Jimenez Arms JA9 vs. Hi Point C9

46436 Views 37 Replies 21 Participants Last post by jer10571, Oct 1, 2016

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Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2008

While I was in the gun shop yesterday to pick up my new C9, I noticed that they had some JA9's and some 380's by Jimenez for around $30 more. I asked about them because I had read some pretty bad stuff on the net about this company, I think it use to be Jennings before they went bankrupt. The guy handling my deal said it wasn't near the gun a HP is, he said they had sold 100's of HP's and got no more complaints than with the S&W's and Glock's.

The handgun bug has bitten me and I travel with my job, I was in 3 gun shops Thursday !!! I asked 2 guys what would be a good lower priced gun for my wife to keep in the bedside table when I'm on the road and they both said "Get her a Hi Point". I then asked which model and one said with small hands a 9mm and the other said a .45, he preferred throwing a big chunk of lead at a intruder !!! Being I had just purchased the 45, I went with the C9 and I'll decide after she fires them which will travel with me and which stays in the bed side table for her.

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Discussion Starter · #2 · Jan 5, 2008

I shot a JA9 about 2 years ago. At my CHL class
It had a really heavy trigger pull for a SA gun. Had to be in the 10-12 pound range.
I think the C9 is better over all.

Super_Virgil

· #3 · Jan 5, 2008

i have never shot the jiminez, but i hav ehandled one. I must say the trigger pull is terrible. stick with the hi point. you'll thank me for it later.

G

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 6, 2008

Hi Point. I have both. The JA Nine is a horribly designed firearm. Looks good, shoots like sh*t unless you take it apart and do some work to it. Even after that, I won't trust the JA Nine. Not to mention, the C9 is rated for +P. I've never shot a +P in the JA, but I wouldn't be surprised if it blew into a million pieces after a few shots.

NDS

· #5 · Jan 6, 2008

I've been playing with some FEG PA-63 surplus pistols. If you're looking for something lighter than the Hi-Point, I'd check one of these out. Copy of a Walther PP with lightweight frame, 21 oz. empty; ammo is the same price (a bit cheaper here) as .380 but 10% more powerful. And, contrary to what you've heard, I've got one that feeds hollow points 100%. For around $100

The JA9, unlike the Hi Point, has a pretty bad rep for dependability.

freedom

· #6 · Jan 6, 2008

HPs are your best shot. No pun intended.
They are a better gun with a better Warranty.

Best of both worlds.

Mr Saturday Night Special

· #7 · Jan 6, 2008

Hi Point. I have both. The JA Nine is a horribly designed firearm. Looks good, shoots like sh*t unless you take it apart and do some work to it. Even after that, I won't trust the JA Nine. Not to mention, the C9 is rated for +P. I've never shot a +P in the JA, but I wouldn't be surprised if it blew into a million pieces after a few shots.

I didn't know you had a degree in engineering.
Mr Saturday Night Special

Loopster

· #8 · Jan 6, 2008

Love hipoint but +1 on the PA-63 too.

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Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 6, 2008

I didn't know you had a degree in engineering.
Mr Saturday Night Special

Click to expand...

I don't need a degree in engineering to see bad craftsmanship.

Take one apart.

The one I have almost rim-fires every bullet with a dead straight firing pin, the feed ramp had so many burrs in it that I had to take a dremel to it and smooth it into the side of the frame for it to feed ANY ammo even decently. I then had to go over the actual feed ramp with sandpaper and wd40 for years to get it smooth. Every casing it ejects is flat-spotted on one side (did that before I did anything to it, still does it). Not to mention the bottom of the slide looked like it had been smoothed out with a hacksaw and I had to fix that...bunch of parts needed burrs taken off of them because they weren't fabbed correctly...all in the same, brand new in the box gun. Do I still need a degree in engineering after that explanation?

I don't make a statement that strong unless I've seen it with my own eyes.

Mr Saturday Night Special

· #10 · Jan 7, 2008

Mr Saturday Night special

waltham41

· #11 · Jan 7, 2008

OUCH!!!!!

G

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jan 7, 2008

What do I have to do, post a picture of the thing to prove I have the misfortune of owning one? I'll be happy to oblige. Will give me a reason to actually take it back out of the box.

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G

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 7, 2008

I don't own this model, but have fired it a few times. I will say this..., I have a relative who owns this gun, and he had the EXACT same problems as mentioned by Kevin84. He bought the gun, put 300 rounds through it and had numerous problems with it. When I first saw this gun, he had already put 300 rounds through it.

At that point he put the gun in his shop to work on for the next few weeks. He did take me into his shop, and showed me the probs he had and what he was planning on doing to improve the weapons performance. They were the same issues that Kevin mentioned. The feed ramp just looked plain raw cut, and not smooth at all. After stripping the weapon he showed me parts of the slide that just looked like they skipped the last portion of finishing in production. Burrs, rough edges everywhere. It looked like a very poorly constructed weapon, I just couldn't help but get the feeling like it was milled in a home shop in someone's basement.

After he spent a month working on it, he got that gun to perform without any flaws. I got to shoot it after his overhaul on the weapon, and was impressed with the performance. Sorry I can't speak on how it performs out of the box, as I only fired it after his modifications.

However, didn't this company at one time (or when under a different name) have an issue where they were forced to stop production on some of their handguns due to serious safety concerns...??

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Dru

· #14 · Jan 7, 2008

I would go witht the hi-point. I test shot a lot of different .380. My all time favorite is the FÃ©mÃ¡ru Fegyver .380. I was made in Hungary during WWII. But I really like the hi-point CF380.

farmkid

· #15 · Jan 7, 2008

However, didn't this company at one time (or when under a different name) have an issue where they were forced to stop production on some of their handguns due to serious safety concerns...??

Jimenez Arms was formed in 2004 by Paul Jimenez, the former foreman at Bryco Arms. Bryco had filed for bankruptcy in the wake of a lawsuit filed on behalf of Brandon Maxfield, a boy who was paralyzed when a Bryco discharged while another boy has handling it (trying to remove the mag, if I recall).

Jimenez bought the assets of Bryco at auction and resumed production. Two years later, the California Attorney General forced the company to stop production, and Jimenez then moved the company to Nevada.

BTW, the basis of the lawsuit was that the safety design was defective, not that materials or workmanship was at fault. Current JA models do not share this safety design.

(Edit: or not. I thought I remembered that the safety was changed, but subsequent Google-poking suggests that this may not be true. Anyone else who wants to weigh in is welcome.)

tju1973

· #16 · Jan 7, 2008

Th C9 is the better value, but that isn't to say the JA9 is bad. Once you tame the Jimenez, it is a dependable if somewhat chuncky pistol-- but no more so than the Hi Point. I am not sure of the long term wear and tear, and on the subject of warranties-- the Jimenez isn't a quick as Ji Point, but the people I have dealt with and what I have heard, they are pretty ok-- I think they had issues moving from CA to NV, but they seem to have smoothd out.

The price isn't great, but still within the rach of people who cannot afford pricy Kimbers, Barettas, Glocks etc.

To each his own-- I don't want to have one pointed at me!!!

tju1973

· #17 · Jan 7, 2008

I doubt you ever even held a Jimenez before.
Mr Saturday Night special

+1 Brother--

I will nver knock a person and their choice in firearms-- especially when it is based on what the weapon costs-- Never thought guys here would be gunsnobs in the Jimenez/Hi Point debate...

My JA22 was about $100 new, My RG10 was like $30-$40, and My J22 was free-- not only are theey a blast to shoot, I even carry my J22 as a BUG in my non used ashtry in my truck...

if it shoots, then you can use it...

I can tell you that I don't even like to be shot with BBs..

waltham41

· #18 · Jan 7, 2008

errrrr, I think the poster in question proved that he has indeed held a Jimenez pistol by posting a picture of the one he owns.

If it is actual experience that he has had a hard time with the one that he owns, then I cannot see where it is being a gun snob, its telling his own personal experience which it seems is what the guy did.

He even went as far as to say that the gun was decent when the bugs were worked out of it.

No gun snobbery there that I can see

tju1973

· #19 · Jan 7, 2008

errrrr, I think the poster in question proved that he has indeed held a Jimenez pistol by posting a picture of the one he owns.

If it is actual experience that he has had a hard time with the one that he owns, then I cannot see where it is being a gun snob, its telling his own personal experience which it seems is what the guy did.

He even went as far as to say that the gun was decent when the bugs were worked out of it.

No gun snobbery there that I can see

I apologize for that-- I get thin skinned when it comes to firearms--

I guess it is the SNS'er in me--8*)

And I DO consider HPs SNSes-- and I mean that in the most respecful sense of the word--

So I do apologize for spouting off and calling people here gun snobs!!

farmkid

· #20 · Jan 8, 2008

...If it is actual experience that he has had a hard time with the one that he owns, then I cannot see where it is being a gun snob, its telling his own personal experience which it seems is what the guy did.

Agreed. The fact that he owns a JA-9 suggests that he's not a snob. I don't have a JA-anything, but I like my J-22, and I've PM'd Kevin in the event that 1) he really hates it that much, and 2) he's interested in a face-to-face (we live 45 minutes apart). I'm always interested in projects

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