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ArmaLite AR-7

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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Armalite AR-7 - .22 LR
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Charter Arms AR-7 - .22 LR
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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 then 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 introduced 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, 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
Case Closed: The Private Eyes' Requiem Assassin w/ scope 2006

Henry US Survival Rifle

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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

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 Hy Hunter Bolomauser 1966
Karl Malden Julian Wall Hy Hunter Bolomauser
Tom Reese "Ironhead" Hy Hunter Bolomauser

Charter Arms Explorer

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Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer - .22 LR
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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

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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

See Also

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