just bought myself a jimenez today

[ET]

Why is it that when anybody comes here, or any other forum for that matter, & states that he/she just bought an inexpensive gun like the OP's, or a HI-Point, etc., many members are quick to tell the person that he made a mistake. For a little more money he could have had another gun. Duh! For a little more money we all could have had a different gun. I am happy the OP decided to purchase a gun. Yes, it isn't what I would have bought, but the OP now has a gun. My first hand gun was a Hi-Point C9. It wasn't a great gun but it got me interested in handguns. Hopefully, as time goes on, the OP will feel the same way and end up with multiple guns with this one being his toolbox gun or a cheap way to fire off several hundred rounds at the range. You never know.

I'm happy when anybody buys any gun. Even a Jimenez is better than nothing.

 

[Ben86]

It's better than no gun. Hopefully, when you get some more money, you can buy a better quality gun, with a more substantial caliber. The most important thing is that you practice a lot so you are really good with it and use ammo that works in that gun. It may also be of equal importance to concentrate on malfunction clearing drills.

 

[Onward Allusion]

I don't think anyone faulted the OP for exercising his RKBA. It was his choice for CC that was criticized. The OP himself stated that the pistol jammed every 13 rounds and is a 22LR. This is the same pistol that he intends to use as his CCW.

It's not JUST about it being a 22LR or that it only cost $158 or that it is a Jimenez. It's a combination of all of the preceding that results in using an unreliable pistol as a CCW. How anyone can argue the OP's bad logic is beyond me.

GLOOB
You guys are all looking at it the wrong way. This guy has taken a cheap and easy path to exercise his second amendment rights. Why the disparaging comments?

 

[David E]

duds.................after 15rds or so one would pop up. whenever one came up the gun would not eject the ammo. ............but that is the only problem ive had with it.

An unreliable gun is unworthy for defensive use, regardless of brand, caliber or cost.

Lube it up and buy some high quality ammo from several makers (Federal, CCI, Winchester) all with copper plating. Hopefully, you can find one that'll work.....

 

[Onward Allusion]

It's not about the cost of the pistol.

Sure, as long as the Jimenez is reliable I'd have it too. However, if it's a jam-o-matic like the OP stated, then having it is actually worst than not having a gun at all because it gives the owner a false sense of security.

ET
Why is it that when anybody comes here, or any other forum for that matter, & states that he/she just bought an inexpensive gun like the OP's, or a HI-Point, etc., many members are quick to tell the person that he made a mistake. For a little more money he could have had another gun. Duh! For a little more money we all could have had a different gun. I am happy the OP decided to purchase a gun. Yes, it isn't what I would have bought, but the OP now has a gun. My first hand gun was a Hi-Point C9. It wasn't a great gun but it got me interested in handguns. Hopefully, as time goes on, the OP will feel the same way and end up with multiple guns with this one being his toolbox gun or a cheap way to fire off several hundred rounds at the range. You never know.

I'm happy when anybody buys any gun. Even a Jimenez is better than nothing.

 

[Ben86]

the only problem i had was the darn unwell made 22 ammo not firing. duds. after 15rds or so one would pop up. whenever one came up the gun would not eject the ammo. i guess its part of the ejection process. but that is the only problem ive had with it. the gun grouping was very well. nothing but smiles on my end.

It sounds like maybe it is an ammo problem and not a gun problem. Although it could be light primer strikes. Try some premium CCI and see if things improve.

 

[Olympus]

Why is it that when anybody comes here, or any other forum for that matter, & states that he/she just bought an inexpensive gun like the OP's, or a HI-Point, etc., many members are quick to tell the person that he made a mistake. For a little more money he could have had another gun. Duh! For a little more money we all could have had a different gun. I am happy the OP decided to purchase a gun. Yes, it isn't what I would have bought, but the OP now has a gun. My first hand gun was a Hi-Point C9. It wasn't a great gun but it got me interested in handguns. Hopefully, as time goes on, the OP will feel the same way and end up with multiple guns with this one being his toolbox gun or a cheap way to fire off several hundred rounds at the range. You never know.

I'm happy when anybody buys any gun. Even a Jimenez is better than nothing.

You can't see the trees for the forest.

As I and others have already stated, it's the fact that the OP plans to use the gun to conceal that is drawing the criticism. If someone is dead in love with Jimenez, Jennings, Lorcin, Hi-Point, etc, who am I to nay-say? Shoot what you like and enjoy. I've got a cheap gun or two myself. Nobody is knocking that.

It's not a mistake that he bought the pistol. But IMO, it is a mistake to trust your life and/or your family's life to that pistol. There is a difference. As I said earlier, the cost of the pistol should not be as imporant as reliability and caliber, in my view. If someone has a Hi-Point that they've put thousands of rounds through it and haven't had any malfunctions, you won't hear a peep from me. Carry on!

 

[GLOOB]

People carry for different reasons. He knows how reliable his gun is. He knows how accurate he is with it. He will know whether he's better off using his gun or the nearest rock when push comes to shove. In the meantime, he'll be legally allowed to carry his Jiminez concealed, back and forth between, say, his crowded metro apartment full of gun-haters and the nearest range. All positives and no negatives, AFAIC.

Would you tell a non CCW'er he needs to carry a rock around in his pocket, because he's foolish to trust his life to his fists?

 

[DasFriek]

I have to admit i do have issues with his choices, And it very well could get him killed.
Jimenez- Has a bad reputation of reliability and breakage.
The .22 round is the worst CCW round there is, But better than nothing. But reliability is even questionable even in higher end guns.

A .22 Jimenez for CCW is asking for the "Perfect Storm" of failures when the gun may be needed.

I know a 9mm Hi-Point is large and heavy but would be a much better gun for ccw than what the OP has. If i lost all my guns and had no money if i had too id carry a HP 9mm with no hesitation. But NEVER a Jimenez .22

 

[hartmen]

i have to admit....i didnt expect so many responses to my post. one of the other reasons i choosed the 22lr over a higher caliber pistol is because the weight and size usually goes up and bigger and the price. not only that im still learning how to shoot a pistol properly. if you havent noticed yet the 22lr round is the best learn how to shot em up round there is as far as cost is concerned. shooting 5 boxes of 32cal ammo up is very expensive,

which just reminded myself....ive got a 32cal delinger. yes more reliable than the jimenez but i feel more comfortable with the semiauto over the two shot any day of the week.

not only will i be using the jimenez for my ccw but another main reason is to take it with me to junk yards and such. snakes, dogs, racoons, poseums, angry drunk guys who cant agree on a price. flying lead is 100% better than swinging a pipe.

i bought a 380 about a month ago and i hate it because its so bulcky. extremely heavy. i bought it in haste and regret it now. reminds me of the glock's.

i think the main problem i am having is im buying the value ammo packs from walmart. i think i need to step it up and buy higher grade ammo for the pistol to get away from the duds.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

ive got a 32cal delinger. yes more reliable than the jimenez but i feel more comfortable with the semiauto over the two shot any day of the week.

I would rather have the two rounds that I know for sure are going to fire than to have ten and not know if it's going to work or not.
That's just me.

 

[Sapper771]

I don't put much faith in Kimbers either , GLOOB. Been there, done that. LOL

If I would have paid more than $30 for my particular jeminez, then I guess it would have been a more expensive piece of junk ? Regardless of price....if it doesn't function reliably, then it doesnt function reliably. I have been on both sides of the fence: had a cheap gun that worked and had a very expensive gun that did not work.

I am not disparaging the OP, just posted my experience with the same model.....I will allow the OP to draw his own conclusion. If he wishes to carry it because it is comfortable, then that is his choice.

 

[Hatterasguy]

Your betting your life on it, at least go buy a decent gun.

You can get a Mak for $250ish, or at the very least a Hi Point in 9mm. Those go for about $125.

I'm a big believer in that the bullet doesn't matter much its shot placement that counts. I should caveat it with as long as were talking about something .32ACP and up. .22LR is a training/small game round.

 

[jon_in_wv]

I agree with most the other that the Jimenez is a terifically bad choice for CCW. Two of my first concealed weapons were the Makarov and the keltec P-11. Both are pretty cheap and are a world more capable of defending your hide than the Jimenez. Other good choices would be the P-64, or any number of snub nosed .38s. Any of these could be had for mush less that 300 bucks. Keep the Jiminez and shoot is all you like. Every time it fails, caused by ammo or not, imagine that it happened at the worst time and not just on the range and you will fall out of love with it in a hurry.

BTW. If you can find an FEG, especially the 9HP-PJK. I've always thought they were the unsung heroes of cheap weapons. My 9HP has beautiful bluing and shoots as well as any pistol I've ever shot. I bought it for $225.

 

[litman252]

Hartmen,
You are right that 22 is the easiest to learn on. Most all would agree with you there and recommend the caliber for a newbie to shoot at the range to learn proper sight alignment, trigger control, breathing ect........
What many people here and my self would like to see is you find a used small but reliable .32 or .380 if not a 9mm for cc use. When the drunken guy has hit you with one blow of the pipe or the dog has a grip of your off side arm it's a bad time to rack the slide when it jammed. Most people don't like the gun or caliber you are using for cc, cheap range gun is another issue completely.

Shoot the 22 for range, move up when you can and shoot that enough to test if for reliability and proficiency!
Tony

 

[Vonderek]

Hartmen, you have mentioned in this thread that besides the .22 you also have a derringer and a .380. For the price of these three guns you probably could have bought one good gun you could bet your life on. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a quality gun. Look at a used .38 J-frame or one of Kel Tecs offerings. It's easy to fall into the trap of buying multiple guns until you find one you like. Better to ask your friends what they use and try those or spend a few dollars and go to a range and rent a couple of guns. Try before you buy. Sounds like the Jimenez may not be too reliable plus you gotta carry that sucker with the chamber empty... I applaud you for getting your carry permit and if what you have works for you then that's great.

 

[Olympus]

i bought a 380 about a month ago and i hate it because its so bulcky. extremely heavy. i bought it in haste and regret it now. reminds me of the glock's.

I don't think I've ever heard of a .380 being considered too bulky or heavy. Definitely never heard one being comparative of a Glock...

I'd like to see a side by side comparison of a Jimenez with say a LCP or Kel-Tec. Maybe someone can post a picture...

 

[Onward Allusion]

Probably because gun owners/enthusiasts stick together and don't want harm to come to those who believe in RKBA.

hartmen
i have to admit....i didnt expect so many responses to my post.

 

[Big Bill]

I had a Jennings 22LR for years that was very reliable with minimal care. My wife loved shooting it and even carried it for awhile. She still refers back to that gun and how much she liked it. When I sold it, I got all my money back and then some. I have no complaints.

Here's a question for everyone. If someone was shooting you with a 22, how many shots could/would you take before you'd quit?

 

[Ben86]

i think the main problem i am having is im buying the value ammo packs from walmart. i think i need to step it up and buy higher grade ammo for the pistol to get away from the duds.

I think that may be the problem as well. Most people here are quick to say it's just because its a crappy brand and therefore a crappy gun. Don't listen to them, decide for yourself if it is reliable. Get some really good stuff and see if it improves. Also, it may have a break in period that hasn't been worked through.

 

[Hanzo581]

Nothing wrong with buying cheap guns for the range/plinking. But to not only rely on a .22lr for defense but an unreliable one at that is something that will of course bring lots of flaming.

If he hadn't mentioned CCW this thread would have turned out much different.

 

[ET]

...i think the main problem i am having is im buying the value ammo packs from walmart. i think i need to step it up and buy higher grade ammo for the pistol to get away from the duds.

If you are planning on carrying this gun for ccw you really do need to use premium grade ammo. Value packs are for range/plinking, NOT for SD. Buy the best ammo you can find to carry. Then shoot a few hundred of those rounds thru the gun. If you are still having "dud" problems, THEN you need to reconsider carrying this weapon for self defense.

I don't like to talk bad about other people's guns, but the posters who said that this gun isn't a good SD gun would be right if it doesn't perform with premium ammo in it. Yes, a jamb-o-matic is worse that no gun at all. (unless you find yourself in an emergency which calls for a paper weight)

If he hadn't mentioned CCW this thread would have turned out much different.

You are probably right. I guess because I spend so much time defending everything from Hi-Points to Glocks to Taurus' when posters keep saying that they are nothing but junk that I got into that mode here.

 

[KBintheSLC]

i know its a cheapo gun but i mainly bought it for my concealed weapons permit.

If I was going to spend more on a decent gun, it would be for this purpose. Why would you specifically cheap out for CCW?

 

[Strahley]

At least you're carrying SOMETHING, but jeez, there are so many better options out there. And they use magazines, not clips

 

[jon_in_wv]

My MOST EXPENSIVE weapon in my CCW. The cheap guns sit in the safe and go to the range for a little fun.