The AR-7 design has bounced between a few different folks. ArmaLite was the original producer, but ended their run in 1973. Charter Arms picked it up, and after they folded, it landed at Henry, who still produces the Henry Survival Rifle. Charter Arms didn’t just produce a rifle, but they also produced a pistol version known as the Explorer II.
The History of the Explorer II
The Explorer II was produced from 1980 to 1986. Armalite originally called their rifle the AR-7 Explorer. When Charter Arms produced the AR-7, they also called it the Explorer. The Explorer II was the sequel. Charter Arms produced it to help invigorate sales after their version of the Explorer saw a dip.
This wasn’t the first AR-7-based pistol that looked a bit like a broomhandle Mauser. Herters and Hy Hunters produced the Bolomauser using the AR-7 action. I can’t help but think Charter Arms was inspired by the old Bolomauser when you look at the Explorer II.
The Explorer 2 – Inside and Out
Inside the receiver, the guns appear to be identical to any other AR-7. They use the same magazines, and the magazine design hasn’t changed in all those years. They are fairly simple blowback-operated designs that feed from eight-round single-stack magazines.
The Explorer II shortens the barrel, uses a pistol grip, and replaces the peep sights with an adjustable open sight. Much like the AR-7, the barrel pops right off. Charter Arms produced three barrel lengths: a six-inch, an eight-inch, and a ten-inch barrel length. I have the six-inch and eight-inch barrels.
Charter Arms was exceedingly cautious to make sure no one could produce an SBR from the Explorer or Explorer II. The AR-7 famously breaks down. The stock and barrel detach from the receiver. The entire gun could be stored in the stock as a compact survival rifle package. They took precautions to make sure no one ran afoul of the ATF.
First, the rear of the pistol is redesigned so you cannot add a traditional AR-7 stock. Second, the Explorer II’s detachable barrels are slightly redesigned with the notch and peg design inverted, so Explorer II barrels only fit the pistol. You can’t swap barrels between the rifle and pistol designs. Well, you might be able to, but the pistol’s iron sight will be upside down.
The simulated walnut grip allows you to hold a spare with an eight-round magazine. It drops in, and a heel release locks it into place. Charter Arms made a rare and expensive side-mounted scope mount. Ebay shows them for between $300 and $400.
If you want a full rundown of this gun’s history, I advise you to check out Sam S.’s article on All Outdoor. Anything I write beyond this point would just be rehashing his fantastic work. He has two articles on the subject: here, and here.
Shooting the Charter Arms Explorer II
The Charter Arms Explorer II has a long history of failures and frustrations. I was speaking with a group of firearms writers, and my friend James Maybrick said something I agree with. “It’s the gun that ruined the AR-7’s reputation.”
I have to agree. This thing sucked. I cleaned the gun and lightly lubed it, since over-lubbing can be a problem. I used only high velocity ammo, and damn, I can’t get it to run. The magazine is the feed ramp, and my magazine looks fine. I spent a ton of time fixing malfunctions with maybe three magazines out of dozens running completely.
The Explorer II ran best when I loaded only five rounds of ammo into the magazine. Even then, it still had issues. A big issue was failures to feed. The rounds would slam too high and catch the top of the receiver. This bent the rounds.
Following that, we had a handful of cycling issues with failures to eject and a few failures to extract. I tried Federal AutoMatch, CCI Mini-Mag, and Blazer. None of it ran reliably.
Shooting Straight With the Explorer II
Another issue was accuracy. While trying to group the gun with both barrels at 15 yards, I got a 4-inch group. Kind of. I fired eight rounds, and four of them landed on paper to measure. The other four. I don’t know where they went. I’m not pro, but I can hit a piece of paper at 15 yards.
I noticed that when shooting at a fairly large steel target at 25 yards, three or four would hit, then one would go wild, off the steel and into the berm, and the next rounds would hit. We are talking about a six-inch deviation at times. Again, I’m not a pro shooter, but I don’t have six-inch deviations with any other gun.
I’m thinking the rough entry into the chamber damages the bullet or is likely loosening it in the case, and creating accuracy issues. I ensured the barrels were tightly secured and installed correctly.
I hand-loaded a round at a time directly into the chamber, an action which made me wish I had three hands; I got more consistent accuracy. Enough to create a three-inch group at 15 yards on paper with eight rounds. Something’s going on, but I’m not enough of a gun plumber to say for sure.
I kept trying to shoot and get the gun to work, but eventually the bolt would not retract. It barely moved, so I called it a day. Later that night, I removed the grips and side plate of the gun, and wouldn’t you know, a case found some way to get behind the bolt and into the gun’s internals.
How did this happen? I have no idea, but hey, it’s certainly something I’ve never seen before.
Han Shot First
I’m not done with the Explorer II. I want this gun to run right because it’s a fantastic combination of a Mauser, a Han Solo Blaster, and .22LR fun. I want it to work and run reliably. My next step is a new magazine, and after that, a buffet of different ammo types to see what I can get it to run reliably. Maybe something like Federal Punch with a nickel-plated projectile would feed a bit more reliably.
Anyone with a Charter Arms Explorer II out there who got it to run reliably? If so, let me know below.
