The result of the modernization of existing weapons is usually a new model of the same class, with improved characteristics. However, there were exceptions to this rule. Over the past several decades, the ArmaLite AR-7 Explorer small-bore rifle has been repeatedly updated and improved, resulting in more and more new weapons. Almost always it was about the creation of new self-loading rifles, but the result of one of these projects was a pistol - Charter Arms Explorer II.
The history of the Charter Arms Explorer II pistol dates back to the early fifties, when the American arms company ArmaLite received an order to develop a new survival rifle intended for pilots of the US Air Force. Soon, the AR-5 rifle was created, which was later adopted as the MA-1 Survival Rifle. For certain reasons, the army accepted the rifle, but did not order its serial production. After several years of waiting, it became clear that the MA-1 product would never go into service.
General view of the Explorer II pistol. Photo Wikimedia Commons
Not wanting to lose successful developments, ArmaLite redesigned the existing project, and in 1958 brought the AR-7 Explorer self-loading rifle to the market. This product retained the layout and basic performance of the previous AR-5 / MA-1 rifle, but differed in the presence of simple automation and used the more popular ammunition. AR-7 interested potential buyers and went into a large series.
ArmaLite continued to produce AR-7 rifles until 1973, after which it decided to focus on other samples. However, the production of such weapons did not stop. Documentation for the AR-7 project was sold to Charter Arms, which wished to establish its own production. In the same year, the first serial products of the Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer rolled off the assembly line. The new manufacturer collected these weapons until the early nineties.
Charter Arms produced AR-7 rifles without significant design changes. The original project was refined only from a technological point of view. However, the desire to increase sales and expand market presence soon led to the emergence of a new weapon based on the existing model. By the early eighties, on the basis of the Explorer self-loading rifle, it was decided to develop a small-bore pistol.
The specific characteristics of the rifle, associated with the use of a low-power cartridge, made it possible to easily convert it into a short-barreled sample of a different class. At the same time, however, the designers of Charter Arms had to take into account the requirements of American weapons legislation. Despite the maximum unification of the rifle and pistol, it was necessary to exclude the interchangeability of some parts. So, at the design level, it was necessary to prevent the installation of a short pistol barrel on a rifle, as well as deprive the pistol of the possibility of mounting a butt. All these tasks were solved in the simplest way.
Complete disassembly. Photo Gunauction.com
The project of a promising pistol was a further development of the existing rifle, which was reflected in its name. The new weapon was named Explorer II ("Researcher-2"). The alphanumeric designation was abandoned in the new project.
The base rifle consisted of three main components: the barrel, receiver and stock. The latter was also a cover for other devices. When developing the pistol, the butt was abandoned, using other accessories. The complex in the form of a receiver with the necessary parts and a removable barrel, in general, remained without major changes. Automation, firing mechanism and ammunition supply also did not change. An already proven approach to the selection of materials was used. Most of the parts could be made of aluminum and plastic, which were lightweight with sufficient strength.
The design of the receiver, which served as a frame and a bolt casing, passed from the basic project to the new one. This unit retained the general layout and other design aspects, but was modified. The box consisted of two main parts. The upper cylindrical was supposed to accommodate the shutter and return springs. On its right side there was a large window for ejection of cartridges and a longitudinal groove for the reload handle.
There was a rectangular casing under the cylinder. Its front part served as the store's receiving shaft, and parts of the firing mechanism were placed in the back. In the basic design of the AR-7, the lower receiver element had a reduced rear section that fit into the butt slot. The pistol frame based on this box received a grip. The frame included its metal base of the required shape. The rear surface of the handle rose significantly upward, forming a ridge supporting the rear wall of the cylindrical unit.
The pistol with the barrel removed and a couple of magazines. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The Charter Arms Explorer II pistol was equipped with an 8-inch (203 mm) rifled barrel. The barrel chamber was designed for rimfire ammunition.22 Long Rifle (5, 6x15 mm R). The outer diameter of the barrel decreased towards the muzzle. In the breech, it was planned to install a large nut, in the muzzle - front sight. Detachable barrels for a rifle and a pistol differed in the shape of the breech, and therefore were not interchangeable.
As the mass production of weapons progressed, the developer company proposed new modifications with different barrels. The buyer could choose a pistol with barrels 6 or 10 inches long - 152 and 254 mm, respectively.
The pistol, like the rifle, received an automatic mechanism based on a free bolt. A movable cylindrical bolt was placed inside the receiver, which interacted with a pair of return springs. A movable striker was placed in the shutter cavity. The shutter was controlled using a handle brought out through the right groove of the casing. For greater ease of use, the handle could be recessed inside the bolt, after which only its cap extended beyond the receiver.
The Explorer II product retained the existing hammer-type firing mechanism. A T-shaped trigger and a hammer with a mainspring were placed inside the box-frame, interacting with each other without any additional details. On the right, at the back of the weapon, there was a swinging fuse box. When it was moved back, the inner shoulder of the lever blocked the movement of the trigger. Access to the parts of the trigger was provided due to the removable left side of the frame.
The barrel of the pistol was based on the part of the base rifle. Photo Icollector.com
The design of the ammunition supply has not been reworked. 22 LR cartridges were to be fed from a detachable box magazine placed in the receiving shaft. In its place, the store was secured with a latch. The control key of the latter was inside the trigger guard. Initially, 8-round magazines were supplied with the Charter Arms Explorer II pistols. Subsequently, increased magazines for 16, 20 and 25 rounds were created. The latter was distinguished by its long length and curved shape, which is why it gave the pistol a specific appearance.
The sights of the pistol were different from those of the base rifle. Now an unregulated front sight was used, mounted on the muzzle thickening of the barrel. The movable rear sight was located on a bar fixed to the receiver and rear ridge. All this made it possible to obtain the maximum possible length of the sighting line.
From a certain time, serial pistols were supplemented with a mounting bar for additional sighting devices. On the left wall of the receiver was a bar of a special profile, on which it was possible to mount an L-shaped bracket with an optical or other sight. The type of the last shooter could choose independently, in accordance with his needs and desires.
To comply with the law, the Explorer II pistol did not have to be equipped with a stock fitting. This task was solved in the simplest way. A non-removable pistol grip was installed in the rear of the receiver-frame. Its basis was a metal part of the required profile, on which plastic overlays with a notch were fixed. The handle had a large cavity, which it was proposed to use to carry a spare magazine for 8 rounds. The presence of a large base of the grip did not allow connecting the receiver of the pistol to the rifle butt.
Sights have been redesigned. Photo Icollector.com
In terms of its principles of operation, the new pistol did not differ from the basic AR-7 rifle. Before firing, it was necessary to install the store, take the bolt back and return it to its original position. By turning the fuse box, you could shoot. Despite the low power of the cartridge, the recoil was enough to roll back the shutter and complete the entire reloading cycle. After emptying the store, the bolt went forward. The shutter delay was not used, and therefore, for the next shot, it was required to manually perform all reloading operations.
The pistol with the original eight-inch barrel had a total length of 394 mm. When using a shorter 6-inch barrel, the length of the weapon was reduced to 343 mm. The pistol with the largest barrel was 445 mm long. In all cases, the height of the weapon (excluding the large protruding magazine) did not exceed 165-170 mm. The weapon with two regular magazines (one in the mine, the other in the handle) weighed less than 1 kg.
The Charter Arms Explorer II pistol was released for sale in the United States in 1980. Fans of small arms quickly appreciated this sample, and the developer company got the opportunity to expand its presence in the market, as well as to make money on the simple development of the finished project. However, as far as is known, the Explorer II pistol never managed to repeat the commercial success of the ArmaLite / Charter Arms AR-7 base rifle.
The small-bore AR-7 rifle, which did not have the highest fire characteristics, was positioned as a weapon for training, recreational shooting and hunting small game. The Explorer II pistol retained some of these capabilities, but the shorter barrel significantly reduced the effective range of fire and thereby influenced the scope of the weapon. Also, a specific feature of the weapon that affected its operation was its long length, regardless of the barrel used.
Close-up of the handle, the shaft for transporting the spare magazine is visible. Photo Icollector.com
Due to insufficient fire characteristics, the Charter Arms Explorer II small-bore pistol could not be used as a convenient and effective hunting weapon. At the same time, he was a good model for recreational shooting or initial training.
The Explorer II pistol had a number of positive features, some of which were "inherited" from the base rifle. It was quite cheap and easy to use. The small mass of the weapon and the weak recoil of the low-power cartridge made it easier to shoot. Despite the relatively long length in the firing position, the pistol could be stored with the barrel removed, which reduced the required volumes. The.22 Long Rifle cartridge was very popular, and this also simplified the use of the pistol to a certain extent.
However, there were also drawbacks, some of which were also inherent in the AR-7 rifle. The casings of the early magazines were not very rigid, which could lead to deformation of its feeding devices. This damage resulted in incorrect feeding of cartridges and delays in firing. The removable barrel under certain circumstances did not contribute to obtaining high accuracy of fire.
Charter Arms continued serial production of Explorer II pistols until 1986. For several years, a large number of such products were shipped to customers, and all of them were eventually sold out, replenishing the arsenals and collections of weapon lovers. As can be judged, a significant part of these pistols are still in service. Used Explorer II pistols appear quite often on various marketplaces and are sold at an affordable price.
Explorer II with 25 rounds magazine. Photo Weaponland.ru
Production of AR-7 Explorer rifles at the Charter Arms plant continued until 1990. Then this weapon again changed its owner, and soon new serial rifles appeared on the market, distinguished by a different brand of the manufacturer. Since then, the license for the production of such weapons was transferred several times to new weapons companies, until it was transferred to the Henry Repeating Company. It is she who is now engaged in the further development of the original design and produces various modifications of it.
AR-7 rifles have remained in the series for nearly 60 years. The release of Explorer II pistols was completed just six years after the start. The last batch of these weapons was handed over to the customer more than three decades ago, and new samples no longer appear. Several new owners of the rights to the Explorer rifle continued the development of the basic project, but did not become interested in the subject of pistols. As a result, a new version of the Explorer II product or other similar weapon has not yet appeared. Moreover, there is every reason to believe that new weapons of this kind will never be created.
In the late fifties, the ArmaLite company used the existing developments on the existing survival rifle for the US Air Force and created on their basis a civilian self-loading weapon. Later, after the sale of the rights to this rifle to another company, a deep modernization project was proposed, which included the manufacture of a pistol. The Explorer II, a slightly redesigned AR-7 rifle, entered the market and sold well, but still failed to replicate the success of its predecessor. In the mid-eighties, it was discontinued, and new pistols based on the AR-7 were no longer created.
