Bryco/Jennings Model 59 9mm
Bryco Arms · Pistol · Out Of Production
Also known as: Bryco 59, Jennings Bryco 59, Bryco Jennings Nine, Bryco Model 59
Overview
The Bryco/Jennings Model 59 is a 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol descended from the Jennings Firearms tooling and produced by Bryco Arms of Costa Mesa, California through the 1990s and early 2000s. Built around a Zamak frame and slide with a steel barrel insert, the Model 59 was offered with 10- and 12-round magazines and is one of the better-known 'Ring of Fire' Saturday Night Special 9mms. The design lacks a last-round hold-open and is widely considered marginal for self-defense use; nevertheless it sold in large numbers thanks to a sub-$100 retail price. After Bryco was bankrupted by a 2003 product-liability verdict, the design was continued by Jimenez Arms as the JA-Nine.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 165 mm (6.50") |
| Barrel Length | 102 mm (4.02") |
| Height | 114 mm (4.49") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 12 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Zinc Alloy |
| Slide Material | Zinc Alloy |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Matte Stainless |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Magazine Disconnect
- Features: Fixed Sights, Zamak Construction
Variants
- Bryco Model 58 (.380 ACP) — Caliber
- Jimenez Arms JA-Nine — Successor
Production
Production years: 1991-2003
Bryco was one of the largest US pistol producers by volume in the 1990s; exact Model 59 figures not published
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Bruce Jennings
Discontinued: 2003
Notes
Bryco was founded by Bruce Jennings (son of George Jennings of Jennings Firearms) and shut down after the landmark Brandon Maxfield lawsuit in 2003. The Model 58 is the same design in .380 ACP.
Background
Bryco Arms was driven into bankruptcy in 2003 by a $50 million jury verdict in the Brandon Maxfield case, ending production of the Model 59 - though the same tooling promptly reappeared at Jimenez Arms, founded by Bryco's former plant manager.