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On January 14th, 2020, TFB reported that the city of Kansas City, Missouri was suing Nevada-based handgun manufacturer Jimenez Arms. The January 7th lawsuit, filed with assistance from anti-gun group ‘Everytown for Gun Safety’ and their legal arm, ‘Everytown Law’, alleged that the company either intentionally or negligently aided and abetted a former Kansas City firefighter, James Samuels, in running an illegal gun trafficking ring along with several KC-local firearms dealers and retailers. Now in the wake of that lawsuit, Jimenez Arms has filed for bankruptcy. As of the time of writing, they have not responded to a request for comment.
One of Jimenez Arms’ more colourful pistols
According to their February 10th, Chapter 7 petition bankruptcy filing, Jimenez disclosed outstanding financial liabilities in excess of $1 million, and assets under $50,000. This is not the company’s first foray into bankruptcy, however. The company was originally founded as Jennings Firearms in 1978, by Bruce Jennings, son of firearms designer George Jennings – who himself founded the now-defunct Raven Arms company in 1970. After Jennings Firearms went bankrupt, the company evolved into Bryco Arms and continued producing so-called ‘Saturday Night Special’ pistols. In turn, Bryco declared bankruptcy in 2003 in the wake of its own lawsuit troubles. Bryco’s factory foreman, Paul Jimenez, bought Bryco in 2004 and renamed it after himself. Jimenez moved manufacturing operations from California to Nevada in 2006 where it has continued cranking out inexpensive guns ever since.
Jimenez Arms and its predecessors, Jennings and Bryco, have been producing cheap pistols like this .380 since the 1970s.
This newest bout with bankruptcy in the Jennings-Bryco-Jimenez line of succession is likely to disrupt Kansas City and Everytown’s legal efforts. The plaintiffs’ demand for reimbursement for the costs of dealing with trafficking-related crime would require the defendants to have money with which to pay. JA now joins a rash of recent gun companies with bankruptcy filings. Some examples of companies that have filed in recent years include the Sharps Rifle Company in December 2019, United Sporting Company in June 2019, Hudson Manufacturing in March of 2019, Howell/Freedom Munitions in June 2018, and Remington in March of 2018. It is not uncommon for a company to re-emerge from a bankruptcy declaration and resume business operations after a restructure, as Remington has. Time will tell whether Jimenez Arms will do likewise, or if this will spell the brand’s end.
