r/canadaguns • u/Response-Cheap • Apr 26 '26
Buy recommendations Anyone know where to get an AR7 survival rifle for a decent price? Or a cheaper option for a small takedown .22?
The last time I was looking at adding an AR7 to my camping gear they were only about $370-400. Now I'm hard pressed to find one for less than $575. That's a lot of money for a bare bones backpacking rifle..
If that's just the way it is for the AR7 now, price wise, are there better options out there, or should I suck it up? I like how the AR7 breaks down into pieces and stuffs into its own buttstock for a light weight kit to add to your pack. But I mean, there's gotta be cheaper options out there for a bare bones take-down for back country camping?
Should I suck it up and buy the Henry anyways at the higher than usual price, or keep looking for something else.. Like maybe a short barrel little badger or something? How are they for camping? Recommendations?
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u/luckeycat Apr 26 '26
I enjoy the AR7 but I also really enjoy the Chiappa little badger in 22LR, maybe even a bit more.
An edit to my comment. If you are running junk or low powered stuff, the chiappa will just fire it, no care at all. I find the AR7 is a bit more picky on what its firing.
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u/Accomplished-Beat779 Apr 27 '26
I bought my boys Little Badgers to carry during bow season for small game. Tiny little rifles Edit for spelling
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u/_Pray_To_RNGesus_ Apr 26 '26
They are $600 now? At that price, you might as well spend a bit more and grab a 10/22 takedown. The barrel on the ar7 feels so cheaply made.
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u/LumberjackCDN Gold'n Loan Outfitters & Pawn Apr 26 '26
Get a chiappa little badger imo, yes not semi auto but for a back packing 22 you cant get any cheaper.
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
I'm starting to think that's the better idea. I'd really like the little badger takedown extreme, since it pulls completely apart, has an even smaller stock, and fits into a little tube. But I can't find them anywhere..
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u/KalashnikovParty Apr 26 '26
wait for a sale at bass pro. It’s almost summer time so they might take the opportunity at the time of the year where people go wilderness camping to advertise a discount to maximize their sales
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u/samwisegamja Apr 27 '26
Had it, sold it. Its not a good gun. I recommend getting a 10/22 TD it will do the same job so much better.
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u/Geralt-of-Rivai Apr 27 '26
It's a novelty thing, it's a cool gun to have because of how it packs down into its stock, cool piece of kit for a prepper or bug out bag. But as a range toy and regular shooter, it's not great. I have one because it's cool, I don't plink with it much at all though
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u/AlgaeGrazers Apr 27 '26
I bought one for the same thoughts. Shot a few grouse and snowshoe hare the season I got it. Packed it up and it's sat in the stock for years now.
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u/Frreed Apr 27 '26
Probably over 500 rounds through mine, only issue (like any semi) is it's picky about what ammo
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u/prosper_0 Apr 27 '26
I didn't care for the AR7. Too much fussing around to get it set up. My little badger is always ready to go, and ready to take a grouse target of opportunity in seconds. That said: its kinda trash. Build quality isnt great, the mechanism is a bit fragile and open to the elements, the rails are stupid and uncomfortable, and made out of some sort of hardened cheese (plastic actually, but theyre wobbly bendy and soft). The sights are the same atrocious plastic, and don't hold a zero for very long. I replaced the sights and sight rail on mine with metal ones that cost quite a bit more than the gun is even worth, but at least I know it'll hit where I aim it now. You could put a mini red dot or holo sight on it, too. But with irons, I don't need batteries...
In any case, it's small, light, and packable, and I carry it with me when I'm hunting, for small game that I might come across... would rather carry a revolver, but our idiotic laws make that illegal. The badger isnt TOO much bigger and not any heavier than a hunting revolver, so, it'll have to do.
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u/chillyrabbit Apr 27 '26
The Chiappa LA322 is fairly inexpensive. Its a clone/copy of the Marlin 39, but not as good.
But I guess do you really need a takedown rifle; Do you need your rifle to be smaller to fit in a constrained space situation? or do you need a lightweight rifle?
echoing /u/ReturnOk7510 suggestion of the Winchester wildcat for a lightweight rifle.
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
We do backpack camping, and portage camping as a family of four. Every pound/cubic inch counts. I'm liking the idea of the little badger takedown extreme, but can't find it anywhere. It folds down even smaller than the AR7, and fits into a little tube.
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u/2feetandathrowaway Apr 26 '26
Tilsonberg gun store had one listed at $550, I asked for a discount because I've seen them go for less, and he took $70 off
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u/ReturnOk7510 Apr 27 '26
Winchester Wildcat is a pretty slick little rifle for quite a bit cheaper. Not takedown, but so small and light it might as well be.
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u/OkValuable1001 Apr 27 '26
I've heard these are absolute fuckin tack drivers that eat everything
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u/ReturnOk7510 Apr 27 '26
I dunno about tack drivers, but they'll take a grouse's head off at any reasonable range, and the eat anything part is true.
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u/savage1899 Apr 27 '26
I really like my savage 64 takedown. Mines been dead reliable and pretty darn accurate
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u/adminsys Apr 27 '26
I'm looking for a takedown rifle too. For back country camping. Henry or Chiappa are the most light weight. The Ruger 10/22 takedown is cool, more weight and you need the backpack version. Currently I'm not able to find one , all out of stock...
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
I'm really liking the idea of the little badger takedown extreme, which has an even smaller stock, tears down completely, and fits into a little tube, but they're sold out everywhere..
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u/Holiday-Pattern1759 May 06 '26
To be honest,those are a gimmick.It's a fun niche gun to go out and shoot with,but the low magazine capacity (8 rounds AND ~40$ a new mag) paired with the fact that you cannot put a permanent optic on it without loosing the stowaway feature is a big turnoff for me.As other said,you should save a bit more and go for a 10/22 backpacker instead.The gun takes down into two parts that can be locked to one another,making it convenient to pack and go.A 10/22 backpacker is just a better backpack gun than an AR7 IMO....The only thing that is a clear win for the AR7 is the weight,it is one of the lightest gun I handled in my life.If you plan to do a lot of walking with your gun then the AR7 is great, but for anything else a 10/22 is better.
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u/Response-Cheap May 06 '26
I went with a little badger. Plan on making it a takedown by replacing the hinge bolt with a ball detent pin. I've already got a semi auto .22 anyways. Mainly wanted this for the portability. And damn this thing is light and small. It'll fit nicely in a little pocket on my rucksack. Can't beat 260 shipped. And it's damn accurate. I plan to upgrade to adjustable iron sights though. The plastic ones work fine for now, but can't imagine they'll hold up to much abuse.
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Apr 26 '26
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
I already have a TM22. I want something absolutely bare bones. We do crown land camping, so I want as light weight and small of a package as possible. Looking at the little badger tdx as well, which breaks down and fits into a little tube, but they're out of stock everywhere.
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Apr 26 '26
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u/chubbyshart Apr 27 '26
I keep my Henry lever in 22lr in a full canvas scabbard, looks like camping gear when im hiking/camping.
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u/megoder Apr 27 '26
My local Canadian tire has them. Probably depends on the province
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u/megoder Apr 27 '26
Personally, and this is just my opinion, if I’m gonna spend $300 on something I’d rather just buy a ruger 10/22. But they’re nice little guns too. I love Henry! Hope you find one
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u/GreenMan165 Apr 27 '26
For a cheaper option, if you can find them on the used market, the JW-20's from Norinco are a Browning SA-22 copy that can break down in half, and they tend to go for fairly cheap. They do vary a fair bit in reliability however, but I've heard the same from the AR7 over the years. I don't suspect it'll be quite as light or have the novelty of going into the stock, but they are fairly barebones guns.
When it comes to the Little Badger that I tried, it was crazy light, and actually shot really well with its post and peep irons, way, way better than I thought likely initially. The one thing lacking on them a bit is ergonomics but, I guess that's kind of self explainatory.
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u/newtdiego Apr 27 '26
honestly as someone who really wanted this for a while and ended up buying it, it is probably like one of the most outdated survival rifle designs and is unbelievably annoying to use (i think i'm just too autistic for asymetrical gun that makes you lean over to aim)
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u/GlovesAero Apr 27 '26
I like mine, but it’s really not meant to be a heavy use rifle. If I had to go back and buy again for what I use it for, I’d buy a 10/22 takedown
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u/PageAggravating4460 Apr 27 '26
I’ll sell you my AR-7 it’s in a Tommy enterprises stock but I still have the original take down stock to go with it.
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u/NBPaintballer Apr 27 '26
Id avoid the jam machine that has no field disassembly potential and just buy a little badger. Been through it, owned em all and sold em
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u/Busy_Ad5224 Apr 27 '26
For something really cheap, savage makes a version of their 64 that has a removable barrel. ~$200 CAD. Not bad for the price
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u/1anre Apr 27 '26
At the recent sportsman show in Toronto, there were vendors showcasing these style of portable Rifles, but I find them to be really stressful as if you're going into the woods, you need something already assembled and ready to use if charged by an animal not setting it up when you spot the animal and make mistakes in putting it together properly at that delicate time.
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
This won't be for protection, it's a .22. I want it for opportunistic hunting, or plinking while backpack camping in crown land. I essentially want something tiny that I can add to my rucksack and have something to shoot, that takes up very little space, and adds little weight.
When we have to hike all of our gear into the woods and set up camp, I don't want to bring one of my normal rifles. It'll be a pain in the ass to lug around, for something that may not even get used every time. But something that barely adds any weight that can be tucked in a side pocket would be a great addition to my bush kit.
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u/Volgin Apr 27 '26
I've had one forever, such a weird gun, I'd much prefer a 10/22 just for parts availability. I tried buying a barrel from ar7 dot com a few years ago but they needed a USA billing adress.
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u/greekdude1821 on Apr 27 '26
Whatever 22 takedowns exists they are not cheap and do not pack up like the AR7 afaik
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 27 '26
I'm looking at the little badger takedown extreme, which is only like $300, breaks down and fits in a small waterproof floating container, smaller than the AR7. But of course they're sold out everywhere.
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u/Successful_man_797 Apr 28 '26
Got it for $400 and sold it the same price a few months later. It is extremely inacurate to the point of being useless. There are better options out there.
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u/Response-Cheap Apr 28 '26
Yeah, I ended up buying a little badger for $220, and I'm going to modify it into a full takedown, since I couldn't find the tdx model.. Even at 400, I thought the AR7 was too expensive for what it is. Don't need semi anyways. I just wanted a reliable, lightweight backpack gun.
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u/Opening_Pizza May 01 '26
They are on sale for $399.98 at Bass Pro right now "Henry US Survival Semi-Automatic Rifle - Black"
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u/New-Bandicoot-8666 Jun 01 '26
I just scored one with soft case and survival kit in like new condition at a pawn shop for $224 in Mt.
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u/gangstaeckz Apr 26 '26
Regret not buying one of these back in the day for like 199$
Stupid choices, stupid results....