| Image | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Henry Survival Rifle (AR-7) | Check Price |
Although Eugene Stoner designed the Survival Rifle (a.k.a. the AR-7), it is quite different from the AR-15 we’ve all come to love. In fact, it almost couldn’t be any more different.
It can be disassembled and stored within its buttstock and is an ideal choice for pilots, hikers, and outdoorsmen who like to be prepared for anything.
It’s been catching my attention for quite some time, so I was very excited to receive word that we’d be getting one to review (shoutout to Henry for sending it). I couldn’t wait to shoot it, so I took it straight to the range and assembled it on the spot.
How We Tested
Since I don’t hunt, good old-fashioned range time was my avenue for testing. I took the Survival Rifle to my local indoor range and back near the woods to see how it handled varying rates of fire and different ammunitions and if it could be tossed around without worry and still functional perfectly.
Reliability
The rifle comes with two 8-round magazines, which is all I had, so getting a decent number of rounds down range took a while. However, I managed to run exactly 20 magazines or 160 rounds through it. I had relatively low expectations going into the reliability portion.
I used a wide variety of ammo, including 36-grain Winchester CPHPs, 40-grain Aguila CPRNs, and 40-grain CCI Standard Velocity LRNs. Out of the 160 rounds, I had one failure to feed with a Winchester CPHP round.
I shot it at varying rates of speed with no hiccups and even tossed it around (unloaded) on the grass and in the bushes, both assembled and stowed, and it would pick right back up where it left off.
Accuracy
Look, I’m no competition shooter, and I honestly don’t get to the range as often as I’d like, but when I say I was off the mark to start, I mean it! I didn’t even think to check the sight alignment before shooting, but I discovered that the front sight was significantly off-center.
After realizing this, I was able to adjust it by hand, but almost too easily. While it didn’t slide afterward, I would worry about it sliding through extended round counts.
However, this isn’t the type of gun that one would put 1,000s of rounds through, so it’s probably a non-issue or something a little bit of Loctite would fix. Regardless, I’d suggest you check the sights before packing it up to potentially rely on.
After adjusting, no pop can or target was safe within 25 yards.
Where To Buy The Henry Survival Rifle
[gm-product-table=https://www.gunmade.com/search/?keyword=henry%20survival%20rifle]
Features
The main appeal of the Survival Rifle is its portability, and it definitely delivers. Everything, including the barrel, magazines, and receiver, tuck perfectly inside the buttstock.
It’s capped off by a removable butt pad that helps it attain water resistance, but I would probably wrap some tape around the seam to attempt to make it closer to waterproof.
The receiver attaches off-center and features a bolt handle that needs to be pulled out to use and pushed back in to store. It’s an interesting little feature that shows the attention to detail paid.
The safety and magazine release function just as you’d expect. However, the safety doesn’t provide much tactile feedback or any sort of “click in place,” so I found myself double-checking it to see if it was indeed on or off. It’s not a big deal either way; it’s something I noticed when putting those 20 magazines through it.
With small game hunting being one of the most significant uses for the Survival Rifle, I would like to see the sights improved. The black front sight was a little hard to acquire quickly when shooting against a dark backdrop, and I’d likely paint it orange as I’ve seen some others have.
They do work, don’t get me wrong, but a minor tweak here and there would be appreciated.
Specifications
| Caliber | .22 LR |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 Rounds |
| Barrel Length | 16.1 Inches |
| Twist Rate | 1:16 |
| Stowed Length | 16.5 Inches |
| Overall Length | 35 Inches |
| Weight | 3.5 Pounds |
Pros & Cons
- Lightweight, compact, and easy to store
- Quick and easy to assemble
- Able to accept optics
- Surprisingly reliable
- Accurate once front sight was centered
- Camo patterns can help you mitigate your visibility in the outdoors
- The front sight was off-center and was hard to acquire in certain conditions
Accessories
Neither of these accessories comes with the Survival Rifle, but they make it feel like a complete package.
Henry Survival Kit and Carry Case
Who doesn’t want a little something extra to increase your survival chances? Henry offers a curated and pre-assembled survival kit with a surprising number of items.
Inside, you’ll find items such as a compass, fire-starting supplies, coffee filters, flexible tubing, a leak-proof bag, and various medical supplies, to name a few.
After I took it all out, I had difficulty getting it back in, but that speaks to how much Henry included in such a compact package.
The Survival Rifle could easily fit in a backpack to accompany you on a hike, but if you want a standalone case, Henry offers a perfect-sized one. I fit the rifle, survival kit, several boxes of ammo, and an optic in case I wanted to use one, plus I still had room to spare.
Conclusion
Take a glance back at the title of the article again…my answer would be yes!
I can confirm it’s not just a cool collectible. It’s not picky with ammo, and it has the potential for serious accuracy within reasonable distances. So, I can see it being worthwhile throwing in the bag before an extended hike or as a backup if you’re going on a weekend hunting trip.
If you’re looking for a backup rifle that can help your chances of survival literally, consider checking out the Henry U.S. Survival Rifle…see what I did there?!
As always, stay safe, train hard, and have fun.
