IWI Jericho 941

The Jericho 941 is a double-action/single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Israel Military Industries (now: Israel Weapon Industries) that was launched in 1990.

Jericho 941
Jericho 941F
TypeSemi-automatic pistol
Place of originIsrael
Service history
Used bySee Users
Production history
Manufacturer
Produced1990-present
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Cartridge
ActionShort recoil
Feed system
  • 16 (9mm)
  • 12 (.40 S&W)
  • 10 (.45 ACP) round detachable box magazine
SightsFixed (combat), or optional fully adjustable, or optional illuminated night sights.

It was first imported into the US in 1990 by K.B.I., Inc. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was later imported by O.F. Mossberg & Sons and named the Uzi Eagle and by Magnum Research, Inc. as the Baby Eagle until the end of 2008. Some pistols from Magnum Research are marked Desert Eagle Pistol. Despite these names being used in the US market, the Jericho 941 is not related to the IMI Desert Eagle other than its manufacture and design by IMI, and bears only a slight cosmetic resemblance to the larger pistol. From January 2009 until they ceased business in January 2010, K.B.I., Inc. (which also imported Charles Daly firearms) imported the handgun as the Jericho. Magnum Research, now a division of Kahr Arms, announced a renewed importation of the Jericho.

In December 2014, IWI US, Inc. announced they would begin importing both the steel and polymer versions of the Jericho 941 in early 2015.[1]

Design and features

The original Jericho 941 was modeled on the well-respected CZ-75 pistol designed and produced by Česká zbrojovka (CZ) of the Czech Republic and built using parts supplied by the Italian arms house Tanfoglio, which had been making their own CZ-75 clones. Using a well-tested design allowed IMI to avoid the teething problems most new pistol designs experience, and subcontracting much of the basic fabrication work to Tanfoglio allowed IMI to quickly and economically put into production a pistol that would have enough Israeli content to satisfy government contract requirements.[2]

While the R-versions of Jericho 941 feature a combined safety/decocker (the decocking lever also acts as a safety and remains on "safe" when actuated), the decocker version of the CZ-75 (CZ-75BD) features a simple decocker (the pistol is always ready to fire in double-action mode when decocked). The barrel of the CZ-75 is traditionally rifled, while the Jericho 941 features a polygonal barrel, furthermore the Jericho 941 is substantially heavier. These differences translate into substantial differences in the condition in which the gun is carried. Magazines for the CZ-75 and Tanfoglio T95 will function in the Jericho 941.

One innovation by IMI was a new, much "hotter" cartridge, the .41 Action Express (see below) to go along with the Jericho 941. A key feature shared between 9mm and .41 AE is the same as .44 Magnum and .50 AE in that the AE cartridges have rebated rims which are the same diameter as the less powerful rounds, but the case is wider, providing more capacity and potential for more power. This allows these pairs of calibers to be used in the same firearm with only a change of barrel, recoil spring and magazine.[2]

The .41 AE was less commercially successful than the 10 mm, and was soon discontinued.[3] Experience with heavily loaded rounds gave IMI a considerable lead, however, in chambering for the soon-to-be successful .40 S&W and also allowed the Jericho to be designed for the very popular .45 ACP.[2] The Jericho 941 design has been modified to include accessory rails on the frame for mounting lasers or flashlights, a feature found on many modern semi-automatic handguns.

Variants

Steel frames[4]
Full-size Semi-compact Compact
Caliber 9×19 .40 S&W 9×19 .40 S&W .45 ACP 9×19 .40 S&W
Mfg. Part No.
Israel Weapon Industries* 941 F/R (16 rd) 941 F/R (12 rd) 941 FS/RS (16 rd) 941 FS/RS (12 rd) 941 FS/RS (10 rd) 941 FB/RB (13 rd) 941 FB/RB (10 rd)
Magnum Research* MR9900 (10 rd)***
MR9915R (15 rd)		 MR9400 (10 rd)*** MR9900RS (10 rd)
MR9915RS (15 rd)		 MR9400RS (10 rd) MR4500RS (10 rd)*** MR9900RB (10 rd)*** MR9400RB (10 rd)
Mechanical Features
Trigger mechanism Single or double action
Firing pin block Yes
Frame mounted manual safety F, FS, FB models
Slide mounted safety/decocker R, RS, RB models
Weight**
Pistol w/o magazine 1,050 g (2.3 lb) 885 g (2.0 lb) 1,025 g (2.3 lb) 1,025 g (2.3 lb) 850 g (1.9 lb)
Magazine empty 90 g (0.2 lb) 90 g (0.2 lb) 100 g (0.2 lb) 100 g (0.2 lb) 80 g (0.2 lb)
Loaded magazine 280 g (0.6 lb) 285 g (0.6 lb) 280 g (0.6 lb) 285 g (0.6 lb) 310 g (0.7 lb) 235 g (0.5 lb) 244 g (0.5 lb)
Dimensions
Overall length 207 mm (8.1 in) 192 mm (7.6 in) 182 mm (7.2 in)
Height 138 mm (5.4 in) 138 mm (5.4 in) 123 mm (4.8 in)
Width 35 mm (1.4 in) 35 mm (1.4 in) 35 mm (1.4 in)
Barrel length 112 mm (4.4 in) 97 mm (3.8 in) 89 mm (3.5 in)
Sight line radius 154 mm (6.1 in) 139 mm (5.5 in) 132 mm (5.2 in)
*Optional finishes available.
**Overall weights may vary due to manufacturing differences and accuracy of scale.
***Previously listed on CA Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale.

Polymer frames
Full-size Semi-compact Compact
Caliber 9×19 40S&W 9×19 40S&W 9×19 40S&W
Mfg. Part No.
Israel Weapon Industries* 941 FL/RL/PL (16/15 rd) 941 FL/RL/PL (12 rd) 941 SL/RSL (16/15 rd) 941 SL/RSL (12 rd) 941 FBL/RBL (13 rd) 941 FBL/RBL (10 rd)
Magnum Research N/A MR9900RSL (10 rd)
MR9915RSL (15 rd)		 MR9400RSL (10 rd) MR9900BL (10 rd) MR9400BL (10 rd)
Weight**
Pistol w/o magazine 800 g (1.8 lb) 720 g (1.6 lb) 680 g (1.5 lb)
Magazine empty 90 g (0.2 lb) 90 g (0.2 lb) 80 g (0.2 lb)
Loaded magazine 282 g (0.6 lb) 275 g (0.6 lb) 282 g (0.6 lb) 275 g (0.6 lb) 250 g (0.6 lb) 230 g (0.5 lb)
Dimensions
Overall length 207 mm (8.1 in) 192 mm (7.6 in) 185 mm (7.3 in)
Height 138 mm (5.4 in) 138 mm (5.4 in) 122 mm (4.8 in)
Width 38 mm (1.5 in) 38 mm (1.5 in) 38 mm (1.5 in)
Barrel length 112 mm (4.4 in) 96 mm (3.8 in) 89 mm (3.5 in)
Sight line radius 156 mm (6.1 in) 141 mm (5.6 in) 134 mm (5.3 in)
*Optional finishes available.
**Overall weights may vary due to manufacturing differences and accuracy of scale.
Jericho 941 F with magazine removed
Semi-Compact Polymer BE

The introduction of the Jericho 941 also introduced a new caliber to the market, the .41 Action Express (or .41 AE), which was developed in 1986.[2] The .41 AE was a unique rebated rim cartridge designed to use .410-inch (10.25 mm) bullets and duplicate a reduced power police loading of the .41 Magnum.[3] The Jericho originally shipped with two barrels, one for 9×19mm Parabellum and the other for .41 AE. Since the .41 AE was designed with a rebated rim the same dimensions as that of the 9 mm, the extractor and ejector worked equally well for either cartridge.[2]

Ballistically, the .40 S&W was similar to moderate .41 AE loads (the reloading manuals that list the .41 AE generally say to use .40 S&W data), although commercial loadings of .41 AE were somewhat more powerful than the .40 S&W. With the stronger backing of major American firearms and ammunition manufacturers, the .40 S&W quickly pushed the .41 AE out of the market. The Jericho 941 was only on the market for one year before the dual 9 mm/.41 AE chambering was dropped, and the pistol was sold as either 9 mm or .40 S&W. Some shooters like the Baby Eagle in .40 S&W for its extra reserve of strength, since the Baby Eagle was originally designed for a more potent cartridge (the .41 AE), which is the reverse of some makers who dropped .40 S&W barrels into pistols previously spec'd for the milder 9 mm cartridge and had subsequent barrel and cartridge case failures.

A later compact version, the Jericho 941, was chambered in .45 ACP or 9 mm. It is not clear to what extent the Jericho original .41 AE/9 mm Jericho frame and slide were "built-up" to handle the .45 ACP's much larger diameter; although the .45 ACP is a milder load running at much lower pressures than the .41 AE, the barrel opening for the .45 ACP is, of necessity, much larger. Desert Eagle does not permit the use of +P or +P+ loads per its website FAQ, although reviewers have shot and reported the ballistics on +P .45 ACP defensive loadings.

Initially Jericho pistols used barrels with polygonal rifling, which sometimes produces slightly higher velocity due to better bullet to barrel fit. IWI switched to conventional land and groove rifling from 2005 to 2007.

The Jericho 941 is issued in current service throughout the Israeli Security Forces, and Israel Weapon Industries lost a 1.2 Billion Pesos bid for the Philippine National Police's 60,000 handgun procurement on July 11, 2012.

Israeli Government IMI Jericho 941F's, occasionally available on the US Civilian Surplus Market, are SAO (Single Action Only) versions of the IMI/IWI Jericho 941 models sold new in the US.[5][6] These pistols can appear with either factory SAO triggers, or trigger/frame modifications performed by Israeli Armorers. The Armorer-modified version can be externally identified by an extra roll-pin added in the frame slightly forward of the trigger-pivot (also a roll-pin). This extra roll-pin prevents the trigger from moving forward to the now non-existent DA position within the trigger-guard. The SAO triggers of the Govt. 941's apply to what is commonly known as the "Israeli Method"[7] of carry, otherwise known as "Condition 3" within the lexicon developed by Jeff Cooper.

Users

References
  1. "IWI US Announces the Return of Jericho 941 - The Firearm Blog". 18 December 2014.
  2. Lewis, Jack; Campbell, Robert K.; Steele, David (26 September 2007). "From uzi to Cornershot". The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 242–243. ISBN 0-89689-498-3.
  3. Barnes, Frank C. (5 October 2012). Cartridges of the World: A Complete Illustrated Reference for More Than 1,500 Cartridges. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 353. ISBN 1-4402-3059-5.
  4. "Jericho 941 models" (PDF).
  5. "Jericho 941F". www.czfirearms.us.
  6. "Jericho 941F". www.czfirearms.us.
  7. "The Truth About 'Israeli Carry' - The Truth About Guns". 24 April 2017.
  8. Jane's Infantry Weapons. 17. 1992. p. 29.
  9. Central America Report. 24. Inforpress Centroamericana. 1997. p. 33.
  10. Montes, Julio A. (May 2000). "Infantry Weapons of the Salvadoran Forces". Small Arms Review. Vol. 3 no. 8.
  11. Vining, Miles (22 April 2016). "ISAF armament of BLS". Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  12. "Israel Gifts Jericho 941 pistols to Hellenic Coast Guard - The Firearm Blog". 30 August 2012.
  13. "Special Group (4 VIKAS) - Indian Clandestine Unit".
  14. Charles Q. Cutshaw (28 February 2011). Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Small Arms From Around the World. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 88. ISBN 1-4402-2482-X.
  15. https://havanatimes.org/features/the-deadly-arsenal-used-by-the-paramilitary-in-nicaragua/
  16. Nenad (3 October 2009). "Specijalna brigada Vojske Srbije".
  17. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-11-21. Retrieved 2014-12-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "на выставке НПО «Форт» показало и еще одну новинку израильского происхождения – пистолет «Форт-21», являющийся лицензионной копией израильского пистолета «Jericho»"
    Петр Черных. И в бою, и на охоте, и по банкам пострелять: чем оружейники порадовали украинскую публику… // УНИАН от 2 октября 2009
  19. "Pistol "Fort-21.03"".
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