Junk collecting, oops!

[The Saint]

Recently slipped into the accident of unintentionally collecting the junk "Ring Of Fire" pistols...and so far have about half a dozen of em. I'm talking about the Raven Arms, Jennings/Bryco/Calwestco/Jimenez/JA Industries, Davis, Sedco, Sundance Industries, Phoenix Arms, Lorcin, and others (Rohm can count, too...although they aren't considered in the category). I know they're terrible, but there's something fun about junk guns that I can't quite describe. What also makes it fun is that very rarely do these ever reach above $100 full retail shelf price...so they are stupid cheap to pick up. I even posted up a classified Wanted ad if anyone out there wants to clear the junk out of the safe, too. Since I hold a FFL, there are no problems in acquisition. So far I have a mix of derringers, semi autos, and revolvers alike...predominantly after the semi-auto 22s and perhaps 25s, though. Anyone else out there have any of these?

 

[teratos]

Ha! That's pretty funny. Why not? I'm keeping the one Phoenix I have. It's kinda fun to shoot and pretty accurate for a little .22 Auto.

 

[The Saint]

Ha! That's pretty funny. Why not? I'm keeping the one Phoenix I have. It's kinda fun to shoot and pretty accurate for a little .22 Auto.

I just picked up a Phoenix a few days ago and so far it is reliable and rather accurate out to about 10 yards. I ordered the 5" barrel for it and some replacement springs, as such is inevitable with these.

 

[Inigoes]

Nothing wrong with that. I have a Jennings J22 from back in the day, and it's not going anywhere.

 

[The Saint]

Nothing wrong with that. I have a Jennings J22 from back in the day, and it's not going anywhere.

I have a Chino CA variant ~90K serial Jennings J-22, but would still be after Industry, Calwestco, Bryco, Jimenez, JA, and other variations of the gun.

 

[RRomig]

Recently slipped into the accident of unintentionally collecting the junk "Ring Of Fire" pistols...and so far have about half a dozen of em. I'm talking about the Raven Arms, Jennings/Bryco/Calwestco/Jimenez/JA Industries, Davis, Sedco, Sundance Industries, Phoenix Arms, Lorcin, and others (Rohm can count, too...although they aren't considered in the category). I know they're terrible, but there's something fun about junk guns that I can't quite describe. What also makes it fun is that very rarely do these ever reach above $100 full retail shelf price...so they are stupid cheap to pick up. I even posted up a classified Wanted ad if anyone out there wants to clear the junk out of the safe, too. Since I hold a FFL, there are no problems in acquisition. So far I have a mix of derringers, semi autos, and revolvers alike...predominantly after the semi-auto 22s and perhaps 25s, though. Anyone else out there have any of these?

Dang I sent back a Jennings last week. I think he paid over a hundred but under two. I’ll keep you in mind next time.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Nothing wrong with that. I have a Jennings J22 from back in the day, and it's not going anywhere.

I stripped mine down and got $200 from a BPD "buyback". I then sold the mags and grips on eBay for another $50.
Not bad considering I paid $50 for it in 1992.

 

[The Saint]

Dang I sent sent back a Jennings last week. I think he paid over a hundred but under two. I’ll keep you in mind next time.

Paid about $30 for mine haha! Buybacks are the obvious answer for these...they will give you more than they are worth; but when they ran out of money at this last one I decided to try and shoot a few of these guns I was going to cash in on...and damned if they aren't fun.

 

[Inigoes]

I stripped mine down and got $200 from a BPD "buyback". I then sold the mags and grips on eBay for another $50.
Not bad considering I paid $50 for it in 1992.

I think, I paid even less back in the late 80s.

For a saturday night special, I haven't had a problem with it, since I found out it only likes CCI ammo.

 

[Absolute]

Oddly enough I was just thinking today about the Raven Arms P-25 that my Unkle used to keep under his drivers seat. It was in my care for sometime and was a fun little plinker once I learned how it liked to be handled.

 

[Threeband]

I stripped mine down and got $200 from a BPD "buyback". I then sold the mags and grips on eBay for another $50.
Not bad considering I paid $50 for it in 1992.

Not bad at all:

" $50 in 1992 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $107.57 today..."

$50 in 1992 → 2023 | Inflation Calculator

The 2.50% inflation rate means $50 in 1992 is equivalent to $107.57 today. This inflation calculator uses the official US consumer price index published by the Department of Labor.

www.in2013dollars.com

 

[The Saint]

Jennings went back to the range toady after a chamber, feed ramp, and breech face polish....stretched the recoil spring too. It was better than the first range trip, but it was still abysmal. I have new springs coming for it...I know for a fact by the failure to go into battery constantly that the recoil spring is beyond toasted. I never expect this gun to work well, but it's not half bad as far as accuracy goes when it's feeding itself without aid.

 

[linkstate]

If you ever find your way up to Gettysburg, I swear it was Reddings Hardware that had a good sized cardboard box of “junk pistols” in the case with a sign that said like $75 each or something like that.

That was a few months ago when there was a Gettysburg show.

 

[The Saint]

If you ever find your way up to Gettysburg, I swear it was Reddings Hardware that had a good sized cardboard box of “junk pistols” in the case with a sign that said like $75 each or something like that.

That was a few months ago when there was a Gettysburg show.

Good to know, but doubtful I'll be there anytime soon haah!

 

[RFBfromDE]

Here’s a .25acp FIE;

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/101402358

 

[The Saint]

Here’s a .25acp FIE;

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/101402358

Thanks, but that is WAY too expensive for one of those. I sell them for $100 or 120 boxed on my shelf. I'm only after the Ring Of Fire US guns...mostly Jennings J22s and Raven Arms 25s and their many colors/location variants.

 

[Mark75H]

My father bought a Rohm .22 as his second handgun. We still have it, but the trigger is dangerously light. I have 2 FIEs that look like the Browning BDM clones. A .380 that has only one flaw and a .22 that has so much wrong going on with it I use it in my classes for students to practice clearing jams.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Thanks, but that is WAY too expensive for one of those. I sell them for $100 or 120 boxed on my shelf. I'm only after the Ring Of Fire US guns...mostly Jennings J22s and Raven Arms 25s and their many colors/location variants.

Yeah, I didn't think the box and condition mattered that much!

 

[The Saint]

Yeah, I didn't think the box and condition mattered that much!

Condition is everything just like any other firearm. Junk or not, they apparently have a small collector market haha. Boxes are exceptionally hard to find for them these days, too. Simple cardboard gets thrown away.