The US Survival AR7
Is this the ultimate survival gun?
The Henry US Survival AR-7 was designed in 1958 and put into production the following year, since its release, it has been adopted and modified by various countries around the world and still remains popular to this day with little change from the 1959 model. It always seems to pop up in discussions about survival guns and rightly so, but is it really the ultimate survival weapon?
When I use the term “survival gun” I’m referring to a firearm that would be the most useful when stuck in the wilderness, and not something you’d use to defend your home with or kill things in some kind of post-apocalyptic event. Here are the main features of the US AR-7 Survival rifle and why it’s one of the top contenders for the title of ultimate survival gun.
US AR-7 Specifications
Weight – 1.13 kg
Barrel length – 406 mm
Total length – 889 mm
Cartridge – .22lr
Magazine sizes – 8, 10, 15, 25
Action – Straight blow back Semi-automatic
Effective Range – 100 m
Muzzle Velocity – 1,080 to 1,280 ft/s depending on ammo type
Materials – Aluminum and plastic with a steel lined barrel and firing mechanism
US Survival AR-7 Advantages:
Weight – The average shotgun weighs around 2.7 kg (6 lbs) and the average hunting rifle weighs around 3.6 to 4.1kg ( 8-9 lbs), but the AR-7 comes in at a tiny 1.13kg. It lacks the firepower of larger caliber guns but when it comes to moving through the wilderness, its weight offers a massive advantage when compared to carrying a hunting rifle that’s three times heavier.
The other weight advantage that comes with this weapon is the ammo, with .22lr ammo weighing an average of 3.3 grams per round, which would make a rifle and 100 rounds come to a total of 1.46kg ( 3.21lbs ), less than half the weight of the average unloaded hunting rifle.
Size – The transport state of the weapon involves putting all the major parts of the gun inside the stock, reducing the overall length by almost 40cm. The stock is also capable of holding two extra 8-round magazines and the body can fit into the stock with an 8-round mag inside, giving a total of the entire gun and 24 rounds inside the stock. When in its transport state, the gun can easily fit inside any backpack and can even be carried in a waist-mounted cargo bag.
(.22 LR ammunition, small and light-weight but lacking in power)
Disadvantages
Power– The effective range of this rifle is 100 meters which is quite a good range for such a small gun and makes it possible to get within shooting distance of almost anything, but the problem isn’t necessarily getting close enough for a shot. The AR-7 fires .22LR rounds which are very small in comparison to pretty much any other gun, and certainly any other hunting rifle. This caliber is good for small game like rabbits and ducks, but it would struggle greatly to kill something large like a deer or boar. You “could” kill large game with it but the chances of getting a perfect hit, or several at range before it ran off would be very difficult indeed.
Durability and design – This gun is meant to be used as carefully as possible and can be considered very weak in comparison to most other firearms. Apart from the lining of the barrel and some internal components, the whole gun is either plastic or aluminum which aren’t exactly the strongest materials. Dropping this gun the wrong way could put an end to its use, with various stories of people claiming it’s a little too easy to damage.
The other main problem with its durability comes in the design, particularly the small piece of wire that runs up the side of the magazine which is very easy to bend, but without it the mag won’t fix into the body properly and no more semi-auto fire from then on.
Ammo – The ammo used in the gun can’t be just any .22LR ammo and must be premium quality round-headed ammo to avoid loading and firing problems. If flat-head ammo is used they can get jammed in the end of the barrel or have problems loading from the magazine.
Summary
In terms of a “stuck in the wilderness” firearm, the US Survival AR7 makes an excellent choice so long as you can look after it. Its weight with a couple of hundred rounds is still far below any hunting rifle or shotgun and the transport state makes it very easy to carry. It is also completely waterproof when packed into the stock and can easily survive being submerged or prolonged rainfall without water getting inside. It may struggle to bring down anything large, but it’s still capable of putting food on your wilderness table and if looked after properly, will serve the user well and for less effort than any other rifle.
