Battle of the Best 22 Survival Rifles: Henry AR 7 vs. Marlin Papoose

By Terril Hebert

U.S.A. –

Henry Survival Rifle

The Henry Survival Rifle is an updated version of the famed Armalite AR-7 and from now on I will refer to this rifle as an AR-7. Eugene Stoner initially developed a similar rifle for the United States Air Force in the 1950s and soon marketed a semi-automatic 22 LR version to the civilian market. After an unsuccessful stint with quality issues under Charter Arms ownership, the rights to the AR-7 passed to Henry Repeating Arms about twenty years ago. Their rifle has a composite stock where the guts of the rifle–the barrel, aluminum receiver, and up to three magazines may be stored. There are no extras to come with this rifle. The receiver is fastened to the stock via a captive bolt in the pistol grip. The barrel nut is screwed over exposed threads, like the Papoose and the rifle is ready to go. The barrel is made with a steel sleeve and a polymer shroud. The bolt, telescoping charging handle, safety, and trigger are made of a black-finished carbon steel. The AR-7 ships with two eight-round magazines.