I actually work at the warehouse here in Sterling Heights, MI that produces the barrels for all of Henry so it makes me happy that my hard work is appreciated lol 👍🏼
Good video. Simple, straightforward, informative. The fact its cold, the gloves and other clothing make the demonstration realistic. Your actually doing things like drinking water. Thanks.
I love your channel, I think you do some awesome videos. That being said, anyone who is into “survival” likely has all of these things, and didn’t spend nearly as much as the survival kit costs for the Henry ar-7. This little plinker has been on my list for a while and I just picked one up from Vances today for 225 out the door. They had the kit for 565. If you arnt a “prepper” and have absolutely no gear and an abundance of cash, this is the kit for you. If your cash flow isn’t optimal though, build the kit yourself and save a bunch of money. Just my two cents. Y’all stay safe!
True, but Henry is marketing this kit to people who just want a soup-to-nuts survival solution. You can argue that anyone who pays that price is just lazy. Or worse, so ignorant of the mechanics of wilderness survival that the kit itself isn't going to do them much good. All true. But I can't fault Henry for making a buck on people who just can't be bothered to put real forethought into a DIY kit. Hell, I'll cut Henry tons of slack just for fixing all the QC problems that Charter Arms inflicted on this brilliant firearm design. Sootch rightly points out that a ferrocerium rod (or hell, even a Bic lighter) and reflective tarp would make good additions. I'd also swap out that ridiculous zippered carrying case with a proper daypack with actual shoulder straps. And a headlamp (that emphasizes runtime over lumen output), safety whistle, compass and signal mirror. Oh, and a metal case of some sort that can double as a cooking vessel to at least boil water.
I just recently purchased an AR-7 and I'm really happy with the rifle, the bugs from the original charter arms rendition have been sorted, I would however like to see a storage option built into the floating stock for a small reflex sight like a vortex venom ( the old peepers ain't what they used to be lol ) but all in all thumbs way up it's phenomenally accurate
Id also assume most people already own better than what this kit provides if they are survival minded. Honestly this is kind of disappointing from Henry.
I give Henry props for using a nylon bag for the kit. You can supplement the kit with more food, ammo, a tarp, a radio, food, a water bottle. and more food. What annoyed me most about other pre-built survival kits was the ones that are built into a Pelican case with custom fitted foam inserts for a handgun, 2 magazines, a space blanket, and a couple bars of lifeboat rations. Most of the space was wasted. One kit I saw several years ago, I could have camped for a week with the space that was in the case if I had replaced the foam with food, a tarp, some cordage, and a few other small odds and ends.
As always another great review. The little survival package is pretty impressive and carries all the basics. All it needed was bullets and it’ll be complete.
Stainless 10/22 takedown with fiber optic sights and a holosun solar red dot. Replaced stock with a Tapco. Buttstock tube has a pretty tight plug that can be removed to store things in. Pistol grip opens for more storage. Made a sling with just over 100ft of paracord with fishing line, a couple hooks and weights sewn in the middle. With the bag you have ample storage space. All for around the same price. Henry is definitely more compact but love this 10/22
9mm stainless steel bull pup (glock magazine) with a picatinny rail with a sling and bag that conceals the pup and store Survival gear..it would look like a over the shoulder bag.. this should be Henry's next Survival rifle AR-9MM
Nice kit. Everyone overlooks Buck knives but I've used a Buck 110 Folding Hunter or 112 Ranger for decades in the outdoors. They take and hold a great edge while being at a common-man price. Thanks for the video Sootch!
I was just in one of our major Connecticut gun stores.. and I saw the Henry survival rifle now going for ..$450 !! So thankful I found mine about 8 years ago. Used in excellent condition for $180 whata a deal
Nice video. I have been the proud owner of that Henry Survival rifle for several years now. I dearly love it. Couple that with the superior customer service and Henry just can't be beat. I also own their Henry Big Boy 44 mag which I also dearly love. Anthony Imperato ,the owner, is one of the finest people I've ever dealt with. I'll be passing these down to my son.
jeff newman must have been the mag. I have one and it sings all day long. I also have the 10-22 and a marlin 60. All three are great rifles well worth having
I love that you drank the water. This is such a cool rifle, and so much lighter than some of the other collapsibles I've looked at, like the Kel-tec Sub 2000, Maverick 88 with folding stock, TNW Aero, etc. Ruger Charger 88 with folding brace is another good option.
I own this rifle personally. I can not recommend it enough to anyone with a prepper mindset. There is nothing else I have found that is this well thought out and life saving. Bit of a tip. The butt stock can be hollowed out to fit other things , such as more ammunition , lighters , matches , paracord , medical supplies. It can become a Swiss Army "Gun" 😉. Just make sure that whatever you add into the butt stock is not too heavy , so that the rifle still floats.
I am sure the AR7 is an excellent survival weapon. However, I am more a handgunner and my survival gun is the Ruger Mark III 22 target pistol. It's very accurate and ultra reliable.
"Survival Kits" are a 100 bucks a doz all over the web..Henry is a high quality company and the bag leaves room for add-ins...sweet..Good review,nicely done👍
I didn't see it in the comments offhand, so here's my advice on tourniquets. The SWAT is okay, best applied with two hands. If you have to go with just one hand, leave it rolled up as you wrap. It'll be easier to apply tension. A CAT/SOF-T is better, but takes more space and money. The rubber in the SWAT will degrade in heat, so check yours often. Also, while the RAT is better than nothing, it's more likely to cause nerve damage due to the narrow band. Finally, your clotting ability drops when your core temp drops. At 95° it slows, at 92° it'll cease completely. Keep a hemostatic dressing and several space blankets in your kit. Good luck and stay safe!
I have owned the ar7 for 40 years. It has never let me down. Taking down Rabbits, birds, coyotes, even mule dears in mexico. And yes mine is a "Charter Arms". Yes the price seams a bit high, but you you would be supporting a good program so quit your griping and support a good mission.
Thanks for another well done and informative video. Nice of Mother Nature to help you with your winter survival theme for this video! Hope you are all coping well with the snow. ❄️
My "AR-7" is really a 9mm blowback that looks just like the Henry survival rifle. Hits much harder than a 22lr. Uses 9 round 1911 9mm mags. I am not sure if mine floats but the stock holds 2 spare mags. 3 -9 round mags plus the stock holds a couple dozen rounds or survival equipment like fishing gear and some other stuff. Ammo is more important to me. I have survival "stuff" in other places. By the way, my rifle began life as an AR-7. It took me a lot of trial and error to rebuild it into a 9mm. It is legal since I built the receiver and barrel. It uses a Savage style barrel nut.
Wow! I had to rewind and listen to that again...$550 for the whole kit? Let's see, I bought the rifle at Wal-Mart for $99 on sale (btw, really like the rifle), so that makes the bag and Dollar store items worth $450?? C'mon Sootch... really??
Wide plastic rolls that movers use to cover floors with is great for making a quick clear temporary structure to keep the weather off yourself, reflective back thin insulation is better for heat retention but the plastic can make little windows for light and a view.
I would love to have one of these as I travel in the backwoods in Colorado every summer. I have an 1920's Hopkins & Allen Jr. 922 in .22 Long Rifle that I use for the small game I take when hiking. It is a take down single shot dropping block. I have made a case for it out of Basswood that is similar to the Henry. The case actually floats but isn't completely water proof and will sink in about 8 minutes! However it works for me and I usually don't take the case with me. I just have it in two pieces and stick in my back pack.
I got the gun. It shoots real good. Whatever I feed it it shoots. I put it in a bag I have already I've been adding some items to it. Flashlight, survival type knife. Compass etc.. work in progress.
Good review, most of the additional items I already carry in a GHB. The rifle has been on the “to get list” for awhile.
6 лет назад
I want one and I will definitely get a Bushnell TRS 25 red dot with a QD base. That way I can have a quick mount red dot packed away in the bag ready to go with spare batteries of course. Great video really cool gear
I had an AR-7 for many years. Used it for plinking. The AR-7 stock had room for only one 7 round magazine. The front sight was black. It was surprisingly accurate. It would have been nice if the stock contained a couple of extra 20 round magazines.
I like the gun. I've owned 2. Easy to work on and clean. Do Not store ammo in the clips for long periods of time or the spring smashes and won't feed right. Jam. Any one could build a better survival kit for under a hundred bucks and that'd include a better bag with a first aid kit! Walfart sells a two person 72 hour kit with four times the gear in a solid dry bag for under $60. I like your videos, thanks for reviewing this kit so we didn't make the mistake of buying it.
I have the Henry rifle. got mine long ago. Love that bugger. I’m amazed at how accurate mine is. Mine does not have an orange sight or orange storage area and came in a plasticore box. I think I bought mine almost 20 years ago.
I have had several AR7 over the years. Every time I see one I want it. Every time I buy one I remember it is a piece of junk and sell it. But they look so damned neat.
Very informative video...I myself live in a major city and the only wilderness I have is a park or the rats the size of cats in the subway...so for me I see no need for the kit, that being said it was so informative that I was actually looking online for more information on it. Great job with all the info thank you.
For the record. My mother died 1/17/18. She fell because of high blood sugar. She survived on the floor for ten days without food or water. She died because the hospital gave her antibiotics. We are deathly allergic to all antibiotics. So don't think you can't survive. After three days...you can. It is a priority to get water and food as soon as possible. The will to live can't be measured sometimes.
I had an AR 7 was a neat lil rifle....only problem I had was the mag release spring was not hardy enough to hold the mag solid to the rifle, I would get misfeeds if I didn't brace my hand underneath the mag to hold it tight....make it in 22 mag!
Nice Grab and go pack for the expert and novice alike. Henry is a Quality Company where Charter Arms was basically known for revolvers. I always heard they were hit and miss, But Henry ? Quality and reliability.
I had one in the 80s, it was a POS Jam-O-Matic. Couldn't sell it fast enough. Maybe Henry's version is better, but frankly, I wouldn't spend $500+ on a .22 with a design that had so many flaws in the first place. All they have is the Oh Yeah, Cool Survivalist factor going for them. A CMMG .22 LR Adaptor in my AR Pistol is only a couple of inches longer and cost me a hell of a lot less ($150), and in well over 1,000 rounds I've yet to have a failure. That CMMG Adaptor is made right here in the USA.
Some may say they should've went with a fixed blade ( such as the $20-ish Bucklite max for example ), but I think this light duty daily use type folder is a perfect backup blade for the kit because a fixed blade should be on your belt. I just can't think of a situation where this would be needed and with you that a good fixed blade wouldn't also so I think they made a solid choice.
The rifle itself is one of the lightest autoloaders on the market today, and with the purchase of 1 additional magazine you can have a very effective survival weapon. Although I personally think that a over under 22 410 would be t more effective survival weapon do to the shotgun any weapon is better than a stick and a rock. Overall an excellent choice for the suvivalist .
Great ideal but 550 is pricey for the little bit of extras one improvement would be Molly straps on the bag to affix to your for pack great review of the product.
I ended up going with a Savage 64F takedown. Mags are literally a pain to load, but the rifle is accurate and doesn't jam or fte. Put a cheap scope on it, and it fits fine in the Uncle Mike's bag it came with. I still like the idea of the Henry though, especially if boating/kayaking.
I had one of these back when it was the Charter Arms AR-7. Wish I still had it! It was fun to shoot and very accurate for a $179 rifle. Well, $179 back then. I do believe that I'll have another one, soon.
The Henry AR7 is a great little reliable, durable, and packable rimfire rifle. The little sucker is accurate. Tight little groups. I only had to tap or drift the front sight over just a bit to get it zeroed. Trigger is horrendously heavy but does not seem to affect its accuracy. Firing it repeatedly will wear on the trigger finger a bit unless the trigger edges are smoothed down. Factory mags only for it and it will run. Got my Henry AR7 years ago for about $216. It was worth it. Survival kits should be tailored to individual needs and be small enough that it will actually be carried and used. This kit looks like a good kit to build around as a guideline with the basic items included, water, shelter, fire, food, cordage, and cutting tool. Signaling and a mini first aid kit would be a nice addition to the tourniquet. With the rifle more food can be taken and used for defense. Kits cannot replace a good base of bushcraft skills. The kits are just aids to survival. The more we learn by practicing, the less we need to carry. But this kind of kit is practical for the slightly above average person as long as they already have some skills. Thanks for sharing, Don. Would be nice if Henry would include the weight of the Henry US Survival Pack. I could not find a weight measure. www.henryusa.com/rifles/henry-u-s-survival-pack/ - Robert
That ar7 has been around for a long time and is one of the best pack rifles you can have, in my opinion. James bond used one in an early episode to shoot down a helicopter so you know what the capability of it is.
The thing will close up with a third magazine in the action. I keep 3 mags loaded and another 31 stuffed in those little honeycomb pockets. 55 rounds while all closed up. Peep sight is ok. Not sure if I like the small hole or the larger hole better yet.
From all I've heard, there is no need to "save" limbs after 2-3 hours with tourniquet, there is just no damage at all (don't take my word for it, research). youtube has a video on TQ application from Mayo Clinic, it goes into detail.
The AR-7 has been around for years. I think, the U.S.Air Force, adopted it back in the 1960s. The old "James Bond" movie, "From Russia with Love" kind of introduced it. I always thought it was a pretty cool design. I need to get one. They used to be dirt cheap. Personally, I prefer .22 long rifle, to .22 Magnum or 17HMR.
My family bought a Charter Arms AR-7 in the 1980's for something like $85. It is still going strong today and if anyone were to break into my mom's farm house they would find out how well it shoots very quickly. I picked up one today for $214.99 new (Henry of course). Do I need it or have much of a use for it? No. Will it remind me of the first gun I ever shot?. Yes!
Hey Scott, I got a Charter AR-7 in 1979. Talk about pressed beer can construction. The AR-7s were notorious for feeding problems and the uncanny ability of going off full auto when very dirty. I solved those issues by finding and using Remington Thunderbolt ammo only (the Goldens work too) and cleaning after 200 rounds. Still have my Charter with about 15,000 rounds thru it. Not bad for a $95, forty year old cheapo gun. It's a must have gun especially if you are a James Bond fan.
I'd rather have a CAT than a SWAT-T simply because I think the ease of being able to apply it one handed out weighs the size difference. It's possible to apply the SWAT-T one handed to an arm (with practice) but I've never been able to apply it to a leg one handed. The CAT is much easier. In a survival situation, you can't rely on having someone else there to apply it. My other thought is that doesn't on orange tip on a gun mean it's a replica/toy? I know the sight post isn't the tip but it's too close for my liking. Aside from those two factors, it's a nice kit
Remember most survival rations are meant to be used while sitting in a lifeboat and waiting and not for physical activities like in an survival situation on land. There is a guidline from the military which says that a soldier doing stuff needs between 2500-6000 or 8000 kcal a day. I like nuts and (the ones i use give you 2528 kcal / 400g / day. Best option i found) peanut butter.
, a compass and some kind of container would be nice. light stick and or hand crank combination radio, light, charger would be nice also. basic medical kit, Neosporin, bandages, iodine ect. but it's a good start and you can add whatever you want. the bag that is provided in this kit is big enough to hold extra stuff. don't be affraid to add more stuff. flair gun, tarp, water tablets, food pills, Advil, ect. bottle of whiskey. pint size. extra ammo. signal mirror. Zippo with extra fluid. gloves, extra wool socks. stuff like that. oh, don't forget a roll of TP people.
Be nice if it was 22 magnum too short like 22 magnum 22 long and 22 short that would be nice? that'd be a nice survival gun put a adjustable spring so you can shoot all three cartridge😊
This is a nice kit with US made items ;-)) I've got the ESSE Fire Steel block and love it, like you showed...it works good for striking a Ferro Rod but I use it more for striking Chert ;-)) It does really well at that too. I haven't tried it as a bearing block for a bow drill just yet, but it should do just fine at that also. TFS
I've NEVER understood the various 'first aid wraps'...for several reasons. First off, if you want to plan for a sling, then you need simple 1-inch web belt or paracord. Secondly, if you are trying to fix a small cut (to keep it clean) then a simple waterproof bandaid would work. Third, if you are REALLY bleeding out, you need a SUTURE, not a bandaid or tourniquet! You can buy medical sterile sutures online for about $7 each, so grab 2-3, put them in your 1st aid kit, and SAVE LOTS of space and weight, while having the right gear for the job! YES, I have used them to get to an actual hospital, and they hurt (no worse than a tattoo, though), and you MIGHT hear grief from a nurse, but the doctor will appreciate that you didn't destroy a limb by incorrectly using a tourniquet. They simply cut them out, clean the wound, and re-stitch (this time, with lidocaine pain killer)...yaay!