easy access should they need to punch out over a remote area Bear Grylls-style. Well, Bear Grylls-style if Bear Grylls didn't have the TV crews and alleged 5-star hotels on deck the moment the cameras stop rolling.

Henry forges its Survival AR-7 barrels from steel, and then covers them in ABS plastic. Both barrel and receiver are also coated in Teflon for complete corrosion protection in harsh environments, such as sand and salt water. The rifle's engineered design promises perfect balance and consistent tack-driving accuracy over the course of thousands of rounds.
Henry US Survival AR-7 models come in Black ($275) and Camo ($339.95) finishes. Both have adjustable rear sight and a blade front sight.

 

Yes i bought one about 6 mos. ago.Love the portability and light weight of it.It is also very durable and seems to stand up to everything i have put it through.I have put about 600 rounds through it without a glitch. I do a lot of squirrel hunting with this one and the accuracy is quite good once zeroed in.I recommend it but to each his own.

 

yqw

 

First semi-auto survival rifle I've seen, everything else seems to be single shot. I will check into one perhaps.

 

I've had a black one for 7-8 years and picked up one of the new camo ones this past year.

A lot of fun, compact and surprisingly accurate. comes with 2 10 rd mags.

 

The design has been around for many years mfg'ed under various names. I have had one or two, but you know how boat accidents are.

 

Might have worked 'cept the 5000 rounds of .22 rimfire ammo was in the same pack. Sometimes you just can't beat physics, and that stream was flowing so fast with all the snow melt only 'Da Lord knows where it all ended up.

 

they are going for 275 on buds
but i have seen them at walmart for 220$

 

I had an older (Charter Arms) AR-7 with the steel lined Au barrel. A real POS jam-o-matic. The sights were poor and the POI shifted each time the rifle was assembled. I traded it for a pair of (Marlin) Glenfield Model 25 bolt action rifles. I got the better part of that deal. Both are now long gone as well.

A Marlin Papoose is in the same price class as the AR-7 and is also a takedown. With the Marlin (70P) the POI doesn't shift as the front and rear sight stay on the barrel. Weight is about the same at 3.25 pounds with one 7 rd magazine.

The Ruger 10-22 (stainless) take-down, if you can find one, sells for $500+ and weighs in at a hefty 4.6 pounds empty

The regular 10-22 weighs in at 5.75 pounds. Listing for $289, they can be found on sale for a lot less. I've seen them go for as little as $170 at the local Big Box stores.

I've pared down over the years, my .22lr is one of Henry's nice mini-bolt 22s. It weighs in at just over 3 pounds and come apart with a single screw. Not a real take-down, but for a $75 used rifle, it's good enough for bunnies.

Anyone else looked at this Henry product?

 

im not a big gun fanitic so to speak but i have seen them and think they are pretty neat and a cool idea ...
Ive been meaning to pick one up ...
I just gotta sneak it past the old lady ...
I love 10 22 i have one and it always ends up in the yard with me ...

 

My personal experiences is AR-7's tend to be rather picky about which ammo you feed them. Accuracy at 50 yards variess by the definition of the owner. Build quality varies considerably. I've had two in my lifetime and wound up selling them each time.

Nice concept but the Marlin Papoose and more recent Ruger 10/22 takedown and far better when it comes to accuracy.

Both are more expensive but YGWYPF.

Just don't take them boating as neither floats.

 

no no it doesnt but if i see one ill let ya know ...
hell if they got one of them at wally world i buy u 1

 

Looks like a survival rifle to me...

Aren't all rifles portable...?

 

Slobber slobber, drool drool.

 

well shit then give me 1

 

I've been oogling the Henry for a while. I think I prefer the over-under (22 and .410 shotgun) concept incorporated by the Scout (M6 survival rifle, is it?), but for the time being I am rather satisfied with my old (pre-ban) Feather Industries AT-22 break-down rifle.

The AT-22 is quite light and breaks down as rapidly as the two aforementioned, being only slightly longer (by maybe an inch or two) when disassembled. I'd rate it as one of the better "backpack" rifles ever made (as far as .22LR's go... given that they can sometimes be flaky).

I dislike trigger guard safeties. That's my only qualm with the rifle. I began to realize what a horribly poor idea safeties inside the trigger guard are when I had to grab my gun in the dark due to an intruder. Disengaging the safety is easy, as it gets pressed in the direction opposite the trigger pull. Putting the trigger back on in the dark is the part I discovered I do not like. You have to pull the lever in the same direction as the trigger.... and that just looks like an accident waiting to happen should our finger ever slip.