Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer .22 LR Semi-Auto Survival Rifle — Floating, Takedown Design
This Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer is a lightweight, packable survival rifle designed by Eugene Stoner. The rifle disassembles in seconds, and every major component stows inside its watertight stock, allowing the entire package to float. Weighing about 2.5 lb and shrinking to just 16.5″ × 4.5″ when packed, it is a practical choice for pilots, backpackers, and emergency kits. Early Charter Arms production pieces like this A-prefix example showcase the classic black enamel finish.
Condition
Overall Condition: Fair condition, showing extensive signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Condition: Fair – Generally clean, some residue or smudges, slight corrosion.
Bore Rifling: Fair Rifling – Worn rifling, slight loss of definition.
Specific Condition Notes: The rifle remains mechanically solid, but the exterior shows widespread scratching, blemishes, and finish loss consistent with heavy field use.
What’s Included
- Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer rifle
The AR-7’s signature feature is its hollow Cycolac stock that stores the barrel, receiver, and magazine, forming a single, buoyant unit. This compact form makes it easy to slide into a backpack or survival kit without sacrificing reliability.
The 16″ steel-lined aluminum barrel secures via a knurled takedown nut. Once hand-tightened, it returns to zero with surprising consistency, supporting accurate repeat shots from the drift-adjustable front blade.
Charter Arms produced this Explorer marking the first era to offer factory finish options while preserving Stoner’s original sight layout. Unlike later Henry variants, there is no dovetail rail cluttering the receiver top, giving shooters an unobstructed sight picture.
The aluminum receiver and stock combined keep overall weight to roughly 2.5 lb, yet the rifle maintains an 8 + 1 capacity and accepts magazines made by five subsequent manufacturers—evidence of the design’s enduring parts commonality.
Controls remain straightforward: a heel-style magazine release, right-side charging handle, and semi-automatic action chambering inexpensive .22 LR, making this rifle both easy to operate and economical to shoot.