Lorcin, Byrco and family

[Halo]

The first pistol I ever shot was a Lorcin 380. My dad bought it because at the time neither of us were "gun people" and didn't really plan to do much shooting, so figured it would be fine for those purposes. I'm not sure we ever made it through a whole magazine without a stovepipe or some sort of failure. Based on my statistical sample of exactly 1, I wouldn't trust a Lorcin for any sort of defensive purpose. And while I do agree with the argument that guns shouldn't be so prohibitively expensive that entire segments of the population remain defenseless, I also don't think it is elitist to point out that these guns are generally crap.

 

[sm]

Do you think Earl Sheib or Maaco offer a class in spray painting guns?

I think they have been, just did not know it. *grin*

--

Seriously.

1. We have taken these and made them into training guns.
A busted gun bought cheap, or given to us, and disable it being able to take a round in the chamber, and fire.
Paint it and use it for a teaching , instruction tool.

All sorts of lessons can be used with such a gun, even being small.

2. Make items out of them.

a. Lucite, and put a assembled gun in a Lucite bookend, and another taken apart for the other bookend.

b. Taken apart, attached to a nice background and sealed in a glass /Plexiglas shadow box.

Some folks have hammers, or slides or whatever and do a collage if you will of from various guns.
Akin to having a cartridge collection.

 

[Ltlabner]

I understand some folks just don't have a lot of money, but there's plenty of decent options at the low end of the spectrum; Bersa, Tarus, police trade in Glocks and Beretta 92FS's, older CZ's, etc.

But why go with the lowest cost option just because it's the lowest cost option. That's a really short-sighted view to take. While those sorts of folks like to think they're really being slick, more often than not they are jumping over a $20 to get to a $5.

Sorry, while I like to save money too, I don't see any glory in being the lowest cost option as the main decision making criterion. If you are that one-dimentional in your thinking...well.....*I* wouldn't want to be the one you are "protecting".

 

[cpaspr]

Here's my take

mbt2001 -
Why do folks crap on Lorcin, Jennings, Bryco family guns? I have owned several for years now, no issues. Fire FMJ's (like winchester white box) and they are fine. They don't feed HP's that well...

I'll ignore pretty much all the other responses, though I did read them, and answer mpt2001's original query, from my perpective.

I have only ever handled one of these. A Davis Industries .380. It was given to me with the express request that I not sell it, as the person who gave it to my giftor might some day want it back. Hope that's clear, but if it isn't it's just background info and not too important.

What is more important is that I have it, and I've shot it several times. With Speer gold dots. It's gone bang every time, and has not had a single failure to feed. That's the good stuff.

The bad stuff is twofold. Shooting two handed, slow, at five yards or less, it strung five bullets vertically over about 18" top to bottom, when all were aimed at the same point. That is the worst POI/POA discrepancy I have ever seen. The second problem with it is that the instructions specifically say to NOT keep a round in the chamber, as the safety is iffy. When a person NEEDS a gun, they need it right now. They do not necessarily have time to rack the slide. That said, I suppose if a person truly had only this one gun to rely on, they could train to draw and rack in one motion, Israeli style.

So - why do people crap on them? In a nutshell, because they're frequently poorly made, and very often not very reliable. And, from my perspective, they have a hard time hitting minute of barn door.

 

[akodo]

hey guys, lets get back to cutting guns with knives, come on post some pics if it can be done!

 

[makarovnik]

I own several and they all work fine. Parts are also amazingly inexpensive.

I love the simple design of the striker sytem and sear but I will not carry with one in the pipe because the safety only blocks the sear and not the firing pin. The safeties are usually plastic which sounds cheap but should work fine.

There is a list somewhere of which ones did well in the "drop test".

 

[wristtwister]

Excellent paperweight

I talked with one of my gun dealer friends the other week and he said it's illegal in South Carolina for him to even have one of the "SNS" guns in his shop. I laughingly told him about buying one at a gun show some time back before getting "up to speed" on current firearms histories, etc. when I started back shooting again.

I have a Bryco Jeinnings Model 59 but after reading all the bad stuff about them on the internet, I've just got it put up as a "lesson" gun. I got stiffed when I bought it, and learned my lesson.

The gun looks good, and runs good dry firing, but from the injury reports... I'm satisfied to keep it on the shelf. I've got some "real guns" to shoot, and keep this one more because it's illegal to trade it at my local gun shop, and I'm not into "stiffing" somebody else just because I did something stupid once.
If our local police ever do a "buy up" of SNS weapons, I'll take it in, but for now, I have a paperweight.

WT

 

[mbt2001]

hey guys, lets get back to cutting guns with knives, come on post some pics if it can be done!

It's called engraving...

 

[mbt2001]

I hope that you do not have a secret agenda with your posts..like trying to boost the sales of these things...guess what it is a waste of time...THR is not the kind of audience will ever fall for that....

Nothing high road is occuring to me here...

I would never ever buy an Hi-Point, however they work reasonably well I have to admit that..

That is my problem with your posts. You are admiting that you have tertiary experience with them at best, but feel qualified in making some kind of criticism.

 

[saturno_v]

You forgot to read that I SAW the "guns" we are talking about in action at the range..

Hi-Point flawless....the SNS guns jamming and breaking...facts...

This is as much as direct experience I want to get with them....

 

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do folks crap on Lorcin, Jennings, Bryco family guns? I have owned several for years now, no issues.

I owned one, briefly, so I suppose my experience with the Bryco line will be considered valid.

I didn't even get through that first box of ball ammunition. It malfed three different ways before it jammed up with the firing pin lodged in between the side of the (unfired) primer and the primer pocket. To repeat: The action was jammed open with the firing pin stuck against a live round. I was lucky not to lose an eye. At that point, I'd had enough.

The gun shop took it back and I purchased a S&W 9mm, which I still proudly own.

If the gun works for any of you, fine. I'm not offended. I don't even consider you a "hater" of fine-quality firearms. But there's no way you're going to convince me it's a valid choice that I should consider. I've already been down that road.

In a life or death situation, I'd rather have a pair of running shoes. Or a can of Easy-Off. Or a big rock. I can count on any of those to do what they're supposed to.

There are many good, inexpensive guns out there: The Makarov. Colt and S&W revolvers. Shotguns of every brand. They cost only a little bit more than a single Bryco.