ArmaLite AR-7

ArmaLite AR-7 - .22 LR

ArmaLite AR-7 in silver finish - .22 LR

Charter Arms AR-7 - .22 LR

Henry AR-7 (1998) - .22 LR

The ArmaLite AR-7 is a semiautomatic .22 LR takedown rifle based on technology developed for the AR-5 (USAF MA-1) air crew survival gun by the ArmaLite Division of Fairchild Engine & Airplane Corp.

The ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer was designed and marketed as a survival/backpack gun for campers and hunters due to its light weight (2.75 lbs or 1.25 kg) and compact size when broken down. The receiver, magazine, and barrel pack inside the buttstock. Like the AR-5, the AR-7 was designed to float if dropped in water. The basic sights are a peep rear adjustable for elevation and a front post adjustable for windage. The receiver is made of aluminum, the standard 8 round magazine of steel. Aftermarket magazines have been made in various capacities and of different materials.

ArmaLite began production of the AR-7 Explorer rifle in 1959 and later sold the rights to Charter Arms in 1973. Charter Arms produced the rifle and introduced a detachable 3/8-inch tip-off rail for scope mounts. Charter manufactured the Explorer II pistol version from 1980 to 1986. In 1990, Charter Arms sold the rights to Survival Arms who made the rifle up to 1997. Survival Arms then sold the rights to AR-7 Industries who continued production into the early 2000s.

When the patent expired in 1998, the Henry Repeating Arms Company reverse engineered the AR-7, maintaining backward compatibility, but with changes to the receiver and stock. Henry renamed their rifle the Henry U.S. Survival Rifle due to the changes. In 2007, Henry added a 3/8-inch tip-off rail integral with the receiver. The U.S. Survival stock holds the disassembled rifle with two magazines and a third optional in the receiver but is not as buoyant as the original. Henry's rifle is about 8 ounces (230 grams) heavier.

The ArmaLite AR-7 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Armalite AR-7

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
From Russia With Love	Sean Connery	James Bond	With scope, erroneously described as using .25 ACP ammo	1963
	Pedro Armendariz	Kerim Bey	With scope, erroneously described as using .25 ACP ammo
Goldfinger	Tania Mallet	Tilly Masterson	With scope	1964
On Her Majesty's Secret Service			Seen in Bond's car	1969
Violent City	Charles Bronson	Jeff Heston	With scope and suppressor	1970
Rage	George C. Scott	Dan Logan		1972
The Killer Elite	Robert Duvall	Hansen		1975
Futureworld	Peter Fonda	Chuck Browning/clone	Pistol based on AR-7 rifle	1976
Colt 38 Special Squad (Quelli della calibro 38)	Ivan Rassimov	Marsigliese	With sniper scope and sound suppressor	1976
Umbrella Coup (Le Coup du parapluie)	Gordon Mitchell	Moskovitz	Custom short-barreled version	1980
Firestarter	George C. Scott	John Rainbird	Appears as a tranquilizer dart gun	1984
Malibu Express		A hitman	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1985
Hard Ticket to Hawaii	Harold Diamond	Jade	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1987
	Ronn Moss	Rowdy Abilene
	Dona Speir	Donna
Night of the Sharks		A henchman		1988
Picasso Trigger	Roberta Vasquez	Pantera	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1988
Savage Beach	Eric Chen	Erik	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1989
Savage Beach	Al Leong	Fu	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1989
Do or Die		An assassin	Two-toned with customized barrel cover, hand grip and synthetic stock	1991
Return to Savage Beach	Eric Chen	Erik	Two-toned customized; footage from Savage Beach	1998
Assassin in Love	Damian Lewis	Milo 'The Baker' Shakespeare	With scope and suppressor	2007

Television

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Air Date
Get Smart (TV Series)	Don Adams	Maxwell Smart	Stocked like a "Tommy Gun" (modification from commercial T62 variant)	1965 - 1970
Kojak	Dan Hedaya	Dan Hudson	"A Hair-Trigger Away" (S4E7)	7 Nov 1976
Hawaii Five-O (1968) - Season 11	Rodney Philip Aiu	Assassin	"The Execution File" (S11E18)	1978-1979
Strike Force	David McCallum	ICE		1981
Magnum, P.I.		Juvenile Delinquent	"One More Summer" S02E17	1980 - 1988
Sledge Hammer!	Adam Ant	"Lionel Dasham"	Suppressed; "Icebreaker" (S02E12)	1986-1988
JAG - Season 2	Nanci Chambers	Meghan O'Hara	"Washington Holiday" (S2E09)	1997
Boston Legal	William Shatner	Denny Crane	"Hired Guns" (S01E10)	2004

Video Games

Game Title	Appears As	Notes	Release Date
World of Guns: Gun Disassembly	U.S. Armalite AR-7	modern version	2014

Anime

Title	Character	Note	Date
Lupin III: Voyage to Danger			1993
Case Closed: The Private Eyes' Requiem	Assassin	w/ scope	2006

Henry US Survival Rifle

Henry US Survival Rifle with stainless steel finish and M68 Aimpoint red dot scope - .22 LR

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
The Interpreter		Assassin		2005
Lord of War			With stainless steel finish and M68 Aimpoint red dot scope, seen on a wall	2005

Television

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Air Date
Law & Order: Criminal Intent		Assassin	"Assassin" (S7E14)	2008

Hy Hunter Bolomauser

Hy Hunter Bolomauser - .22 LR.

The Hy Hunter Bolomauser is a pistol version of ArmaLite AR-7 that was manufactured in the 1960s.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Murderers' Row	Dean Martin	Matt Helm		1966
	Karl Malden	Julian Wall
	Tom Reese	"Ironhead"

Preetz Model 65

Preetz Model 65 - .22 LR

Preetz Model 65 with pistol grip - .22 LR

The Preetz Model 65 is a clone of AR-7 that was produced by West German company Josef G. Landmann-Preetz (also listed as J.G.L.) in 1965-1975. The rifle was chambered in .22 LR and .22 WMR, with a variety of stocks in both sporting and military styles. Originally Model 65 was made with a flat-sided zamack receiver, later production changed the material to aluminum. JGL did not duplicate the AR-7 self-contained component stock. Total production was in excess of 39,000 Model 65s of all versions.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Angels of Terror	Günther Stoll	Dr. Ellis	With pistol grip, sniper scope and fake sound suppressor	1971
	Hansjörg Felmy	Inspeсtor Craig

Charter Arms Explorer

Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer - .22 LR

Charter Arms Explorer II - .22 LR

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Spy Hard	Alexandra Paul	Woman in murphy bed	Explorer II	1996

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City			AR-7 Explorer; unusable	2002
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas			AR-7 Explorer; unusable	2004
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades	"Explorer22"		Explorer II	2016

T-62 Civilian Defense Weapon

T-62 Civilian Defense Weapon - .22 LR

The T-62 Civilian Defense Weapon is a "Tommy Gun"-styled version of Armalite AR-7.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
The Ambushers	Dean Martin	Matt Helm		1967
		Guards
The Green Berets		Two Vietcong in assault		1968

Charter Arms Explorer

Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer - .22 LR

Charter Arms Explorer II - .22 LR

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Spy Hard	Alexandra Paul	Woman in murphy bed	Explorer II	1996

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City			AR-7 Explorer; unusable	2002
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas			AR-7 Explorer; unusable	2004
Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades	"Explorer22"		Explorer II	2016

Feather Industries AT-22

Feather Industries AT-22 with the stock folded - .22 LR

Video Games

Game Title	Appears as	Mods	Notation	Release Date
Combat Arms			Depicted as firing in full auto	2009

Pietta Bingham PPS-50

Pietta Bingham PPS-50 with 50 round magazine - .22 LR

The Pietta Bingham PPS-50 is an Italian semiautomatic rifle. Despite being similar to the PPD-40 and PPSh-41, is based on the AR-7 mechanism.

Film

Title	Actor	Character	Note	Date
Death Sentence			Seen in armory	2007

See Also

• ArmaLite - A list of all firearms manufactured by ArmaLite.

• Charter Arms - A list of all firearms manufactured by Charter Arms.