...if only the JA9 didn't have the short lifespan it has I'd buy one.
Yeah, the lifespan of J/JA Nines can be short. They develop the "dreaded frame crack" as illustrated in this pic. It's easy to miss if you don't know what to look for as it follows contours in the frame. In my experience, the crack begins at the rectangular hole at the top of the frame, and over time works downward along the strap. Sharp angled openings are begging to be stress points -notice that the crack goes from the corner of one rectangular hole to the corner of another rectangular hole- and this is further weakened by a recess for the safety spring (by the top grip screw). IMO if the designers had taken into account the material the frame was made of (Zamak) and opted to go with more rounded openings they'd have a far more durable design.
To their credit, Jimenez did add a second barrel retention pin to hold the barrel in place. The Jennings Nine only used one pin -which resulted in the barrels loosening up in the frame.
I like the looks of the gun, I think it is visually appealing, and I own a couple of them. I just wish the engineering behind it was a bit more thoughtful.