So, at the construction level, it was necessary to prevent the installation of a short pistol barrel on the rifle, and also to deprive the pistol of the possibility of mounting the butt. Despite the maximum unification of the rifle and pistol, it was necessary to exclude the interchangeability of some parts. In this case, however, the designers of the Charter Arms had to take into account the requirements of the American weapons legislation. The specific characteristics of the rifle, associated with the use of a low-power cartridge, made it easy to convert it into a short-barreled sample of another class. By the early eighties on the basis of a self-loading rifle Explorer decided to develop a small-caliber pistol. However, the desire to increase sales and expand its presence in the market soon led to the emergence of a new weapon based on the existing sample. The original project was finalized only from a technological point of view. The new manufacturer collected these weapons until the early nineties.Ĭharter Arms produced AR-7 rifles without significant design changes. In the same year, the first production articles of the Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer rolled off the assembly line. The AR-7 project documentation was sold to Charter Arms, which wished to establish its own production. However, the production of such weapons has not ceased.

AR-7 interested potential buyers and went into a large series.ĪrmaLite continued to produce AR-7 rifles until 1973, after which it decided to focus on other samples. This product retained the layout and basic performance of the previous AR-5 / MA-1 rifle, but was distinguished by the presence of simple automation and used the more popular ammunition. Not wanting to lose successful groundwork, ArmaLite reworked the existing project, and in 1958, the AR-7 Explorer self-loading rifle was launched to the market.

Charter arms serial number date