For the purposes of small game hunting, one of these is probably fine. However, for duties involving larger targets I'd be more inclined towards something like the KelTec Sub2000, which is pistol caliber and folds down to a fairly compact size.
And yet.. the votes still roll in. If you are actually thinking of a firearm for a prepper stash, go with a Ruger 10/22 Takedown. Far more accurate and reliable. Also comes with its own backpack.
I'd fully agree with the 10/22 take down. Its a great rifle and would prob shoot circles around the Henry AR7 take down. The 10/22 is a little over a full pound heavier, and is a whole lot less compact since the action and barrel stow into the stock. It really comes down to how you expect to use it. I'd prob pick the Ruger 8/10 times though.
I've got an aftermarket stock for my 10/22 takedown that locks the barrel into the shoulder stock, and there's two compartments for magazine, ammo, and misc storage. It's pretty compact.
Yeah, I would say it's not worth the hassle either. Online gun stores are pretty much already group buy websites with the way that they work, buying in bulk from the manufacturer to get a better deal then selling to the consumers, the only difference being that the online gun store doesn't know exactly who will buy their product, but in general, they know that someone will. I don't think that gun manufacturers are a worthwhile group to try and bring into Massdrop.
Sometimes a drop will come directly from the source vendor or whatever reseller they're buying from. That said I doubt Massdrop will do a firearms order. It's just a nightmare of coordinating with the receiving FFLs to make sure they're actually expecting the order.