Armalite began production on the AR-7 in 1959. Armalite sold the design to Charter Arms in 1973. According to some accounts posted by enthusiasts, this is when quality began to deteriorate. Barrels were said to have a tendency to warp. Other sources state that the first production at Charter had problems which were corrected in later production runs.
Charter Arms sold the design and rights to Henry Repeating Arms in 1980, and the Henry AR-7 has since regained a reputation for reliability. A Henry AR-7 is a quality rifle.
Production history
(Summary of information available in The Blue Book of Gun Values)
1959-1973: ArmaLite
1973-1990: Charter Arms
1990-1997: Survival Arms, Cocoa, Florida
1997–2007: Henry Repeating Arms Co., Brooklyn, New York
2007–present: Henry Repeating Arms Co., Bayonne, New Jersey
1998-2004: AR-7 Industries, LLC, Meriden, Connecticut (bought by ArmaLite in 2004)
There are lots of .22 rimfire rifles that breakdown, more or less, easily. Many of the older .22 rimfire .22 rifles use a knurled stock bolt, under the action, to hold everything together and to act as a take down bolt. Just unscrew it , and the rifle breaks down into two easy components. Put it in a slightly padded container, and you have a nice car/survival gun.
You can do Marlin 60 type actions this way, but the trigger stays with the stock. They are common, cheap, and work well.