A similar thing happened to a friend of mine with a Charter Arms Bulldog .44spl. The cylinder quite litterally blew up and he's lucky he didn't lose his hand. And to top it off, it took Charter Arms an entire year to replace it for him. Awful customer service!
I wouldn't trust my life with a Charter Arms revolver, and I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life with a Jennings. They have a tendency to go off accidentally, with no touch to the trigger. I met one dumb@$$ who kept a loaded Jennings .22 cocked and locked in his back right pocket. I figure it'll pierce his cheeks long before anyone tries to mug him. I hope that moron has since followed my advice and sold the living daylights out of it. Or, better for the world, tossed it in a fireplace and forgotten about it!
I'm anxious to know what was traded for the Jennings... If it was anything above a chewed-on pencil I'm afraid I'm going to have to weep on your behalf... But since its yours now, enjoy it! Or sell it for a box of good ammo for something else. If you're in the market for small cheapies, have you ever considered a Kel-Tec? They're good quality, especially for the money. Well, that's my personal opinion, anyway...
TRL