AR-7
Encyclopedia
The ArmaLite
AR-7 Explorer, designed by M-16
inventor Eugene Stoner
, is a semi-automatic .22 Long Rifle
rifle developed from the AR-5 adopted by the U.S. Air Force
as a pilot and aircrew
survival weapon
. Its intended markets today are backpackers and other recreational users as a take-down
utility rifle. the AR-7 is often recommended by outdoor users of recreational vehicles (automobile, airplane or boat) who might have need for a weapon for foraging or defense in a wilderness emergency.
Inc., a division of Fairchild Aircraft. The rifle shares some of the features of the bolt-action
AR-5
, another rifle designed by Stoner for ArmaLite and adopted by the United States Air Force
in 1956 as the MA-1. The MA-1 was intended to replace the M4 Survival Rifle
and the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon
which was a superimposed ("over-under") twin-barrel rifle/shotgun chambered in .22 Hornet
and .410 bore
, using a break-open action. The AR-5 had the advantage of repeat fire over the then-standard M6, using the same .22 Hornet cartridge. When the AR-5 was adopted as the MA-1 but was not placed in issue due to the numbers of M4 and M6 survival weapons in USAF inventory, ArmaLite used the research and tooling for the AR-5 in developing the AR-7 for the civilian market.
The AR-7 uses a blowback semi-automatic action in .22 Long Rifle
but retains the AR-5/MA-1 feature of storing the disassembled parts within the hollow stock, which is filled with plastic foam and capable of floating. Like the bolt-action AR-5, the AR-7 was designed as a survival rifle for foraging small game for food. The AR-7 is constructed primarily of aluminum, with plastic for the stock and buttcap. Even the barrel is aluminum (in later production composite material), using a rifled steel barrel liner. The AR-7 measures 35 inches overall when assembled. It disassembles to four sections (barrel
, action
, stock
, and magazine), with the four parts storing inside the plastic stock measuring 16 inches long. The rifle weighs 2.5 pounds
light enough for convenient backpacking. The rear sight
is a peep sight, which comes on a flat metal blade with an aperture (in later production two different size apertures), and is adjustable for elevation (up-down). The front sight is adjustable for windage (side-side). Accuracy is sufficient for hunting small game at ranges to 50 yard
s.
Armalite sold the design to Charter Arms
in 1973. According to some accounts posted by enthusiasts, this is where 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. Since Charter Arms sold the design and rights to Henry Repeating Arms
in 1980, the Henry AR-7 has regained a reputation for reliability.
. The receiver had a built-in pistol grip with no provision for the rifle stock (the internal parts are interchangeable between rifle and pistol). The rear sight of the pistol was an open notch adjustable for windage and elevation. The Explorer II front sight was integral with the barrel shell and was not adjustable. The magazine well in front of the trigger guard would accept any magazine designed for the rifle. A spare 8 round magazine could be carried inside the grip. The most common barrel was eight inches. Optional barrel lengths included six and ten inches.
regulations setting minimum rifle barrel length at 16 inches, the barrels on the rifle and pistol are not interchangeable to avoid installing the pistol barrel on the rifle. The AR-7 barrel has an alignment lug that mates a notch in the receiver. The receiver notch and barrel lug for rifle are on top; for the pistol, they are on the bottom. If a pistol barrel were installed on a rifle (or vice versa), the extractor on the bolt would be opposite the extractor slot in the barrel, preventing the bolt from closing (plus the front sight would be upside down). Modifying the pistol barrel to fit the rifle, or cutting a notch in the rifle receiver to accept the pistol barrel, would legally be "making a short barrel rifle" requiring federal registration on an ATF Form 1 with payment of a $200.00 tax.
and the compact rifle was slightly revised. The AR-7 is now (2011) known as the Henry U.S. Survival rifle. An ABS
material replaced the original plastic, which was prone to cracking and failure. The receiver recess in the Henry stock allows storage of receiver with a magazine in place and the rifle is normally sold with two magazines. The latest versions of the Henry allow for storage of three magazines total, with two in the stock recess, and one in the receiver. The modern Henry U.S. Survival rifle is also waterproof (all prior versions were known to leak water inside the stock). They now include a full teflon coating on the outer surface. A 3/8 in. rail milled into the top of the receiver for mounting a wide variety of optics is now a standard.
, shortening the barrel (to 13.5 inches), and adding a front sight based on the K98k Mauser.
After Israeli service, some of these rifle were re-imported into the U.S. by Bricklee Trading Company (the barrels are marked with the BTC identification) for sale on the civilian market, and command a premium among collectors. In order to comply with US Federal law, a 3 inch muzzle brake
had to be permanently attached in order to meet the minimum 16 inch barrel requirement.
semi-automatic. The AR-7 is a light firearm with heavy bolt and twin recoil springs and must be firmly held for reliable blowback operation.
range use is recommended or a spent cartridge case can be used.
. Barrels, stocks, and grips, of varying finishes and utility, can be added to the rifle. These include collapsible stocks, wire-framed stocks, pistol grips, flash suppressors, shrouded barrels, high-capacity magazines, telescopic sights, reflex 'red dot' sights and other occasionally fanciful-looking hardware, usually at a cost greater than the rifle. Such accessories usually make it impossible to use the original floating stock for storage of modified parts.
Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 has a 3/8" rail integral with the receiver. For earlier makes, B Square supplied the Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer Scope Mount, an accessory bracket with a 3/8" rail to accept tip-off scope rings. The scope mount attached by the receiver side plate screw (the Charter Arms side plate screw is longer than that of the Armalite). This scope mount can be used on the Armalite and the Charter Arms Explorer rifle and Explorer II pistol. However, with the bracket in place, the rifle receiver will no longer fit the recess in the stock for storage. (The bracket is not needed on the Henry version and will not fit.)
A complaint sometimes heard about the AR-7 is its lack of a sling, apart from the highly modified Israeli models, although some users have attached slings that do not require modification to the rifle in order to use. A 20 gauge shotgun sling swivel meant to clamp to the magazine of a 20 gauge shotgun and a universal sling work well for the purpose. An appropriate length of parachute cord with a slip knot
at either end makes a usable lanyard, given the light weight of the AR-7.
Another issue that was common with the AR-7 was failure to reliably feed flat-nosed .22 Long Rifle cartridges. After many tests, standard and hyper-velocity, round-nosed .22 Long Rifle cartridges were recommended for flawless action. Due to fears of possible illegal use, Henry installed a stronger recoil spring in the action to ensure that subsonic ammunition would not be able to cycle properly in the firearm. The AR-7 will not reliably cycle .22 LR hollowpoint cartridges; they jam on the feed ramp. The manufacturer recommends use of 40 grain solid bullets only.
ArmaLite
ArmaLite is the name of a small arms engineering facility founded in the early 1950s, and once associated with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. ArmaLite was formally incorporated as a subdivision of Fairchild on October 1, 1954...
AR-7 Explorer, designed by M-16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
inventor Eugene Stoner
Eugene Stoner
Eugene Morrison Stoner is the man most associated with the design of the AR-15, which was adopted by the US military as the M16...
, is a semi-automatic .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
rifle developed from the AR-5 adopted by the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as a pilot and aircrew
Aircrew
Aircrew are the personnel who operate an aircraft while in flight. The composition of the crew depends on the type of aircraft as well as the purpose of the flight.-Civilian:*Aviator** Pilot-in-command** First officer** Second officer** Third officer...
survival weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
. Its intended markets today are backpackers and other recreational users as a take-down
Takedown gun
A takedown gun is a long gun designed to be taken apart significantly reducing its length, making it easier to store, pack, transport and conceal. A variety of barrel, stock, and receiver designs have been invented to facilitate takedown. For example, the hinged design of many break-action...
utility rifle. the AR-7 is often recommended by outdoor users of recreational vehicles (automobile, airplane or boat) who might have need for a weapon for foraging or defense in a wilderness emergency.
History & design
The prototype of what would become the AR-7 was designed by Eugene Stoner at ArmaLiteArmaLite
ArmaLite is the name of a small arms engineering facility founded in the early 1950s, and once associated with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. ArmaLite was formally incorporated as a subdivision of Fairchild on October 1, 1954...
Inc., a division of Fairchild Aircraft. The rifle shares some of the features of the bolt-action
Bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
AR-5
AR-5
The AR-5 was the basis of the MA-1 aircrew survival rifle, adopted by the USAF in 1956, as a replacement for the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon. The M6 is a superposed combination weapon with a .22 Hornet rifle barrel over a .410 shotgun barrel...
, another rifle designed by Stoner for ArmaLite and adopted by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in 1956 as the MA-1. The MA-1 was intended to replace the M4 Survival Rifle
M4 Survival Rifle
The M4 Survival Rifle was developed during World War II as part of the survival gear stored under the seat of military aircraft, to give downed aircrew a survival weapon for foraging wild game for food.- History :...
and the M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon
M6 Aircrew Survival Weapon
The M6 Air Crew Survival Weapon was a specially made firearm issued to the United States Air Force aircraft crews to help forage for food in the event of a plane crash....
which was a superimposed ("over-under") twin-barrel rifle/shotgun chambered in .22 Hornet
.22 Hornet
The .22 Hornet is a low-end vermin, small-game and predator centerfire rifle cartridge. It is considerably more powerful than the .22 WMR and the .17 HMR, achieving higher velocity with a bullet twice the weight. The Hornet also differs very significantly from these in that it is not a rimfire...
and .410 bore
.410 bore
.410 bore, commonly misnamed the .410 gauge, is the smallest gauge of shotgun shell commonly available. It has similar base dimensions to the .45 Colt revolver cartridge, though the .410 is significantly longer, up to , allowing many single-shot firearms and some revolvers chambered in that...
, using a break-open action. The AR-5 had the advantage of repeat fire over the then-standard M6, using the same .22 Hornet cartridge. When the AR-5 was adopted as the MA-1 but was not placed in issue due to the numbers of M4 and M6 survival weapons in USAF inventory, ArmaLite used the research and tooling for the AR-5 in developing the AR-7 for the civilian market.
The AR-7 uses a blowback semi-automatic action in .22 Long Rifle
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
but retains the AR-5/MA-1 feature of storing the disassembled parts within the hollow stock, which is filled with plastic foam and capable of floating. Like the bolt-action AR-5, the AR-7 was designed as a survival rifle for foraging small game for food. The AR-7 is constructed primarily of aluminum, with plastic for the stock and buttcap. Even the barrel is aluminum (in later production composite material), using a rifled steel barrel liner. The AR-7 measures 35 inches overall when assembled. It disassembles to four sections (barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
, action
Firearm action
In firearms terminology, an action is the physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. Actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used...
, stock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
, and magazine), with the four parts storing inside the plastic stock measuring 16 inches long. The rifle weighs 2.5 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
light enough for convenient backpacking. The rear sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
is a peep sight, which comes on a flat metal blade with an aperture (in later production two different size apertures), and is adjustable for elevation (up-down). The front sight is adjustable for windage (side-side). Accuracy is sufficient for hunting small game at ranges to 50 yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s.
Criticisms
Reliability of the AR-7 is highly dependent on the condition of the magazine and on the ammunition used, perhaps more so than with other models of semi-automatic .22 LR rifles. The feed ramp is part of the magazine and subject to damage from mishandling. The transition of cartridge from magazine to barrel can be smoothed by minor beveling of the chamber of the barrel, by using round-nosed as opposed to flat-nosed bullets and by paying attention to condition of the feed lips and feed ramp of the magazine. All iterations of the AR-7 from the Armalite to the Henry use bolt and recoil springs that are heavy compared to most other .22 semiautomatics, requiring high velocity ammunition for reliable functioning. The barrel nut tends to loosen after firing and may need hand tightening to maintain both accuracy and reliability.Armalite sold the design to Charter Arms
Charter Arms
Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers that are relatively inexpensive yet serviceable handguns. The original Charter Arms produced revolvers chambered in calibers .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special and...
in 1973. According to some accounts posted by enthusiasts, this is where 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. Since Charter Arms sold the design and rights to Henry Repeating Arms
Henry Repeating Arms
Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company, one of the top ten long gun manufacturers in the United States and the leading lever action manufacturer. Henry Repeating Arms takes its name from Benjamin Tyler Henry, the inventor who patented the first repeating rifle in 1860. The company...
in 1980, the Henry AR-7 has regained a reputation for reliability.
Production history
(Summary of information available in The Blue Book of Gun Values)- 1959-1973: ArmaLiteArmaLiteArmaLite is the name of a small arms engineering facility founded in the early 1950s, and once associated with the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation. ArmaLite was formally incorporated as a subdivision of Fairchild on October 1, 1954...
- 1973-1990: Charter ArmsCharter ArmsCharter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers that are relatively inexpensive yet serviceable handguns. The original Charter Arms produced revolvers chambered in calibers .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special and...
- 1990-1997: Survival Arms, Cocoa, FL
- 1997–Present: Henry Repeating ArmsHenry Repeating ArmsHenry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company, one of the top ten long gun manufacturers in the United States and the leading lever action manufacturer. Henry Repeating Arms takes its name from Benjamin Tyler Henry, the inventor who patented the first repeating rifle in 1860. The company...
Co., Brooklyn, NY - 1998-2004: AR-7 Industries, LLC, Meriden, CT (bought by ArmaLite in 2004)
Armalite AR-7 Explorer
Armalite barrels had a steel liner in an aluminum shell. The Armalite stock did not accept the receiver with a magazine in place and the gun was normally sold with one magazine. The receiver did not provide for a scope mount. The rear sight was a peep aperture adjustable for elevation. The front sight was drift adjustable for windage.Herter's Outdoor Supply
Herter's, Hy Hunter and American International Distributors marketed .22 replicas of the Broomhandle Mauser, Thompson Submachine Gun and M1 Carbine made on AR-7 receivers and barrels.Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer
The Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer rifle basically replicated the Armalite AR-7 Explorer with variations in finish.Charter Arms Explorer II pistol
Explorer II was a pistol version of the AR-7. It resembled a Broomhandle MauserMauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
. The receiver had a built-in pistol grip with no provision for the rifle stock (the internal parts are interchangeable between rifle and pistol). The rear sight of the pistol was an open notch adjustable for windage and elevation. The Explorer II front sight was integral with the barrel shell and was not adjustable. The magazine well in front of the trigger guard would accept any magazine designed for the rifle. A spare 8 round magazine could be carried inside the grip. The most common barrel was eight inches. Optional barrel lengths included six and ten inches.
Legal note
Due to NFA 1934National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
regulations setting minimum rifle barrel length at 16 inches, the barrels on the rifle and pistol are not interchangeable to avoid installing the pistol barrel on the rifle. The AR-7 barrel has an alignment lug that mates a notch in the receiver. The receiver notch and barrel lug for rifle are on top; for the pistol, they are on the bottom. If a pistol barrel were installed on a rifle (or vice versa), the extractor on the bolt would be opposite the extractor slot in the barrel, preventing the bolt from closing (plus the front sight would be upside down). Modifying the pistol barrel to fit the rifle, or cutting a notch in the rifle receiver to accept the pistol barrel, would legally be "making a short barrel rifle" requiring federal registration on an ATF Form 1 with payment of a $200.00 tax.
AR-7 Industries
AR-7 Industries made solid steel barrels much heavier than the AR-7 barrels by Armalite, Charter or Henry.Henry Survival Rifle
In 1980, the design and production rights passed on to Henry Repeating ArmsHenry Repeating Arms
Henry Repeating Arms is a firearms manufacturing company, one of the top ten long gun manufacturers in the United States and the leading lever action manufacturer. Henry Repeating Arms takes its name from Benjamin Tyler Henry, the inventor who patented the first repeating rifle in 1860. The company...
and the compact rifle was slightly revised. The AR-7 is now (2011) known as the Henry U.S. Survival rifle. An ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a common thermoplastic. Its melting point is approximately 105 °C ....
material replaced the original plastic, which was prone to cracking and failure. The receiver recess in the Henry stock allows storage of receiver with a magazine in place and the rifle is normally sold with two magazines. The latest versions of the Henry allow for storage of three magazines total, with two in the stock recess, and one in the receiver. The modern Henry U.S. Survival rifle is also waterproof (all prior versions were known to leak water inside the stock). They now include a full teflon coating on the outer surface. A 3/8 in. rail milled into the top of the receiver for mounting a wide variety of optics is now a standard.
Israeli pilot's survival rifle
Another variant was made by Armalite and sold to the Israeli Military for use as pilot/aircrew survival weapons http://survival.com/IVB/lofiversion/index.php?t6415.html. The Israelis further modified these rifles, adding the telescoping stock, a pistol grip from a FAL-type rifleFN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
, shortening the barrel (to 13.5 inches), and adding a front sight based on the K98k Mauser.
After Israeli service, some of these rifle were re-imported into the U.S. by Bricklee Trading Company (the barrels are marked with the BTC identification) for sale on the civilian market, and command a premium among collectors. In order to comply with US Federal law, a 3 inch muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
had to be permanently attached in order to meet the minimum 16 inch barrel requirement.
Operation
The AR-7 functions as a simple or plain blowbackBlowback (arms)
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge....
semi-automatic. The AR-7 is a light firearm with heavy bolt and twin recoil springs and must be firmly held for reliable blowback operation.
Range safety issue
In common with many blowback .22 rifles, the AR-7 bolt cannot be locked open to demonstrate the weapon is in a safe unloaded state. Firearms without a built-in "bolt hold-open" device may be banned from use at some ranges. Other firing range operators allow use of an open bolt indicator to prop the bolt open so that the chamber is visible. The yellow plastic flag for CMPCivilian Marksmanship Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus...
range use is recommended or a spent cartridge case can be used.
After-market modifications
The fact that both the barrel and stock are detachable has led to a plethora of after-market accessories, similar to those available for the Ruger 10/22Ruger 10/22
The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle. It has a removable 10-round rotary magazine which allows the magazine to fit flush with the bottom of the stock. Higher capacity magazines are also available...
. Barrels, stocks, and grips, of varying finishes and utility, can be added to the rifle. These include collapsible stocks, wire-framed stocks, pistol grips, flash suppressors, shrouded barrels, high-capacity magazines, telescopic sights, reflex 'red dot' sights and other occasionally fanciful-looking hardware, usually at a cost greater than the rifle. Such accessories usually make it impossible to use the original floating stock for storage of modified parts.
Henry U.S. Survival AR-7 has a 3/8" rail integral with the receiver. For earlier makes, B Square supplied the Charter Arms AR-7 Explorer Scope Mount, an accessory bracket with a 3/8" rail to accept tip-off scope rings. The scope mount attached by the receiver side plate screw (the Charter Arms side plate screw is longer than that of the Armalite). This scope mount can be used on the Armalite and the Charter Arms Explorer rifle and Explorer II pistol. However, with the bracket in place, the rifle receiver will no longer fit the recess in the stock for storage. (The bracket is not needed on the Henry version and will not fit.)
A complaint sometimes heard about the AR-7 is its lack of a sling, apart from the highly modified Israeli models, although some users have attached slings that do not require modification to the rifle in order to use. A 20 gauge shotgun sling swivel meant to clamp to the magazine of a 20 gauge shotgun and a universal sling work well for the purpose. An appropriate length of parachute cord with a slip knot
Slip knot
A slip knot is one of two different classes of knot. The most common are knots which attach a line to an object and tighten when tension is applied to the free end of the line...
at either end makes a usable lanyard, given the light weight of the AR-7.
Another issue that was common with the AR-7 was failure to reliably feed flat-nosed .22 Long Rifle cartridges. After many tests, standard and hyper-velocity, round-nosed .22 Long Rifle cartridges were recommended for flawless action. Due to fears of possible illegal use, Henry installed a stronger recoil spring in the action to ensure that subsonic ammunition would not be able to cycle properly in the firearm. The AR-7 will not reliably cycle .22 LR hollowpoint cartridges; they jam on the feed ramp. The manufacturer recommends use of 40 grain solid bullets only.