Chapter 2. AR-7 RIFLE PARTS INTERCHANGE
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:26 pm
AR-7 RIFLE PARTS INTERCHANGE
Since it’s release by Armalite in 1959 the AR-7 rifle has been built by five manufacturers in the US and one in Argentina (Sistema de Armas .22LR Fire di Brenta). Two companies, Hy Hunter and Majestic Arms have purchased AR-7’s from manufacturers, modified them, and sold them to the public. The Israeli government bought some, modified them, and put them into the cockpits of fighter jets as survival rifles for their pilots.
AR-7 Rifle Time Line:
1952: Armalite is founded in a small shop in Hollywood, California by George Sullivan (patent counsel for Lockheed Corporation, and funded by Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation) and begins design and development of small, lightweight survival rifles for the US Air force.
1954: On October 1, 1954, the company was incorporated as the Armalite Corporation, becoming a subdivision of Fairchild. Shortly thereafter, Sullivan meets Eugene Stoner and hires him as Armalite’s chief design engineer and the AR-5, a bolt-action, take-down survival rifle chambered in .22 Hornet, was soon released.
1956: The US Air Force adopts the AR-5 as the MA-1. Although only 12 are purchased, Armalite is now recognized as an important designer of lightweight firearms.
1958-1959: Armalite develops the prototype of the AR-7 Survival Rifle for the US Air Force.
1959: The US Air Force does not adopt the AR-7. Armalite begins producing the AR-7 for the civilian market. These civilian sales help provide funding of what would become the AR 15 or ultimately, the M-16.
1973: Armalite sells the design to Charter Arms
1979-1980: Charter Arms develops the Explorer II pistol version
1988: Charter Arms gets new ownership, new name (CHARCO) and moves production to Ansonia, CT
1990: Charter Arms sells the AR-7 design to Survival Arms
1997: Survival Arms goes bankrupt, Henry Repeating Arms begins production of AR-7 rifles
1998: AR-7 Industries begins production of AR-7 rifles in Meriden, CT
2004: AR-7 Industries is purchased by Armalite and begins selling AR-7 parts on-line as AR-7.com
1997- present: Henry Repeating Arms continues to produce the AR-7
From 1959 to 1997 the AR-7 rifle remained basically unchanged and parts from all manufacturers could be interchanged without difficulty. This changed when Henry Repeating Arms began building AR-7 Survival rifles in 1997. Since that time HRA has made 4 major groups of changes that significantly impacted parts interchangeability. Now, not all parts will interchange into all variants, and, some parts for older versions are getting harder to find. That is the reason for the creation of this parts interchange.
NOTES. PLEASE READ:
In the 30+ years I’ve been dealing with AR-7’s, I have never had the opportunity to examine one from AR-7 Industries, Sistema de Armas or the HRA versions built at Bayonne and Rice Lake. If/When I finally do, I will update my information.
GENERATIONS:
Armalite AR-7’s. There were 2 series or generations of them. They were pretty much the same, but do have minor differences.
The early one had a Bakelite stock. The serial number was on the right side, toward the rear. When the stock was installed, it covered up the serial number.
The later generation had a cycloc plastic stock with kind of a swirl finish. The serial number is located in front of the trigger guard on the right side near the magazine.
Henry Repeating Arms AR-7’s. HRA began building AR-7 Survival Rifles in 1997. The first generation of HRA AR-7 Survival Rifle are almost exactly the same rifle as those built by Charter Arms. The only difference is the width of the receiver. Although the basic design and many of the parts are still the same, over the years HRA has made a lot of significant changes to this rifle. The changes have three things in common: 1. HRA NEVER announces any of the changes they make. 2. Each generation of HRA AR-7 typically has 3 or more changes made to it. 3. Over the years HRA has built the AR-7 in 3 locations: Brooklyn, NY (Gen. 1); Bayonne, NJ (Gen 2); and Rice Lake, WI (Gens 3 & 4). It seems every time HRA relocates, they make a generational change to the AR-7. The Rice Lake location has seen 2 generational changes.
BOLTS:
Bolts from Armalite, Charter Arms and Survival Arms AR-7’s are interchangeable.
Bolts from all HRA AR-7’s are interchangeable.
BUT:
Armalite AR-7 bolts have a groove (ejector cut) machined into them which allow the bolt to be removed from the receiver without removing the side cover and disassembling the entire fire control group (FCG).
Bolts from Charter Arms do not have an ejector cut. Bolts from these rifles cannot be removed without removing the side cover and disassembling the FCG.
Bolts from Survival Arms AR-7’s have an ejector cut.
Bolts from the HRA 1st Generation AR-7’s do not have an ejector cut. Bolts from these rifles cannot be removed without removing the side cover and disassembling the FCG.
Bolts from HRA Gen 2, 3, 4 AR-7’s have ejector cuts.
The photo above is of a Survival Arms AR-7 Bolt. The arrows indicate the ejector cut.
KEY TO INTERCHANGE CHART BELOW
Armalite 1st Generation = ARM1
Armalite 2nd Generation = ARM2
CHARTER ARMS = CA
SURVIVAL ARMS = SA
HENRY REPEATING ARMS GEN 1 = HRA1
HENRY REPEATING ARMS GEN 2, 3, 4 = HRA2,3,4
FITS ALL VERSIONS = SAME
ALSO:
1. In the chart below, HRA # is the part number as shown in Henry Repeating Arms catalogues.
2. If you read “From ARM1 to HRA1 will interchange. HRA 2,3,4 will interchange.” this means parts from the first group will interchange and parts from the second group will interchange, but parts from the first group and second group are different and will NOT interchange.
3. “Some visible difference.” means the part may have a visible difference from the original part, but it will function as the old part did.
4. “Slight modification” means that after some modification the new part will function as the original part did.
PARTS AVAILABILITY
As the chart above shows, many of the parts for today’s Henry Repeating Arms AR-7 will fit rifles going back to the original Armalite AR-7 and are available from HRA at reasonable prices. There are notable exceptions. HRA no longer makes barrels, firing pins, receivers, magazines or original 2-magazine-stocks for it’s first generation AR-7’s. Fortunately, there are some suppliers, notably AR7.com, who stock these items.
Since it’s release by Armalite in 1959 the AR-7 rifle has been built by five manufacturers in the US and one in Argentina (Sistema de Armas .22LR Fire di Brenta). Two companies, Hy Hunter and Majestic Arms have purchased AR-7’s from manufacturers, modified them, and sold them to the public. The Israeli government bought some, modified them, and put them into the cockpits of fighter jets as survival rifles for their pilots.
AR-7 Rifle Time Line:
1952: Armalite is founded in a small shop in Hollywood, California by George Sullivan (patent counsel for Lockheed Corporation, and funded by Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation) and begins design and development of small, lightweight survival rifles for the US Air force.
1954: On October 1, 1954, the company was incorporated as the Armalite Corporation, becoming a subdivision of Fairchild. Shortly thereafter, Sullivan meets Eugene Stoner and hires him as Armalite’s chief design engineer and the AR-5, a bolt-action, take-down survival rifle chambered in .22 Hornet, was soon released.
1956: The US Air Force adopts the AR-5 as the MA-1. Although only 12 are purchased, Armalite is now recognized as an important designer of lightweight firearms.
1958-1959: Armalite develops the prototype of the AR-7 Survival Rifle for the US Air Force.
1959: The US Air Force does not adopt the AR-7. Armalite begins producing the AR-7 for the civilian market. These civilian sales help provide funding of what would become the AR 15 or ultimately, the M-16.
1973: Armalite sells the design to Charter Arms
1979-1980: Charter Arms develops the Explorer II pistol version
1988: Charter Arms gets new ownership, new name (CHARCO) and moves production to Ansonia, CT
1990: Charter Arms sells the AR-7 design to Survival Arms
1997: Survival Arms goes bankrupt, Henry Repeating Arms begins production of AR-7 rifles
1998: AR-7 Industries begins production of AR-7 rifles in Meriden, CT
2004: AR-7 Industries is purchased by Armalite and begins selling AR-7 parts on-line as AR-7.com
1997- present: Henry Repeating Arms continues to produce the AR-7
From 1959 to 1997 the AR-7 rifle remained basically unchanged and parts from all manufacturers could be interchanged without difficulty. This changed when Henry Repeating Arms began building AR-7 Survival rifles in 1997. Since that time HRA has made 4 major groups of changes that significantly impacted parts interchangeability. Now, not all parts will interchange into all variants, and, some parts for older versions are getting harder to find. That is the reason for the creation of this parts interchange.
NOTES. PLEASE READ:
In the 30+ years I’ve been dealing with AR-7’s, I have never had the opportunity to examine one from AR-7 Industries, Sistema de Armas or the HRA versions built at Bayonne and Rice Lake. If/When I finally do, I will update my information.
GENERATIONS:
Armalite AR-7’s. There were 2 series or generations of them. They were pretty much the same, but do have minor differences.
The early one had a Bakelite stock. The serial number was on the right side, toward the rear. When the stock was installed, it covered up the serial number.
The later generation had a cycloc plastic stock with kind of a swirl finish. The serial number is located in front of the trigger guard on the right side near the magazine.
Henry Repeating Arms AR-7’s. HRA began building AR-7 Survival Rifles in 1997. The first generation of HRA AR-7 Survival Rifle are almost exactly the same rifle as those built by Charter Arms. The only difference is the width of the receiver. Although the basic design and many of the parts are still the same, over the years HRA has made a lot of significant changes to this rifle. The changes have three things in common: 1. HRA NEVER announces any of the changes they make. 2. Each generation of HRA AR-7 typically has 3 or more changes made to it. 3. Over the years HRA has built the AR-7 in 3 locations: Brooklyn, NY (Gen. 1); Bayonne, NJ (Gen 2); and Rice Lake, WI (Gens 3 & 4). It seems every time HRA relocates, they make a generational change to the AR-7. The Rice Lake location has seen 2 generational changes.
BOLTS:
Bolts from Armalite, Charter Arms and Survival Arms AR-7’s are interchangeable.
Bolts from all HRA AR-7’s are interchangeable.
BUT:
Armalite AR-7 bolts have a groove (ejector cut) machined into them which allow the bolt to be removed from the receiver without removing the side cover and disassembling the entire fire control group (FCG).
Bolts from Charter Arms do not have an ejector cut. Bolts from these rifles cannot be removed without removing the side cover and disassembling the FCG.
Bolts from Survival Arms AR-7’s have an ejector cut.
Bolts from the HRA 1st Generation AR-7’s do not have an ejector cut. Bolts from these rifles cannot be removed without removing the side cover and disassembling the FCG.
Bolts from HRA Gen 2, 3, 4 AR-7’s have ejector cuts.
The photo above is of a Survival Arms AR-7 Bolt. The arrows indicate the ejector cut.
KEY TO INTERCHANGE CHART BELOW
Armalite 1st Generation = ARM1
Armalite 2nd Generation = ARM2
CHARTER ARMS = CA
SURVIVAL ARMS = SA
HENRY REPEATING ARMS GEN 1 = HRA1
HENRY REPEATING ARMS GEN 2, 3, 4 = HRA2,3,4
FITS ALL VERSIONS = SAME
ALSO:
1. In the chart below, HRA # is the part number as shown in Henry Repeating Arms catalogues.
2. If you read “From ARM1 to HRA1 will interchange. HRA 2,3,4 will interchange.” this means parts from the first group will interchange and parts from the second group will interchange, but parts from the first group and second group are different and will NOT interchange.
3. “Some visible difference.” means the part may have a visible difference from the original part, but it will function as the old part did.
4. “Slight modification” means that after some modification the new part will function as the original part did.
PARTS AVAILABILITY
As the chart above shows, many of the parts for today’s Henry Repeating Arms AR-7 will fit rifles going back to the original Armalite AR-7 and are available from HRA at reasonable prices. There are notable exceptions. HRA no longer makes barrels, firing pins, receivers, magazines or original 2-magazine-stocks for it’s first generation AR-7’s. Fortunately, there are some suppliers, notably AR7.com, who stock these items.