The Ring Of Fire junk collection thus far

[The Saint]

Been working hard to fill the gaps in....here's what I'm up to so far. Don't ask why, but it sure is fun.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Top right ?

 

[MeatGrinder]

Where did the term "Ring of Fire " come from?

 

[The Saint]

Top right ?

Jimenez JA Nine; originally the Jennings Nine. Was the biggest of the line.

 

[Stoveman]

From Firearms Wiki:

The "Ring of Fire" is a colloquial term used to describe a number of United States firearm manufacturers that specialized in the production of cheaply-made "Saturday night special" type firearms. This group of companies acquired this nickname through the repeated appearance of their firearms in crimes across the United States. The original list of "Ring of Fire" manufacturers were:

 

[Stoveman]

 

[The Saint]

Where did the term "Ring of Fire " come from?

To take it word for word:

"...a phrase coined by Garen Wintemute to describe the handful of gun makers related by blood, marriage or friendship whose factories lay in a crescent around Los Angeles, from Valencia to Costa Mesa."

 

[AlBeight]

Two very different definitions.

 

[tdt91]

I have a Davis 380 in near mint condition with original box and paperwork. However, I don't refer to it as a Ring of Fire member. I refer to it as a POS. LOL

 

[The Saint]

I have a Davis 380 in near mint condition with original box and paperwork. However, I don't refer to it as a Ring of Fire member. I refer to it as a POS. LOL

I've never had much issues with the 32s, I don't yet own a P-380. They're just a bigger Raven....and my Ravens are both accurate and reliable. They're also pristine and probably don't have many rounds through em, either....so they still work haha!

 

[TwinTurbskis]

Man that is so cool, I love pocket pistols.

 

[The Saint]

Went shooting today with a bunch of these, and most of them were more than adequate in the accuracy dept. Target distance was approx 9-10yards. Jimenez JA Nine and all the Jennings J22s were pretty good accuracy...the Calwestco banner slide J22 especially shot well. The Bryco Model 38 in .380 was keyholing and plain terrible. Lorcin L22 was stringing em vertically left, and most of the way off shots felt like it wasn't me...but it's a Lorcin (you know, the inventors of decorative rifling). Jennings J-25 was not fantastic, either...but still fine. Overall, these shoot much better than I expected...and most of them were simply reliable, too. I would never recommend any of these as carry pistols to anyone, but for a fun range gun for $30-60?...sure, why not.

Gonna mention one in specific...but I must say the Jimenez JA Nine is probably the most awful and uncomfortable gun that I've ever shot in my life. The recoil with direct blowback in this pistol felt like I was shooting something MUCH larger than 9mm, and the ergos make it almost impossible to grip without getting your hand torn up red and raw...which leads to absolute poor form and shot anticipation. The group in my picture was the first magazine and grouped fantastic...it well downhill from there. After the first mag, the loaded chamber indicator decided to peace out and I was left with a spring...thankfully it's something one should remove anyway. My shooting hand was beet red and downright weak after about 50 rounds. The mags started to have feeding issues quickly, in which inverting the gun upside down or sideways on an angle would remedy it...as if they were meant to be shot while held sideways. This is, without a doubt, one of the worst pistols I have ever shot in my life. The trigger hada big plastic seam on the front of the face which digs into you finger and plain hurts under recoil, thankfully a pocket knife shaved that smooth in a few swipes. Accuracy, while initially fine, quickly started to diminish as my sight started drifting more and more left as the round count went up. If you want a cheap 9mm, just buy a Hi-Point C9...or anything other than a Jennings/Jimenez/JA Nine. I've owned and shot a lot of shitty guns, but this one takes the prize; and my hand STILL aches 6 hours later.

 

[The Saint]

....aaaaaaaaand they keep multiplying, oops!

 

[Mark75H]

I didn't know anyone ever made a blow back 9mm

 

[The Saint]

I didn't know anyone ever made a blow back 9mm

Never shot a Hi Point? Jennings Nine/Jimenez JA Nine (pictured above top left). Lorcin L9 and Standard SA9/Talon T200/Cobra Patriot 9mm. There's quite a few...the recoil is much more pronounced.

 

[somd_mustangs]

The Astra 600/43 is a blowback 9x19mm Parabellum (c. 1943 originally for Zee Germans). It's heavy enough that recoil isn't too bad.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Of course Mustangs is correct , but I looked things up for my own curiosity .

Indeed , the actual M600/43 was ordered in 1943 as a 9x19 on purpose . 50k ordered , +/- 10k delivered to Germans . The remainder sat in Astra warehouse , and dribbled out in small contracts over a decade or so .

Much more common in U.S. hands is the Astra 400 . Made for 9mm Largo , it was advertised by the importers as being " Multicaliber " , including 9mm Parabellum aka Luger , aka 9x19 , and probably mostly shot with 9x19 .

 

[somd_mustangs]

yeah I left out the Astra M400/1921 on purpose, it "could" be shot with 9x19 but really shouldn't be. The Germans found that the M400's they bought just didn't function well with the wrong ammunition for some reason (hence the M600). I'd venture that the .38 ACP was used more in the M400 than the 9x19, as it is directly interchangeable with the 9x23mm Largo cartridge by adding a simple machined groove at the back of the barrel - which the factory did later on, and importers typically did for the barrels that weren't already modified. Ironically many of the undelivered M600's paid for by zeenatzi's were sold back to the West Germans after the war and were still in service when Sam Cummings hoovered up all the surplus Spanish pistols in the late 50's and early 60's.... which is why there's so many Astra 400's here.

But as per usual, I digress...

Note: if you have an M400 don't shoot 9x19 through it.

Been working hard to fill the gaps in....here's what I'm up to so far. Don't ask why, but it sure is fun.

That's a question I'd never ask about collecting/hoarding

 

[calicojack]

Never shot a Hi Point? Jennings Nine/Jimenez JA Nine (pictured above top left). Lorcin L9 and Standard SA9/Talon T200/Cobra Patriot 9mm. There's quite a few...the recoil is much more pronounced.

Walther PPk and PPks are direct blow back; 380 vs 9mm though.

 

[Bob A]

HK P7 are gas-retarded blowback 9mm Luger pistols.