Another fix for my addiction.

[puma guy]

It's been almost a month since I acquired my last gun and I just couldn't help myself. Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer .22LR. The first commercial AR semi-auto firearm AFAIK. The AR-5 was a bolt action. This has been on my list since the 1960's when they were made by ArmaLite and I almost bought the Charter Arms version when they came out. Found this one on GunBroker and it's in pretty good condition except some scratches on the plastic butt stock that you can see in the photo. I think they will buff out if I can find the right compound. Everything fits in the butt stock and it floats. They make excellent survival rifles, though I doubt I'll ever need it for the apocalypse, I can take it off my bucket list.
Looking forward to getting it to the range for a test.

[mot7981]

Ah yes, we all have that itch we have to scratch. I had one of these many years ago but it seemed to be picky about ammo so I ended up getting rid of it. I do like the idea of a compact takedown though so a while back I picked up an old Marlin Papoose. It's a little rough around the edges but it's very reliable and shoots straight. Let us know how your fix does at the range and I hope you enjoy it.

[Middle Age Russ]

Congrats on your acquisition. I have a hard time justifying another .22 right now (good problem to have, I guess). We picked up a 10-22 takedown to fill the rimfire takedown role, though my Marlin 39 Century Limited also breaks down into a pretty small package.

My recent addition was a Kel-tec Sub 2000 (M&P version) in 9mm, along with a mount and red dot sight. It uses the same mags as some of our pistols and folds to fit in a laptop bag for non-descript carry. Another niche filled...

[puma guy]

Congrats on your acquisition. I have a hard time justifying another .22 right now (good problem to have, I guess). We picked up a 10-22 takedown to fill the rimfire takedown role, though my Marlin 39 Century Limited also breaks down into a pretty small package.

My recent addition was a Kel-tec Sub 2000 (M&P version) in 9mm, along with a mount and red dot sight. It uses the same mags as some of our pistols and folds to fit in a laptop bag for non-descript carry. Another niche filled...

I have a fetish for .22 rimfires. I haven't found a bargain on a Papoose yet, but if I do I'll probably get one. I have a Marlin 39 Mountie and two Winchester 62A pumps that are all take downs , but truly don't fit the same niche of the Papoose and AR-7 and maybe even the 10/22 Take down. The Browning SA-22 is on my list as well and I kick myself for passing on some in the past. A Ruger 10/22 is also on my list. I have to say that back in the day when I sold guns Marlin semi-auto .22 rifle sales outnumbered at least Rugers 50-1. Proportionally I had more problems with Rugers than Marlins. Most of the Ruger issues were magazine related and many were user driven. I remember sending two 10/22's and one Ruger .44 Mag Carbine back for warranty repair. The only Marlin SA I recall coming back had an ejector problem and I was able to fix it. I posted about the (John) Wayne Repeating Arms .22 SA prototype that was designed to compete with the 10/22. a few days ago. Never made it to the market place.
My most recent "fix" prior to the AR-7 was a Winchester 490 .22 LR self loader patterned after their Model 100 center fire rifle.

http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... s#p1184957

[Jeff B.]

Nice pickup. My weakness is for WW2 era (=/-) bolt actions. I watch various forums, but I haven't seen anything lately to open the wallet. I think the last gun I bought was in the spring, a VP9.

I'm also putting up money for a new truck, which cools my impulses a bit.

Jeff B.

[Middle Age Russ]

I too have a bit of a fetish for rimfire rifles. Currently we have three 10/22s, one of them a takedown version, an S&W 15-22 and the 39 Century Limited (short octagon barrel and straight grip). In the past I also had a Remington 572 pump actions and a bolt action Savage Mark II FVT. I definitely want to get a Winchester 62 or clone sometime. My great uncle always had one sitting on the front seat of the truck on the farm, but that went to my cousin.

My uncle had a Charter Arms AR-7 similar to yours, and I remember taking it out right after he got it. They are certainly neat little guns, but the barrel can get a bit uncomfortable if you shoot a decent amount of ammo through it in a short time. SInce everything stores in the stock and the whole package floats, it is quite a unique design. His ran pretty well and was certainly accurate enough to use to put meat in the pot in a survival situation.