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.