The Ring of Fire is a phrase coined to describe a group of now (mostly) defunct gun manufacturers in California. The original companies were Bryco, Jennings, Lorcin, Raven and Phoenix. They specialized in cheap, poorly made pistols in sub-service (less than 9mm) calibers.
The idea was (ostensibly) to make small, easily concealed pistols that could be sold in the $100-175 price range. They were marketed as “affordable,” but the quality was such that nobody versed in firearms would even consider trusting one for self-defense.
Of course, these guns, which came to be known as “Saturday Night Specials,” weren’t marketed towards people who knew guns. They were meant for the poor and uneducated, people who didn’t have much to spend and didn’t know the difference. Naturally, most self-respecting gun shops didn’t carry these. Instead, they were marketed almost exclusively in pawn shops and sold as something that was presumably “just enough.”
I’ve run across quite a few of these in my time. At best, they’re sloppily constructed, unreliable and about as accurate as throwing a brick. At worst, they can pose a real threat to the user.
Several measures are taken to cut costs and churn these things out mass-production style. Metallurgy is usually a cheap zinc/aluminum alloy that simply can’t handle the stress, pressure and heat generated by service rounds, at least not for long. Zinc has a melting point below 800 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s worth noting that in several cities, the police won’t even melt them down, as the alloy causes impurities in the smelting pots.
Internal parts and fitting are indifferently done at best, and it’s not uncommon for these things to fail in spectacular and catastrophic ways.
These guns represent a large percentage of weapons seized from criminals, and although no gun company can control where its guns end up, the Ring of Fire manufacturers seemed to deliberately turn a blind eye to the fact. Legislation and harsher enforcement followed, and between that and a better educated buying public, most of the Ring of Fire companies folded.
At this point, lots of people say, “hey, if these things are so bad, let’s just outlaw them!” This is a slippery slope. Allowing a specific class of firearms to be banned is what gave us the Federal Assault Weapons ban. If Congress can outlaw “junk guns,” they can ban whatever arbitrary class of weapons they want. The market generally takes care of these kinds of products on its own, and that’s how the system’s meant to work.
It’s rare these days to see one, but I ran into one of these at the range today. The poor guy paid $175 for it at a gunshow, and of course, I had be the one to tell him it wasn’t usable or fixable.
It was double-feeding on him, and I noticed that the slide was really sticky, like it hadn’t been oiled. I tried to disassemble the gun, and I realized it’s not meant to be taken apart. Wonderful.
I lubed it up as best I could, but the slide felt “slow” when I hand-cycled it. I put a magazine in, and the gun fired one shot before locking up again. I noticed that the magazine spring seemed awfully weak, so I switched magazines and got three shots off before it locked.
It’s worth noting that my 3-shot group was about 11 inches. I’m not exaggerating. The guy mentioned that it was better than anything he’d achieved. Let me point out that I fired three shots, at twenty feet, and the shots were eleven inches apart. In a stress situation, that means at least two misses, and the possibility of unacceptable collateral damage to bystanders.
The gun has a safety, which did not work. The slide was very soft nickel-plated zinc, and the feed ramp was pretty rough. Given the alloy, I didn’t even recommend trying to polish/file it. The sights were unusable, and the trigger was stiff and gritty.
Worse yet, the firing-pin wobbled in and out of the breech when I cycled the slide. As it turns out, the owner’s manual recommends against carrying the gun with a round chambered, and I can see why. It’s quite possible for the gun to slamfire when loading.
This was a brand-new gun, and the guy looked crestfallen when I explained that it was unusable and hazardous. I can only imagine the disappointment. It’s not like he’ll even be able to sell it.
As it turns out, Cobra is a new incarnation of Raven, and it shows. Once in awhile, you can get lucky with one of the ROF guns, but how long your luck holds…well, I’d say save up a bit more.
In the business of guns, bear in mind you are buying something with which you may need to protect your life. It must function every time, or it will fail at the worst possible moment. Imagine pointing a gun at a would-be predator and having it fail. I’ll send flowers.
Guns are expensive. Given the costs of manufacture, fitting and testing, this is natural. When buying one, be prepared to spend money. I’m not talking about the newest tricked-out $2000 1911 target model, but a realistic figure is $300 or more. At the $300 price point, you have several viable and effective options. You may be able to get off a bit cheaper, but be very wary of anything under $250.
So, what does this get you? For starters, a good revolver is a great first gun. From a marksmanship perspective, it teaches good skills, and unless utterly abused, revolvers just don’t fail. Look for a .38, which is reasonably effective, or a .357, which is still the best handgun round in existence. Go with the longest barrel you can; 3-5 inches is best. New Smith & Wessons can be had for under $400, and used, they can be found under $300. Taurus makes great revolvers, which are even less expensive, but just as trustworthy.
In terms of semiautos, check into Bersa and CZ. CZ makes wonderful service pistols that just happen to be inexpensive. They are accurate and utterly reliable. I have one and love it. The Bersa Thunder .380 has received rave reviews, and the ones I’ve handled feel quite good.
Another gun to consider is the Makarov, if you can find one. Typically, a Bulgarian model in good condition comes in under $200 (any price higher than that is unfair). Like the CZ, the Makarov is an Eastern Bloc gun, so manufacturing costs are cheaper. As with most former-Soviet firearms, they’re a bit on the ugly side, but they are solidly built, very reliable and surprisingly fun to shoot.
Yes, fun is a factor to be considered. You are buying a weapon, not an heirloom. This is a device to be used when all other options have failed, and you have no choice but to cause greivous injury to another human being. You must practice with it, and if you don’t enjoy shooting a given gun, you won’t be as likely to practice.
Shooting must become a hobby for you if you own a gun. Period. You should expect to spend at least two hours a month at the range to stay proficient.
This brings us to the “extra” costs to consider when buying a gun. Take a class. No ifs or buts. It will help you defend yourself, and it will teach you the safety habits that could save you from making a ruinous mistake in the future. Expect to spend $80-120 for this, and make sure the person teaching is an NRA certified instructor.
Next item is the cost of ammunition. Factor this into your budget. You’ll be buying two types: range and self-defense. The first is easy; go with the cheap stuff at your local sporting-goods store. Shoot as often as you can make time and afford.
The second is critical. Find an effective name-brand hollowpoint and test it to make sure it feeds unerringly in your gun. Standard rule-of-thumb for this is 200 rounds without a failure. Self-defense loads are more expensive, so be prepared to drop at least $80 for this (if you’ve chosen a revolver, you really only have to run about 50 rounds).
If you plan on carrying, check your local state requirements for a permit. Hopefully, you live in a state that recognizes the human right of self-defense. If not, the best advice I can give you is to move. I’m not kidding; states with more restrictive gun laws have the worst violent crime rates. That’s not a coincidence: in areas where the law-abiding are disarmed, those who disregard the law have the upper hand. Note that all of the major public shootings in this country have taken place in “gun free zones.”
Most states require proof of training, which should be taken care of with the class I mentioned above. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $40 to $150 for a carry permit, depending on state.
Last item is a holster. Do not rely on cheap nylon or “one size fits all.” Get a good holster that is specifically molded for the gun. If this is a concealed weapon, you do not need or want a thumbstrap. Drawing from concealment is challenging enough: you don’t want anything slowing it down. Fobus makes reasonable holsters that run around $30, but you should probably consider leather, which is more comfortable, but will be more expensive.
This all probably seems like alot to take in, but there’s a chance that, despite your best efforts to avoid trouble, it will come looking for you. I hope this helps, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me.