Cobra & J.A.

[GunLvrNLearner]

I am very new to guns so bare with me for lack of knowledge.


I see Cobras and J.A. at places and VERY INEXPENSIVE

What are the opinions on these brands?

I've heard good about Cobra and a lot of bad about J.A. but have no clue

Also the Cobras i see are colors like blue or red,whats with the coloring?

Thanks

 

[kingpin008]

Prepare for the flood of posters screaming about how they're only good for paperweights, trot line sinkers, throwing in a lake, etc.

Bottom line is this - they're extremely cheap guns. That means that like anything, you get what you pay for. Does that mean that every single one of them is a piece of trash that's not worth owning? Of course not. Does it mean that they're going to have a lower quality of workmanship, cheaper materials, and a higher chance of defects and malfunctions? Absolutely.

In general, there are always better options than going with these types of budget guns, but there are also some cases where it comes down to buying one and having something to help you defend yourself, and having nothing but bare fists. Some people forget that, or just don't plain understand it in the first place. The guns have their uses, but those uses are limited.

EDIT - As far as the colors, it could be something like duracoat or anodizing (unlikely, given the low cost of these guns) or even spraypaint. I know that the guy who owns Hesse/Vulcan/Bobcat/etc has been known to use spraypaint as a finish on his weapons, rather than a more appropriate and durable finish. These could very well be the same type of thing.

 

[GunLvrNLearner]

I hear a lot of ppl attack Hi Point although i have one and outside of it being ugly it works for me fine


Would Cobra be considered better than J.A. or is it the other way?

 

[Vonderek]

These guns will not stand up to long term use....made to shoot a little and sit in a drawer. Do not expect to get a lot of practice time with them. And that's not a good thing.

 

[msgttbar]

MY OPINION with some experience. The smaller calibers (below 380) will work just fine and serve you well as plinkers. You should not carry these guns with a chambered round. With lower pressures (32, 25, and 22) the biggest problems you will have are with magazines. The JA-22 with good magazines is a fun little 22 to plink with.

 

[Jeep Driver]

Cobra

I have a Patriot .380 and it serves me very well. I have over1,000 rds through mine, and it works for me.

 

[kingpin008]

GunLuvR - To be fair, there have been a lot more reports of issues arising from Hi-Point pistols than the carbines. I have a 995 carbine, and love it - but probably won't be picking up one of the pistols anytime soon. But, any company can be a little hit and miss sometimes.

As far as Cobra/Jennings goes - all things considered, I'd imagine that the quality is about the same. I don't have any personal experience with either brand, but they're both in the category of "pot metal" or "saturday night special" (man, I hate that connotation. thank the gun-grabbers for that one) guns. You might find a few shining examples of each brand here or there, but overall, the quality isn't going to be great on either.

I'll agree with Msgttbar, in that the smaller calibers seem to give the best results. I've read more than a few posts written by folks who have J22's, and have been shooting them for years (within reason, of course) with nary a problem. But talk to those who own the larger calibers (.380, 9mm) and you really start to hear the problems pop up. Makes sense when you think about it, I guess - the smaller the round, relatively speaking, the less stresses on the gun.

 

[GunLvrNLearner]

Is J.A. a Jennings or a Jamiraz(sp) ??

 

[VHinch]

Is J.A. a Jennings or a Jamiraz(sp) ??

Both actually. The company started life as Jennings Arms, has been bought and sold several times, and the current iteration is Jimenez Arms.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Got 3 new Cobras in 380 at gun shop last week. Not of them would fire. These were brand new Rack slide pull trigger nothing. Shop owner not happy camper.

 

[jim147]

Bryco, Jennings and Jimenez are the same company bankrupt and sold name change reopen.

I don't bash any of these guns because they do serve a purpose.
But I would not make it a primary defense weapon.
I have a Raven .25 I have had for 16 years it still functions fine. I also have a JA-9 that I am working on for my brother in law that only works with one of the six mags he had with it.
I Don't have any experience with the Cobra.
The Hi Point pistols seem to get better reviews all the time.
Another choice in an inexpensive pistol would be a used Ruger P 89 or similar.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

 

[Maelstrom]

I have a Raven .25 I have had for 16 years it still functions fine. I also have a JA-9 that I am working on for my brother in law that only works with one of the six mags he had with it.

If you shoot someone with a .25, and he finds out he's been shot, he's gonna be mad.