POTD: Charter Arms Explorer II

If you want to see an AR7 pistol done up as a Blaster, watch any ep of the old Gil Gerard Buck Rogers TV series from the 1970s. The standard Earth forces blaster pistol was a gussied up AR7. Based on the rear sight they cut down rifles instead of using the pistol version though.

The removable bbl was retained because various length bbls were offered for the pistol. The notch to locate the bbl in the proper position was moved 180 degrees from the rifle though, to prevent someone from installing a short bbl on a rifle.

As for lack of reliability/wear after thousands of rounds fired, you have to remember the design was from the early 1960s and intended as a "survival rifle" based on the needs of that era. Namely, a small lightweight rifle that could be stowed in a pack or an airplane and only used in a true emergency or for bagging lunch while out on a trail hiking. As such, it was made of lightweight materials that are not very durable.

Not an issue when a "survival rifle" of that era was figured for something that maybe got taken out and a magazine put through it every few months to years while being stored most of the time.

Enter the late 70s/early 80s increase in interest in the "survivalist" movement. Now a "survival rifle" was figured to be what you fended off hordes of radioactive mutants with, not something you shot a rabbit with after a crash landing. Thus the introduction of extended magazines, "dress up kits" to make it look more like a military rifle, and numerous other accessories. The result was now a rifle that was designed to fire few rounds in it's lifetime was being taken out on the weekend and bricks of ammo run through it. Guess what, parts broke and wore out.

The Charter Arms versions were also not made very well, the original Armalite rifles were well made and so are the Henry versions. Just don't expect them to hold up to thousands of rounds of ammo without wearing out.

It already was in starwars as Pondo's blaster
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