At one point during the time Charter Arms was making the AR-7 survival rifle they introduced a pistol version called the Explorer II. A lot of hobbyists and collectors- myself included- bought one, based on the Mauser Broomhandle-like appearance and the inexpensive price. It came with a 4", 6", or 10" barrel, though I seem to recall that mine came with two barrels.
The receiver wasn't identical to that of the rifle version in that you couldn't attach a shoulder stock, and the alignment lug for the barrel was different from that of the rifle version. This was to prevent someone from intentionally or accidentally mounting a shoulder stock on the pistol or attaching a short barrel to the pistol, either of which would have resulted in a violation of the National Firearms Act (and not incidentally the commission of a Federal felony.)
What many owners discovered was that the Explorer II pistol had all the faults of the AR-7 rifle, like problems with feeding and mediocre accuracy. In addition, it would fail to cycle reliably if you limp-wristed it. Still, it's a pretty neat pistol, and I can't help but wonder if it might sell well if Henry, who now make the AR-7, came out with an improved model. I'd sure buy one.
Do you know if the rifle and the pistol used the same magazines?
ReplyDeleteThey did. The guns were identical with the exception of the lugs on the receiver where the barrel attached, to prevent the user from attaching a short barrel to the rifle, and how the stock or grip attached.
ReplyDeleteI've recently gotten the pistol to go with my AR-7 rifle and they're fun to shoot---as long as I use the magazine that came with the rifle. Neither gun likes the mag that came with the pistol. The pistol's grip was empty, but I figured out it's missing a couple of parts to hold a spare mag in the grip. I got the parts from Numrich, but I'm not sure exactly how and where they go in the grip. I've searched the Web, but can't find a picture or instructions. Do you know where I could find either one?
ReplyDeleteAll I've found is the diagram at Numrich.
ReplyDeleteHow do you lock the bolt back to clean it
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTo clean either the pistol of rifle, remove the barrel, and push the bolt back with your finger until the cocking handle lines up with the point where the slot is enlarged and the handle can be pulled out. Pull out the cocking handle, and the bolt will then come out. To reassemble, reverse the steps.
Delete