How Bad Is It?

[Mcuraddoc]

Because of various events, I have recently become a hand-gun owner. The gun that I purchased is a Jennings 9mm. After taking it to the range several times and shooting it, I have become familiar with the gun and have even been able to hit the target. I've had no issues and I think the gun will work for me...it has thus far.

Recently, I got online to see who made this gun, how old it is and what other people thought about it. Evidently, the gun isn't real popular and people don't like it. I probably should have done this research before I purchased it, but the price was right and a handgun is a handgun (or, so I thought).

Can someone please clear up the following: Do people not like the gun because of the multiple reports of mis-fires and jams reported? Or, is the weapon going to crack and then explode in my hand? In other words, do people think this gun is just a poor quality product? Or, is there a legitimate safety issue?

Thanks!

 

[357fan]

I have never shot a Jennings. I have a friend that shot one literally to pieces, a 380 if I recall. It didn't explode, it just kinda came apart in his hands. I also looked at a used one once, the safety lever had no tension on it, so you couldn't tell if it was on safe or not.

With issues like those I would not feel comfortable using a Jennings for self defense.

I wold suggest a used Smith & Wesson in 38 special, or if you are set on an auto, a new Bersa 9mm or Hi point 9mm. I know the Hi Point looks like crap, but they go bang every time and they have a lifetime warranty.

All that said, welcome to the world of being a gun owner. You've found a great community with a wealth of knowledge here. Learn all you can. Then teach others.

 

[khegglie]

My first gun was a new Bryco-Jennings.
It is a single action striker fired Zinc metal fire arm. It wasgenerally reliabe.
It was a good tool to learn about firearms; then quickly transition to something better.
Welcome aboard APRN

 

[stevek]

From one RN to another...I would be hesitant to rely on any gun with such a dismal record. If you want to stay with the 9mm round, and can afford a better weapon, you would be much better served by a Glock, S&A XD, S&W M&P etc. Or for a little more a Sig or H&K. Just my .02. Welcome to the Forum and stay safe.

 

[Majic]

They lack quality which accounts for a lot of things and the number one reason it's priced so low.

 

[bikerdoc]

It is a poor quality pistol with some bad history.NOT a good choice for SD.
Research and get something else

 

[jad0110]

Welcome to THR!

Most people do have bad experiences with them, but I know one fellow who has a 9mm Jennings and it has run flawlessly for the 20 years he has had it. I guess they turned out good ones now and then.

Since your's has proven to be reliable thus far, I'd stick with it until you can save up some cash for a better quality 9mm - assuming you'd like to stick to the same caliber for simplicity purposes. Some of the best deals going are used S&W 9mm autos. They are solid, dependable guns that can be had for under $300. Heck, I've seen new ones sell for as little as $309, but that was a year or two ago. Great choice, if you don't mind a Double Action/Single Action trigger (the first pull is a longer, heavier double action pull that cocks the hammer, while all subsequent shots are a shorter SA pull (the slide cocks the hammer).

As for Hi-Points, a lot of people bash them, but most seem to work just fine. I do agree, they are so ugly that I'm not sure that even Hi-Point thinks they look nice .

One last thing: as a new gun owner, you would benefit tremendously from having a 22LR handgun of some type one day. See how this never ends? 22LR ammo is dirt cheap (550 rounds at Wal-Mart for $14), which equals hours of affordable, flinch-free practice.

 

[redraidermgr]

The only history Ii have had was a brother in law that had a jennings 22 pocket pistol. He said it would never fail that every third round it would jam up pretty bad (failure to eject), and it did.

 

[C-grunt]

They are generally known to not be very reliable and not very well made. If yours works fine thats great. Some of them do work fine, but the general consensus is thats not the norm. Plus the gun gets a bad rap because they are used a lot in crimes. I dont know why but cheap guns get stolen a lot.

If you decide to upgrade, send me a PM and I can help you find a good shop that will take care of you.

 

[weregunner]

Do this about once a week. LOL

Bryco Pistols, Jennings Pistols and Jiminez Pistols
Jimenez Arms resumed manufacturing former Jennings Firearms and Bryco Arms models, after only changing the name and model numbers on the slides of the models.
http://bryco-jennings-jimenezarms.com/bryco.html

There's the reference to the forum.

www.cobrapistols.com

This is the site for the company that took over or combined with Jennings.

 

[mainmech48]

A better made option still in the same budget range would be the EAA-imported Zastava M88, IMO.

It's basically a Soviet-era Tokarev TT-33 in 9x19, slightly updated for import. Vastly better materials and a relatively simple, battle-proven (if dated) design.

"Street" price NIB in my area averages about $239 NIB.

My personal experience with Jennings' products has been limited to two examples, one .22 LR and one .380 ACP. Neither was even marginally acceptable in terms of reliability, and both incorporated major components made of Zamak, a "mold casting" alloy composed primarily of zinc.

It's not well suited to firearms, with the possible exceptions of period reproduction "cap" guns or decorative "wallhanger" dummies".

FWIW, in other areas would you willingly purchase something that your very life might someday depend on based upon what carries the absolute bottom-dollar price?

 

[Crazy Fingers]

Come on guys, the OP never asked people to tell him what a "better option" was. He was asking why the reputation is so poor when his works fine. After that, he wants to know if there is any danger to himself.

Only you can determine if you are comfortable using this firearm for self defense. The Jennings get a real bad rap, but a lot of people who will put them down have never even shot one. This is very common in the firearms world -- people are completely blinded by their love or disdain for a particular firearm, which they spout loudly. This causes the notion to spread to others. The next thing you know, the Colt 1911 is the greatest firearm that could ever possibly exist, and the Hi-Point is supposedly more likely to kill you than the person you are shooting at. The fact is that the truth is always somewhere in the middle. The Jennings are in general poorly made, but that does not mean they cannot be effective, especially if you have a good one.

As for longevity, if you go out there and shoot a few thousand rounds through it, it probably won't last. But the fact is that it is pretty hard to "shoot out" most pistols. I would keep an eye out for cracks in the metal of the gun, but wouldn't assume that it's going to break at any second based solely on reputation.

If you take one thing away from this post, make it this: the gun world is full of misinformation, paranoia, and flat out lies. Not that it isn't a great hobby, but you need to get honest information from multiple sources. Fortunately, you've come to the right place.

If your Jennings is reliable (no problems in the last few hundred rounds), you are comfortable with it, and you don't WANT to buy anything else, then use it. A Jennings will kill somebody just as dead as a thousand dollar pistol. Lots of liquor store clerks could attest to that.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Not much to add. Jennings firearms, like most other inexpensive weapons, are challenging and often fun to shoot. For self defense, though, I would classify them as substandard - as different from a regular firearm as a space-saver spare tire is from a regular tire.

It is possible to use space-saver tires. It would be challenging to use them well. It would not be advisable to rely solely upon them.

 

[JCMAG]

I have a way of looking at firearms. I believe one should get the best quality firearm they can for the best price that they can. This price will almost always be higher than a lower quality firearm.

But firearms of good quality will last you a lifetime, so, if you're going to bet your life on it and/or have it for a very long time, it ought to be of sufficient quality to leave you satisfied.

Were I in your boots, I would err on the side of caution concerning these many, many failure reports and upgrade at the next available opportunity.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I don't own one and I won't own one...

 

[scrat]

I don't own one and I won't own one...

Agree but since you do. i think it would be a good idea to have it checked out by a gunsmith. today its working ok. However tomorrow it may come apart in your hands. So for your own safety as well as the safety of others get it checked out. Jennings made some very cheap guns. very very cheap

 

[Quiet]

Hope you didn't pay more than $100 for your Jennings 9mm.

I believe they use to sell for about $80 back in the late80s/early90s.

 

[Z71]

I've seen pics of broken slides on the various Bryco models, usually .380's.

I've also seen a couple that were Jam-O-Matics, and the owner wanted me to work on them. These were also .380's. I won't work on the guns.

I have owned a couple J-22 little pistols. The first one worked great! The second one will only run on CCI Stingers. Kind of scary that the pot metal made little pistol will only run on about the most powerful .22 ammo available!

If it works, it works. Use it until it breaks or you can afford something better. No big deal. I personally wouldn't own one for self protection, however, I don't need one for self protection either. I'm about rear end deep in 9mm pistols the way it is.

The worst thing about these pistols, is that once you buy one, you are pretty much stuck with it! Many gun dealers won't accept them as trade-ins. They usually end up in pawn shops where the previous owner has managed to dump them for a few bucks. That or in police evidence lockers from being confiscated by the cops during a drug bust or other crime!

These brand guns are not the choice of fighting/guntoting men worldwide for various reasons. The paramount one being the ultimate lack of reliability and durability needed for a serious handgun. The Bryco/Jennings pistols are like disposable lighters. Use them until they quit, then throw them away.

 

[Fat Boy]

I owned a Jennings .22 caliber auto in the late 1970's...it ran fine for the short time I owned it; however, I didn't shoot it a great deal. My aversion to the brand is that it is made from what many consider inferior quality material, and has a higher than desirable failure rate.

 

[lamazza]

I wont own a gun that is not realiable.

 

[goon]

I knew a guy who had one.
As far as I can remember, he never had any issues with it. I shot it a few times and it did seem to work alright.
The problems I've mostly heard of are with reliability and durability.
Seems like yours is reliable so you don't need to worry about that too much.
For durability it might make sense to not shoot it a whole lot unless you're not worried about replacing it soon.

 

[gunseller2]

I have a Jennings 22 that I bought many years ago...it works most of the time. It was a BUG when I couldn't afford anything else. I can't imagine tasking it's technology with the pressure of a 9mm. If that's the best your budget will allow than so be it. It probably beats a sharp stick...well maybe.

 

[bmitchell]

I inherited a J-22 from my deceased grandmother. It was still in the box when I got it and I have put several hundred (if not over a thousand) rounds through it since.
Some ammo doesn't function well but most bulk pack stuff will go fine. Never had any sort of catastrophic failure. The striker spring in mine won't shoot some of the harder rimmed ammo (like CCI Stinger) but I've put lots of Remington Golden Bullet through.
I trust it about as much as any other .22 I own.

 

[CountGlockula]

Think of it as a "starter" gun. In a few months or so start looking into another highly recommended pistol...like a Glock.

 

[Justin]

Jennings won't hold up to any sort of serious round count. It's unlikely that the gun will fail catastrophically enough to result in an injury. What will probably happen is that as you shoot it, the wear and tear from use will accumulate faster than a better made firearm resulting in the weapon jamming.