Bryco...really that bad?

[standard issue]

I've never heard anything good about Bryco/Jennings/Davis/Lorcin (often the
same company operating under different names, it would seem), but I'm about
to get a Bryco (Jennings) .380 in an automotive deal as a "throw in", to kind
of "sweeten" the deal. Now, dont misunderstand me here. I'm under no illusions,
as to the value of this pistol. But as a freebie, hell, I'll take it.

I just wonder why all the big fuss about these cheapie pistols. I looked at it,
and it seems solid enough. It's ergonomicly poor, but it's not a combat pistol.
It's a straight blowback, looks like it's make out of steel. Might just be plated
zinc though. Hard to tell. Doesnt look like it comes apart real easily. No take
down lever or obvious pin you can remove to strip it. The magazine is junky
at best. I havent shot it, so that remains to be seen, and frankly I'm not
expecting much. But hey, free gun. I mean, come on. How many of you could
honestly say you would turn that down? Not many, I imagine.

Unless you're a gun snob...but still...It's *free*...at worst, you could use
it as trading fodder during "hard times".

Anyway, I was just hoping for some feedback about this pistol. Horror stories,
glowing reviews (hah! ), and general remonstrations are all welcome.

standard issue

[big daddy 9mm]

if its free than by all means take it. but I would consider it only a very frusterating plinking gun if that. I have a bryco 9mm and it sucks. it jams almost every bullet and the firing pin broke and I want to sell it. if you like your new bryco enough and you want another one, let me know but dont get your hopes up, but hey! maybe you will get a good one. :barf:

[Wildalaska]

No


Worse than bad

WildtossitAlaska

[jonathon]

I was bored today, and I was tinkering with a Bryco "38"(Jennings Model 38 basically), and when I took it out to see what it would do.. it fired alright, bit my hand, and the cocked hammer indicator conked me in the forehead, it sprang out. Fired afterwords to.. only put 3 rounds through it, then I decided I didn't have a death wish

Going to have a friend of mine take care of it for me.... probably stick it in a bucket full of concrete and use it as a wieght

[packa45]

I have a Jennings/Bryco .380 in stainless like you're talking about. It's a cast slide and frame that fits poorly and shoots poorly. I can point shoot it out to 15 feet fairly effective but beyond that is spotty at best. It doesn't fail to feed or eject but I took the Dremel to it. Good luck.

[XavierBreath]

I'd just tell the fellow to put $5 worth of gas in the car's tank and keep the Bryco.
Yep, it's that bad.

[JMag]

Yes, really, really bad... :barf:

[Sum1_Special]

gun snobs and people who aren't very handy will give you [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] about it, but i think they can be alright pistols. if you got enough balls to take a dremel to it then you could make it pretty reliable... of course thats how far you could go with a dremel, it wont make the gun more accurate or sturdier, thats the job of the manufacturer. its a fact the pot metal slide wont last long with a caliber like 9mm, but it could probably stand up to .380 and .22 for a while.

i have a 2 jennings j-22s(.22lr model) and a phoenix arms .25 acp raven and they are fine little pocket pistols for the price. but both are saturday night specials. if it jams do what packa45 said, take a dremel to it. dont be afraid, it wouldn't matter too much if you break it. read my last post in my thread. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=171976 (someone bump that thread for me would ya? )

look up a lot of info on the web on how to polish the rough spots out if you need to, do it the wrong way and you'll mess up the gun.

[utaherrn]

It will lessen the value of the weight!

[Gonzo_308]

look up a lot of info on the web on how to polish the rough spots out if you need to, do it the wrong way and you'll mess up the gun.

I'm curious how one messes up a Bryco? That's like saying watch your step you'll ruin the dog poo in the yard!

Call me a snob if you like but disposable isbeing nice when it comes to these guns.

I'd prefer to have something useful instead of that.

Fuel for the car, a quart of oil, anything I can use. "This guy essentially said I'll sell you/buy your car but you gotta take my garbage to the curb for me."

[glock19er]

what type of car are you buying.a yugo.take the handgun and deactivate it and mount it on your hood for a ornament.the cheap polish slide will sure make a car look better and the weight of it will hold the front of the car down for better grip on the road.

[Hal]

Unless you're a gun snob

Ok - here's the deal.

It's O'dark -thirty and some dirt bag is standing outside of your bedroom door. He's got a big A__ old knife in his hand, and rape and murder in his mind.
Not wanting to be a gun snob, you've picked a known POS as your home D go to gun...

You pull the trigger - and are rewarded with a *click*.

@ that point,,,how much would you pay for something a bit better?
Any and everything you own? (Betcha a few hundered million God hears those kind of requests hourly).


If trying to envision a worst case scenrio is being a gun snob,,,,then that's a title I'll wear with considerable pride.

[Sum1_Special]

hal, what are you going on about? he did not once state the gun was for self defence. i hate it when you post anything regarding a handgun of questionable quality and everyone assumes it is for SD and tells you to invest in something better. i just bought an RG model 23 for laughs, does that mean i ought to dump it and get a $500 smith & wesson for that same purpose?

seems like these SNS are greatly under estimated, i am curious to know if any of you have ever actually shot or owned one before?

ah, and one more thing hal, if there is a bullet in the chamber and you pull the trigger, the gun will fire no matter what. its if it feeds the next round or not that you should be worried .

[Hal]

ah, and one more thing hal, if there is a bullet in the chamber and you pull the trigger, the gun will fire no matter what.

<Lord forgive him for he is young and he's never experienced a hang fire, a mis fire or a broken piece of equipment - otherwise he never would have posted such tripe>

i just bought an RG model 23 for laughs

Something you may as well get used to right off the bat.
The anti's are correct. A firearm (gun) is a killing machine. It's sole function is it's lethal potential. Where we differ from the anti's in that respect,, is they stop @ the firearm itself... and ignore the person behind the trigger.

[XavierBreath]

i just bought an RG model 23 for laughs

I don't think RGs are all that funny.


Seriously, any gun you buy may end up being your self defense gun. When you need a gun, you go for the closest one at hand. If you keep all your Colts and Smiths in the safe, but the RG as a paperweight on your desk, there is a very good chance that RG will become your self defense gun. (assuming you don't have a 12 gauge in the closet of course).

In your defense though, I had a gentleman as a patient who had to defend himself with an RG. It was all he had. It was ugly, the cylinders were crudded up in front of the bullets, and it had electrician's tape for grips, but it worked. Luckily he did not have to pull the trigger.

[Eric Larsen]

Bryco's, Jenning's and the lot are FINE to use for self defense. Yes Im serious......Shoot them until they dont shoot anymore. Now you sharpen the edges on it....like a throwing star and keep it in your pocket.
When approached by a BG.....If you run out of real bullets you can throw it at him.........OK....Im NOT serious. But its the best use for one I can think of.
Shoot well.

[Davis]

First auto I ever bought was a Bryco 9mm with 13 round magazine to use in the truck. It was the slightly more blocky-looking Bryco without the adjustable sight nor the more refined lines on the slide (that is all relative, of course). It was not very accurate, a devil to take apart, and was uncomfortable to fire. I replaced it with a Russian Makarov (back when the commercial Maks were importable) and sold it at a gunshow to a dealer for $50 ($60 loss). I still have the extra 13 rounder as a reminder not to make stupid purchases again.

Davis

[standard issue]

Hah! That's about the responses I expected. Believe me, I'm completely
familiar with the reputations of these fine weapons. As I said, this is a *FREEBIE*
throw-in on a completely unrelated transaction. I'm not buying it,
and it's NOT for home defense. I dont know where on earth one would get the
idea that it was going to be my home defense gun. I re-read my original post, and
it doesnt say one word about using it for a SD/HD peice!

Anyway, reason I ask is because well... I've always had the sense not to waste
perfectly good money on crap guns, hence I've never owned a Bryco/Jennings/
Davis/Lorcin, etc...Maybe it'll suprise me, but I'm not holding my breath...

I like the hood ornament idea though...that's actually pretty cool. !!!

standard issue

[Davis]

Then sell it for $50 to a dealer at a show then you get to buy ammo with the money!

Davis

[TATER]

You know what's sad?........Davis, Jennings and Lorcin were
All three under studies of John Browning...
Truth be known, There is nothing wrong with their designs,
Its the inferior materials and short cuts used...FWIW

[XavierBreath]

All three under studies of John Browning...

You're pulling my leg Tater! Really?

[TATER]

From what I remember there were actually six guys...But, Yes, That's three of them...

[t.ebentheuer]

Yes, it really is that bad. I had one in 9mm. It was the same frame and slide as a .380. The slide even had 380 stamped on it, which had been scratched out with crosshatching marks, and 9mm stamped next to that. What a miserable piece of crap. No, I did not spend money on it. It was given to me. I could usually manage to fire about 5 rounds between jams. Sometimes, if the alignment of the planets was right, I was able to hit the broad side of a barn with it. :barf:

[jonathon]

Not going to argue about it, Jenning's are just poorly made. Its obvious. And they use inferior materials. They won't kaboom, they just fall apart.

Might add, if your interested a cheap, accurate, reliable, and well made .22 automatic, the Pheonix Arms HP22 is a better choice. Never had a problem with the one that we have laying around.. probably the only gun I forget to clean, since I usually just keep it loaded for a rabbit(its that accurate).

[Jehzsa]

Nonsense! Just put some Dremel to it.

Not all Dremel bits will actually chamber nor fit in the magazine, but hey, can't really be that picky.

Dremel. Romanian ammo. My favorite corrosive.