going to buy a jimenez


seeley booth

New member
soon as i'm over this cold of mine.. when bill goodmans knife and gun show returns next month
i'm gonna buy a jimenez 9MM i saw a review on youtube the guy mis prnounce the name
the J is silence.. i owned a high point 9MM to heavy i handled the jimenez it felt right
 

It is the same as the old Bryco/Jennings guns... I would avoid it.

I went searching, 'cause I was not familar with the name. Only so.so reviews Most listed them as inexpensive. I don't know If I'd be willing to trust my Wiphe's and my life on one. Maybe ok for a pinker... ?????
 
worth reading!

The info below was collected from "All Experts" page on the Internet. I have done some editing:biggrin:

Jimenez Arms was formed from the wreckage of Bryco Arms, which declared bankruptcy after a court awarded damages to someone injured by one of their defective handguns. The LA Times reported on Feb. 4, 2005, that the California Department of Justice ordered Jimenez Arms (which is based in Costa Mesa) to stop manufacturing the JA-9 pistol on Jan. 13 of this year. (The story can be found at: Firm Told to Stop Making Handgun - Los Angeles Times...)

With firearms, the old adage "You get what you pay for" is truer than in many other situations.

As for the JA-9, I wouldn't shoot it. The article mentioned "parts coming off" the guns during testing. Considering that 9mm semi-automatic pistols harness the 360 or so foot-pounds of energy the 9mm cartridge generates upon firing to operate the weapon, that's a considerable amount of force being applied to a firearm of suspect workmanship. The last thing you'd want is for the slide to break free of the frame while firing (since when you're aiming, your face is behind the slide and that's where it's heading).

Tight budge? I believe this may be the case because you also mentioned looking at Hi-Points. Here are some other suggestions;

Bersa, an Argentina-based firm, produces a pistol they call the "Thunder," in .380 ACP and .45 Auto. The .380 version can be had for about $275 new and the .45 goes for about $465. They are solid little guns.

The old Ceska Zbrojovka company in the Czech Republic has been producing their CZ line of pistols for decades and they are of very high quality given their relative price. CZs are distinctive in that their slide fits completely inside the frame, as opposed to attaching to the outside of it; thus giving the pistols a very streamlined look. New CZ 75-series pistols start at about $490, though used ones are common and can be had for quite a fair price.

The EAA Witness is a clone of the CZ 75 and a well-built one at that. They can be had with either steel or polymer frames starting at about $450 in a variety of calibers and finishes.

Taurus has really turned their game around, in terms of firearm quality, over the last decade. Their Beretta-clone PT-99 series are of decent quality and backed by a no-questions-asked lifetime guarantee.

Smith & Wesson arms tend to be a bit on the pricy side, but their Enhanced Sigma Series of pistols are among the least expensive at about $379 to start with. They're based on the Glock design (so much so, Glock sued S&W) and feature a polymer frame and a Glock-like internal striker mechanism. Also like Glocks, they don't have an external manual safety.

Don't shy away from used guns. Firearms are the ultimate durable good. As long as they've been treated reasonably well, they last forever.
 
Ah!! The 'Jammin' Jennings".

The nickname kinda tells the whole story.

A lot of the Jimenez guns were made from leftover Jennings/Bryco parts. Since the Jennings had a rep for being unreliable, I seriously doubt the gun that were made from the the left over parts are going to be any better. My advice is to save your money, keep saving up and when you have enough to buy a REAL gun that's going to be reliable. Used but not abused guns are a great dollar saver and you can dicker with the gun shop counter person more because they usually buy them for half or less of the actual value.
 
I bought a Jennings 9mm in either '98 or '99. I got what I paid for. $150 I'll never get back. Wouldn't trust it with my life. Not even a good plinker. starts to fall apart half way thru a mag. If you can get it to fire consecutively. I saw the article on Jennings. I saw a Jimenez at my local shop. Looked exactly the same, just different name.
Crap gun. The pin that holds the extractor claw in starts to work its way out. The cocked indicator will move out too far and almost fall out. I've put less thsan 100 rounds thru it and the main recoil spring has fatigued. The slide doesn't return all the way some times.
I would make a great paper weight. and would scare some one that doesn't know about Jennings(Jimenez) quality. You'ld have better luck throwing a hand full of rounds at some one then hoping the damn thing fires.
 
I did some work for a guy a few months ago. Lo and behold, when I was finished, he couldn't pay me. He said that he had these two pistols that he had just gotten that he would give me and get me some cash about a week or so later. Something is better than nothing, so I took them. They were identical Jiminez .380's. I also got 200 rounds for them, too. I've shot both of them about 30-40 times each. They both jammed on the first three rounds. After that, they were pretty accurate. The slides aren't very smooth, and there are too many horror stories about them for me to depend on them. I've carried one as a backup gun a few times. They are something I'll hang on to as a last resort, or something to trade if I find something I really want. It's not something that has kept me up at night wishing I had more of, though.
 
The Jimenez 9mm is part of the 'ring of fire' firearms. I sold a group of them back in the 80's because they were inexpensive. I told all my customers not to expect them to be a range gun just to expect them to be a last resort firearm. In some states they are considered to be a Saturday night special and are illegal. The melting point of the material is very low so they won't hold up to a lot of firing. Save up your money and try to get something a little better. You'll be glad you did in the long run!
 
I'd never heard of one until 2 days ago until my neighbor was out popping a few rounds off in one. I went over to look at
it and while it looks pretty, the trigger pull must have been 12-15 lbs. Turned me off immediately.
 
I went to a gun show with a lawyer buddy of mine, and we saw some of these for sale. He told me there were more Jimenez firearms in the PD evidence locker than any other handgun. Those are the ones that weren't melted down.

I know another guy who carried a Jennings .32 for a while and never had a problem with it, but he said he wouldn't trust one chambered in anything larger than .380.
 
+1 RH
The Jimenez 9mm is part of the 'ring of fire' firearms. I sold a group of them back in the 80's because they were inexpensive. I told all my customers not to expect them to be a range gun just to expect them to be a last resort firearm. In some states they are considered to be a Saturday night special and are illegal. The melting point of the material is very low so they won't hold up to a lot of firing. Save up your money and try to get something a little better. You'll be glad you did in the long run!

Back eirlier today when I looked up the Manufacture, Jimenez, the reviews brought the term Saturday Night Special to mind. I kind believe only half of what I hear out of Wikipedia, and use a lot of salt on the other half. With that in mind there is a post on Wikipedia that does list Jimenez...
Saturday night special - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Legal "junk gun" definitions
Legal definition of a "junk gun" usually restrict the materials that can be used in the manufacture of said gun, targeting zinc castings, low melting points (usually 800 degrees Fahrenheit), powder metallurgy, and other low-cost manufacturing techniques. As nearly all guns made this way are chambered for low pressure cartridges, such as .22 Long Rifle and .25 ACP, these techniques provide sufficient strength for the low powered cartridges and desirable weight and cost savings. The low strength materials and cheap construction result in poor durability and marginal accuracy at longer ranges, but as most of these guns are designed for use in self defense , accuracy and durability are not primary design goals. Most guns targeted by the "junk gun" bans are made by a group of current or former manufacturers in the Los Angeles, California area, such as Bryco Arms, Jimenez Arms, Jennings Firearms, Raven Arms, and Phoenix Arms (the latter so-called because it "rose from the ashes" of Raven Arms, after the Raven Arms' factory fire). All of these past and present companies are linked by various family ties, and are collectively known as the "Ring of Fire." Their guns sell for as little as US$50 new. Other legislation targets specific inexpensive models by highly reputable manufacturers such as Colt, Taurus, Smith & Wesson and Ruger.
 
people told me to stay away from hi-point i owned two.. they said would be goold use as a anchor on a boat
and the people at target world to me to stay away from taurus the guy behind the counter said the judge is junk
sure he wants me to spend over 500 to a grand for a gun but it's not in my budget
 
people told me to stay away from hi-point i owned two.. they said would be goold use as a anchor on a boat
and the people at target world to me to stay away from taurus the guy behind the counter said the judge is junk
sure he wants me to spend over 500 to a grand for a gun but it's not in my budget

He is wrong about the "judge" being a junk gun. Yes, a salesman is going to want you to spend as much as you can... You need to do your homework... find a good deal on something slightly used. Like I said before, don't shy away from a good used handgun. A used handgun that has been taken care of will out last you. I have seen used 2nd generation Glocks in excellent condition for under $350.
 
A used handgun that has been taken care of will out last you.

+1. I've purchased several used guns, and have never had issues with them. The last one I got was from a local store, and they sold it new to someone, who brought it back a while later and traded it. They said that they knew the guy who had it first, and he was very meticulous about his stuff, and they would back up anything going wrong with it. In most cases, I would rather buy used than new with almost anything, except underwear.
 
He is wrong about the "judge" being a junk gun. Yes, a salesman is going to want you to spend as much as you can... You need to do your homework... find a good deal on something slightly used. Like I said before, don't shy away from a good used handgun. A used handgun that has been taken care of will out last you. I have seen used 2nd generation Glocks in excellent condition for under $350.

I got several great deals on Glock pistols that were "pre-owned". A few of them still had the copper grease put on at the factory. There are many reasons why people change their minds after purchasing a firearm. As long as the gun has been checked out by a competent person, I'd have no problem purchasing a "pre-owned" firearm. You'll get a good deal as well as save some $$.



gf
 
I've owned Hi Points and they are heavy, unhandy, and dependable once broken in. I'd never carry one for self defense if there were something better available. I've never owned a Jimenez, but if forced to choose between that and the Hi Point, I'd unhappily carry the HP. If you're determined to buy one you should read the forum where the fans post:
bryco-jennings-jimenezarms.com :: Index

I picked up a surplus FEG PA-63 a while back when they were common. I paid $99 for it and would carry it before any of the choices you've listed. I think you'd do well to look at inexpensive surplus pistols.
Link Removed
CZ-82 Czech 9x18 Makarov Military Pistol Part #CZ82-GUN
That's two companies and two more dependable choices -- there are plenty of others.
 
Right on!!!

I've owned Hi Points and they are heavy, unhandy, and dependable once broken in. I'd never carry one for self defense if there were something better available. I've never owned a Jimenez, but if forced to choose between that and the Hi Point, I'd unhappily carry the HP. If you're determined to buy one you should read the forum where the fans post:
bryco-jennings-jimenezarms.com :: Index

I picked up a surplus FEG PA-63 a while back when they were common. I paid $99 for it and would carry it before any of the choices you've listed. I think you'd do well to look at inexpensive surplus pistols.
Link Removed
CZ-82 Czech 9x18 Makarov Military Pistol Part #CZ82-GUN
That's two companies and two more dependable choices -- there are plenty of others.

the CZ-82 is a great weapon. as is The Makarov. if money is a issue, it is for us, you CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THESE CHOICES. The P64 is good too. i gave mine to my brother as a gift. ol' knucklehead sold it:angry::angry::angry:
 
soon as i'm over this cold of mine.. when bill goodmans knife and gun show returns next month
i'm gonna buy a jimenez 9MM i saw a review on youtube the guy mis prnounce the name
the J is silence.. i owned a high point 9MM to heavy i handled the jimenez it felt right

I hope you don't plan to use it except for maybe a paper weight.
 

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