Real Guys Reviews – Average guys sharing our multifaceted interests in the outdoors with average people. RgR videos are strictly nonprofit and for educational purposes only following the Fair Use Doctrine which permits the reproduction of limited copyrighted materials for use in teaching, reviewing, research and literary criticism.
The Smith and Wesson M&P line is one of S&W’s most popular series taking them from a revolver company to a great competitor with any of the pistol manufacturers.
The M&P .22LR is made in the exact likeness of the centerfire M&Ps, allowing one to practice the feel of the center fires, but yet shooting the inexpensive .22LR round.
It has a 12 round magazine, is single action, and with its internal hammer-fired mechanism is extremely reliable – shooting virtually any bulk .22LR ammunition with rare feed issues and with minimal failures; which are common with many semiautomatic .22LRs.
There aren’t many pistols out there that are any funner to plink and target shoot with.
Click on the picture above or the below link to view our RGR video “Smith and Wesson M&P .22 – Shooting Review”.
Jennings Firearms was started in 1978 by Bruce Jennings with the production under Jennings Firearms at its Irvine, Ca facility and as Bryco at its Carson City, Nevada and Costa Mesa, California facilities.
Bryco Arms has been labeled as one of the “Ring of Fire” Saturday Nite Special producers in and around Los Angeles – selling the inexpensive guns mostly to the inner city market.
Bryco Arms declared bankruptcy in 2003 after losing a 24 million dollar lawsuit in Oakland, Ca stemming from an injury to a 7 year old when an accidental discharge of the 380 ACP Bryco Arms Model 38 paralyzed him from the neck down.
The plaintiffs claimed that due to a design defect, the gun had a cartridge feed problem, made evident when the safety was on and the user pulled back the slide to check the chamber or load a cartridge into the chamber. Rather than re-design the gun to correct the problem, the design of the gun was altered to require that the safety be placed in the fire position when checking the chamber or chambering a cartridge, which was stated to have simply hidden the problem from the user.
Bryco’s former foreman, Paul Jimenez, bought the bankrupt Bryco Arms for $510,000 in August 2004, and renamed the company Jimenez Arms resuming operations in Costa Mesa, CA. The former Bryco Model 380 (renamed the JA-380) was produced with the same Bryco design along with three other models: the JA-NINE, former Jennings J-22 (renamed the JA-22 LR), and the Jennings J-25 (renamed the JA-25).
Due to California law requiring California-manufactured guns to pass safety tests, Jimenez Arms submitted the new guns to the state, but the guns failed subsequent additional independent tests. The law required that upon failure, the manufacturer must correct the problem and resubmit for additional testing. Rather than complete the process, Jimenez Arms ceased California operations and established itself in Nevada, which has virtually no safety testing requirements for firearms.
Lawsuits were brought forth in 2004, claiming that Jimenez Arms was again selling an unsafe, inferior firearm to the public, as had been claimed of the Bryco Arms Model 380. Jimenez Arms was thus forced into bankruptcy in January 2005.
A business license was granted on August 30, 2006 for Jimenez Arms to commence operation in Henderson, Nevada, and production has resumed there. Since their relocation the company began production of the JA-32 (.32 ACP pistol based on the frame of the JA-380) and the LC380 (.380 ACP pistol based on the frame of the JA-NINE).
Well what does all of this mean?
In my research of information on the Jennings/Bryco /Jimenez Arms – whether that be via Forums , gun dealers, You-Tubers, internet overviewers , reviewers and shooters – I have never seen more negative and troublesome comments about a production line of guns.
Failure rates noted and documented with these guns are almost too numerous to discuss – from things as simple as firing pin failures to failures resulting in catastrophic injuries , as in California, or as in 2009 in Florida where 3 were seriously injured due to a possible negligent discharge at an indoor range.
These guns (at a sale price of 100-150 dollars) are a noted production line for the inner city poor. The Bryco / Jennings / Lorcin / Raven forum insinuates that even the inner city poor need the ability to buy a gun for protection. I do not disagree with a protection for all mentality – but I do disagree with a cheap and possibly dangerous firearm being the production line touted for them. There are definitely other options out there to get a decent and safe inexpensive used or even new gun for protection – even for those with limited funds.
Even if a small percentage of the negative press about this production line of guns is true, then that is enough for me. I never forget that when I fire a gun – I’m holding a controlled explosion in my hands – directly in front of my face and eyes. Each to their own; but as for me, I’ll continue to buy my guns from more reputable manufacturers.
Click on the below link to check out our RGR video “Bryco Arms Jennings Nine / Jimenez Arms – Overview / Review” for more details:
One of our most popular videos at RGR is “Concealed Carry (CHL) Complexities and Responsibilities”. It gives some food for thought for those who elect to carry concealed and what they might or might not do in various defensive situations.
STAY TUNED: We have plans for CHL Part II that will be a panel discussion including a defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, CHL instructor and a citizen CHL holder.
To view the video – click on the above picture or the link below.
The Kahr PM (Polymer Micro) series – noteabley the PM9 – set the standard for light weight concealed carry – pocket pistols. Like the other Kahr product lines, it is a DAO, hammerless, striker fired, short recoil, semi-automatic pistol.
The PM series gained in popularity almost immediately changing from the carbon steel frame of the 24 oz K series to a small and light 16 oz gun with a polymer frame. All other quality aspects of the gun remained the same.
PM pistols, as in the K series, have polygonal rifling barrels – noted for better accuracy, more consistent velocity and less fowling – and are known especially for their smooth DAO, 5 pound or so trigger – not needing nor having a manual safety. This Kahr trigger is similar to a very smooth double action only revolver trigger with a short 3/8 inch travel.
The PM series is noted for having a fully enclosed trigger draw bar and the engineering design work necessary to fit it inside the cramped space of the receiver resulting in several beneficial changes.
One such change was that the cartridge feed ramp had to be offset, which in turn allowed the overall receiver design to be thinner. It also permitted the slide to be more squat with a low bore axis, resulting is less muzzle rise and flip; thus a thin, minimal recoiling, lightweight gun.
The PM9 weighs 15.9 ounces, has an overall length of only 5.3 inches, a narrow width less than 1 inch at .90 inches, height of 4.0 inches, a 3.0 inch barrel with 1:10 right hand twist, drift adjustable white bar-dot combat sights/optional tritium night sights, two magazines – one 6 round flush fit, and one 7 round extension and a fairly hefty MSRP of $786.
Overall, an important innate advantage of the Kahr pistol design is that it is identical in function and trigger action across virtually all Kahr models, meaning that once a user becomes familiar with the handling characteristics and ‘feel’ of one model, the learning curve for mastery of other Kahr firearms is much shorter.
For more details view our RGR video “Kahr Arms / Overview…”
Have you ever considered reloading your own handgun rounds?
What does it entail – bullets, cases, primers, powder, etc.?
Is it cost effective?
What do you need to purchase and how much investment does it take? What is the exact process of reloading?
How do I know that I have loaded correctly and safely?
How do I check my loads?
What is a Chronograph?
These questions and many others are answered as we walk you through the entire process in the RGR four part video Reloading Series.
About 2 years ago Ruger came out with the LCR in the .38 and .357 calibers. They then introduced the LCR .22 LR last year with the workmanship identical on all guns with the exception of what’s needed to change calibers as well as from centerfire to rimfire.
The LCR weighs in at less than 15 oz with a slightly less than 2 inch barrel. The LCR design was unique not only to the rest of the revolver manufacturers but also to Ruger in that it was a modular design with a polymer fire control assembly with the trigger assembly, spring and hammer all enclosed in a polymer housing.
The barrel is steel as is the cylinder which is inside an aluminum frame. The .38 special and .357 magnum have 5 round cylinders while the .22 LR has an 8 round cylinder. It has a Hogue grip that can be removed to get to an internal key lock by the main spring if you desire to lock it down as you store it.
Just as in the centerfire LCR calibers, the LCR .22’s best feature is the trigger. Ruger’s constant force trigger, featuring a friction-reducing cam gives it a crisp, non-stacking light trigger pull.
The SIG Sauer P250 is made in Exeter, New Hampshire and was introduced into the American market in 2007 – radically different from the highly successful P226 line of pistols. Many immediately criticized it as an unneeded DAO gun. Why in the world would SIG stray at all from the very popular DA/SA p226?
Time proved SIG’s thought process with the P250 correct. Although no SIG Sauer gun will rival the success of the P226 – the p250 fills two niches with the SIG line: One, a definite need for a DAO gun for some of today’s concealed carry consumers AND a key feature of the pistol being its modular design.
The p250 comes in 4 calibers (9mm, .40 cal, .357 SIG and .45 cal) with the ability to buy modular conversion kits with each. It also comes in 3 sizes:
Subcompact at 24.9 oz and a barrel length of 3.6inches
Compact at 26.9 oz and a barrel length of 3.9 inches
Full size at 29.4 oz and a barrel length of 4.7 inches
Join me in the video out at the range and I’ll go over a few other details about the gun as we shoot it. I think you will then quickly see why I think it is one of the best DAO pistols on the market.
When most think of SIG , one gun comes to mind – the P226. My opinion – in a nutshell – QUALITY.
The SIG P226 series evolved from the original Swiss SIG P220 and still maintains the basic P220 design. There are many P226 variants that spawned from the standard P226 design including the P226 Elite Tactical Operations that is discussed and shot in the RGR video below. There are many popular P226 variants but none more so than the compact guns like the forged carbon milled 9 mm p228 (called the M11 with law enforcement and the military) and the compact version of the P226 – the P229.
The P226 was designed by SIG for entry in the XM9 Service Pistol Trials which were held in 1984 on behalf of the US armed forces to find a replacement for the M1911A1. Only the Beretta 92F and the SIG p226 satisfactorily completed the trials but Beretta was awarded the M9 contract for the Model 92F due to a lower total package cost. The p226 cost less per pistol but the SIGs magazines and spare parts higher costs lost it the contract. The P226 was however adopted by the Navy Seals.
The P226 is produced in 9mm, 40 cal, 357 SIG and .22 LR models. It weighs 34 oz, has a barrel length of 4.4” and is a DA/SA gun.
For more details on the SIG P226, join us in the videos below out at the shooting range.
When the United States Military issued directive PD-48, a purchase description of properties for a single, multi-purpose product to maintain their weaponry, it became known as the “impossible specification” because of its severe requirements. However the product that met the challenge was Break-Free CLP. Known simply as CLP to anyone who has ever carried a weapon in the US armed services.
It is a formulation of synthetic oils and individual proprietary ingredients, which synergize in combination to do three important tasks simultaneously: Clean, Lubricate and Protect metal.
After years of rigorous testing, Break-Free CLP actually exceeded the Military’s requirements and was approved as a product to meet MIL-L-63460, a new even more rigorous specification.
Bill, our ex-Marine here at RealGuysReviews, said they used CLP by the 55-gallon containers and that they basically soaked their entire M-16s in break free containers.
CLP is advertised as a bore Cleaning solvent, lubricant and rust preventative and is noted to:
• Penetrate and spread along metal surfaces into every pit and crevice to undercut contamination and lift residue away where it can be removed.
• Leave a Long-lasting lubricating film that reduces adhesion of sand, grit or other abrasives, which cause wear and failure.
• Have Corrosion inhibitors to prevent the formation of rust leaving a boundary film that protects metal surfaces from moisture and other contaminants.
• AND is made of Specially formulated synthetic oils that won’t lose viscosity, dry out or stiffen up in extreme environments – such as cold, heat, dust, dirt, humidity and even salt air – keeping equipment in ready condition for months at a time.
I agree with many others who have stated that if CLP is good enough for our US military to trust their weapons with – then by gosh – it’s good enough for me – THEIR TARGETS SHOOT BACK – mine don’t.
RGR 