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Are Jennings really as bad as everyone says?

mcneely77mcneely77 Member Posts: 411 ✭✭✭
edited May 2002 in General Discussion
O.K, here is the deal. I have a friend that really likes a Jennings .22 for plinking around with. He hasn't bought it and asked me about them. I told him that I had never heard much good about them and used the line, "You get what you pay for". When he asked what experience I had had with them, I told him none. That is just what I have heard. I have seen alot of negative comments about them in past posts, but can anyone be specific about them. And is there anyone brave enough to defend them? I intend to have him look this over in a couple days, assuming I get some responses, so that he can make up his own mind. He has the attitude that it is only $80 NIB and is made in america. Can you help him out?

Do not mistake my kindness for weakness.

IALEFI, ASLET, NRA, and proud owner of a pair of S&W revolvers.
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Comments

  • reb8600reb8600 Member Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If he wants one that bad I have one I will sell him. They are the worst gun I have ever fired. Bad trigger pull, not accurate, they are poorly built. I would use it for a boat anchor but it isnt heavy enough for that either. I wouldnt have another one is you gave them to me. If he has money to waste like that I can give him my address and he can just give it to me, I will use it toward the purchase of a good gun.

    Guncontrol-The ability to hit what your aiming at.
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  • thunderboltthunderbolt Member Posts: 6,041 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used to shoot the Jennings when they first came out. They were light to carry and were inexpensive plinkers. Some ammo just wouldn't feed in them, but if you found a load it liked, it was pretty accurate considering barrel length and fixed sights. Now for the bad news. It seems like later guns have earned bad reports. Ejectors working loose and parts breakage are the frequent complaints. In the long run, you're probably better off saving and getting a Ruger standard model. If you have to get a Jennings, you might be better off picking up a used one, rather than pay a high price for a new one. That way you may be able to test fire it before you buy it.
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  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Garbage!

    Chris8161
    Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
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  • PelicanPelican Member Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Got a friend that has run literally thousands of rounds thru an old J22. Doesn't like to feed the standard velocity stuff very well but anything a bit hotter works fine.
    Think it goes to the fact that whether it be Jennings/Lorcin/Davis or Colt/SIG/Glock sometimes there is a really bad one that puts a terrible taste in someones mouth. With the cheap stuff you hit a bad one more often but if you get a good one it will run with them all.
    Just my five bucks worth (I ain't cheap)

    The Almighty Himself Entrusted the Future of All Living Creatures to a Wooden Boat.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Audemus jura nostra defendere"
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  • RugerNinerRugerNiner Member Posts: 12,636 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shooting a Jennings is like riding a Honda,
    It might be Fun until one of your Friends see You.

    Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!

    Edited by - RugerNiner on 05/06/2002 22:35:39
    Keep your Powder dry and your Musket well oiled.
    NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
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  • 4wheeler4wheeler Member Posts: 3,441
    edited November -1
    yes,yes,yes,they are junk,i have a 22 and keep it hidden in safe. gave $25 dollars for it and it is not worth that. hey rugerniner you hurt my feelings

    "It was like that when I got here".
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  • RosieRosie Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a little J-22 that I bought for $58.00 many years ago and never had a jam. It's nickle plated and cute as it can be! Don't know how many rounds have been put through it. As far as shooting straight it only has a 2 inch barrel and a man sure can't hold a gun that small steady enough to shoot straight. I have a feeling if you were to put it in a vice and fire it you would be surprised at how straight it would shoot.
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  • niklasalniklasal Member Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Allrighty, Ima settle this one...

    I have a J-22 that I bought as a plinker. I too paid $58 for mine, NIB. I took it out to test fire, and it did one of two things.... Jam every single round, or fire 2 or 3 shots full auto. It slam fired as well. I sent it to a gunsmith, spent an extra $30 to get it fixed. Guess what? I fired fine... for about 6 rounds. Then Jam... Jam... Jam... Jam... Jam... try a new clip... Jam... Jam... Jam... Jam... Jam... Jam... You get the idea.

    I'm not concerned with looks or trigger pull or anything like that. All I wanted was something to shoot cheap ammo with. I have heard that a few Jennings have been okay, but A LOT of those people bought theirs more than a few years ago. Maybe today their quality just SUCKS. Save your money.

    If you want a 22 plinker, get a Ruger. They make excellent 22 pistols.

    My gun is prettier than yours, and it's a Glock!
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  • William81William81 Member Posts: 25,353 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I am sure there are a few good ones out there...BUTTTT, the majority of them are turds at best. JMHO....
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  • treedawgtreedawg Member Posts: 321 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    YES
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a Bryco Jennings .380 for a brief time years ago. It appeared to be made out of zinc rather than steel or alloys. The metal was soft, the inner workings subject to easy damage, and the simple blowback action couldn't seem to cycle the action properly. It was a certified jam-o-matic.

    -- Life NRA Member
    If dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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  • Rafter-SRafter-S Member Posts: 2,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Are Jennings really as bad as everyone says?

    The answer to that question is "worse."

    I was a licensed dealer for several years, and Jennings was one of the guns I refused to sell to people. I don't care if they asked for a Jennings. I wouldn't sell one to them. I cared too much about my customers to provide them with junk, and I cared too much about my reputation to be associated with junk--and Jennings falls into the category of junk.

    If your buddy is hell-bent on getting a Jennings, disassociate yourself with his decision. Tell him you recommend against his decision and he's on his own with the purchase.
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  • ysacresysacres Member Posts: 294 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jammin piece of junk, save your money and buy a real gun.

    A hot barrel, is a warm fuzzy feeling.
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  • MercuryMercury Member Posts: 7,830 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Print out all these comments and give them to him......maybe that will stop him, unless he is a real bozo. :P

    My friend had one......couldn't even get $20 for it at the gun show!

    Merc

    NO! You may not have my guns! Now go crawl back into your hole!

    ****************************************

    "Tolerating things you may not necessarily like is part of being free" - Larry Flynt
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  • niklasalniklasal Member Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah. The gunshop offered me only 10 bucks trade in value.


    My gun is prettier than yours, and it's a Glock!
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  • RugerNinerRugerNiner Member Posts: 12,636 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I know of one gun show Vendor who takes them in on Trade and then melts them down so no one else gets a hold of them.

    Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
    Keep your Powder dry and your Musket well oiled.
    NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
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  • beachmaster73beachmaster73 Member Posts: 3,011 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The simian likes his...but his has the special bayonet mount and silencer attachments. Beach
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  • austin247austin247 Member Posts: 375 ✭
    edited November -1
    In response to what dano said...I'd carry both the Jennings (unloaded) and a big stick. That way, if the stick accidentally broke, I could at least use the Jennings as an impromptu set of brass knucks, or throw it at someone and hope I hit 'em in the head.
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  • whiteclouderwhiteclouder Member Posts: 10,574 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My only objection is the trigger, it's terrible. I shoot Vipers in mine and it doesn't jam. Will it last? We'll see. I don't shoot it much but I don't shoot my Bernadelli 'Baby' much either, I prefer the Colt Woodsman MT for plinking.

    Clouder..
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  • 1blitzer1blitzer Member Posts: 72 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a Jennings 22. It was junk. It jammed alot and I got a lot of powder burns from it. I was lucky to sell it for what I paid for it. I bought it, shot it,hated it, and sold it.
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  • wipalawipala Member Posts: 11,067
    edited November -1
    I had one I carried in my takle box for years. It was a POS but I used it to kill Turtles and Gar on my trotline and limb lines. Someone asked why I didn't get a good gun I said cause I wouldn't care if it fell in the river.

    Remember here at DeeDee"s If we can't kill it, it's immortal
    D.D.Snavely
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  • imadorkimadork Member Posts: 147 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No one should support a company that makes saturday night specials specifically for criminal use. Jennings, Davis, Lorcin, and the other junk gun makers are all based in Southern California, they all are owned by relatives in the same family, and they have poor security. Their employees have been linked with street trafficking and they are uncooperative with trace requests. See http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/ for an excellent, excellent documentary on these shady companies. Aside from ethical reasons, the Jennings pistols as far as I know are not safety certified for sale in California (thank goodness), but if you are interested then try reading about them in Gun-Tests magazine. The reviews speak for themselves. Jesus, tell your friend to save up for a little longer and get a used .38 S&W revolver if he's that desperate!
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  • RugerNinerRugerNiner Member Posts: 12,636 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    imadork;
    My first gun was a Raven 25acp. Does that make me a criminal?

    What an asinine thing to say. Most of the people on this board has admitted to owning one or more of these guns.
    I went to that website and the first picture of a "Saturday night Special is a AMT Backup 380cal. A gun I have on order.
    quote: No one should support a company that makes saturday night specials specifically for criminal use....... quoted by imadork






    Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!

    Edited by - RugerNiner on 05/08/2002 07:02:51
    Keep your Powder dry and your Musket well oiled.
    NRA Lifetime Benefactor Member.
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,601 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Worse.

    cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,078 ******
    edited November -1
    What about people who can't afford good guns, even good used ones? Should they be denied protection because they are poor?

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,601 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good question. Frankly, I'm not sure I would consider a Jennings "protection". Unless you mean moral support. I guess I would drop down a notch to "a fair used one" before I would suggest a new Jennings. I would have rather been at the OK Coral with my NAA 22 than with a Jennings!

    Just my opinion.


    cbxjeffIt's too late for me, save yourself.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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