Versions of the Jericho have been imported, on and off, for years. Now IWI US will be importing the Jericho in both steel and polymer framed models in all your favorite flavors. Press release after the jump . . .
Harrisburg, Pa. (January 2014) – IWI US, Inc., a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd., proudly announce the return of the Jericho® brand of pistols to the U.S. market. The Jericho® 941™, designed specifically for the U.S. market will be available in both steel frame and polymer frame models.
“Ever since the Jericho was launched in 1990 by – IMI, it has been a very popular pistol for civilians and law enforcement, worldwide,” Michael Kassnar, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for IWI US explained. “Since it was originally designed based upon the highly regarded CZ-75 model, the Jericho has been imported into the U.S. under several names including Jericho 941 from KBI when first introduced, UZI Eagle from Mossberg and Magnum Research’s Baby Eagle. We are very pleased that the Jericho 941 has come full circle and arrived home here at IWI US.”
The Jericho 941 steel frame, semi-auto, short-recoil model will be available in full-size and semi-compact in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP caliber. The pistol features adjustable sights, an integral MIL-STD 1913 rail, an ergonomic grooved pistol grip and ships with 2 magazines in a lockable carry case.
The Jericho 941 polymer frame with steel slide, semi-auto, short recoil model is also available in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP calibers in a full-size and semi-compact frame. All features are the same in the polymer version with the benefit of reduced weight.
Unlike the Baby Eagle, UZI Eagle and earlier versions of the Jericho 941 imported by KBI that had a slide mounted de-cocker system, this new Jericho 941 utilizes the more desirable frame mounted safety, a la CZ75. Jericho 941 pistols are used by civilians and elite forces around the world including the Israeli police. IWI US will also carry CO, CT, DC, HI, IL, MD, NJ and NY compliant pistols with 10-round magazines (no models available for CA and MA). The Jericho 941 pistol will be available in early 2015.
Bah, I want an authentic 941 complete with the slide mount safety/decocker. I want to be Space Cowboy like Spike.
http://media.giphy.com/media/v87ycxiegXFF6/giphy.gif
Check gunbroker. I bought an original Jericho 941 from there for around $350. And yes, I bought it because Spike 🙂 I even made the guide-rod end shiny like his, lol.
CDI Sales had a pair of REALLY nice condition IWI-marked steel Jerichos with the rail for like $490. Both of them vanished pretty quick. There are also some polymer ones still out there.
Given how many surplus Israeli police guns pop up on the market, I don’t think I’d ever buy something with a Baby Eagle rollmark.
That’s funny. I just got my Cowboy Bebop Blu-Ray’s in the mail yesterday and I was thinking about the Jericho most of the day.
Ha, took the words right out of my mouth!
Lovely. No models for CA. 8 million gun owners being cut off from the market. That’s gonna hurt someone’s bottom line.
Looks like we need to move man!
I love the Jericho, and Tavor.. Yes I am a fan boy. Hopefully we will get the “list” tossed within the next 12 months.
I so want a full size in 45. Maybe a compact in 9 mm for the weekend. Hey I like options!
Sigh.. The pricing looks nice as well. This is really gonna hurt…
Maybe the list is a blessing in disguise. Saves us a lot of money. 🙂
At least there’s now a California compliant Tavor. CT can’t get it at all.
There’s got to be a legal challenge for the “California handgun roster”
I’d start with ok: requirements that don’t actually exist, like the micros tamping. Not a lawyer but couldn’t the argument be made that it would be equivilent to a law mandating that cars have force fields(also science fiction at this point) before being allowed on California highways… Sure we allow cars; as long as they have a device that doesn’t exist installed.
Looks almost like a Canik Shark. Just saying.
Canik Shark is a Jericho clone, but both are CZ75 clones. IMI first started making the Jericho in 1989.
Shut up and take my money.
I like my CZ P09.
I had a jericho 941 steel frame .45. It was very comfortable, low recoil and very accurate. It would out shoot a kimber custom shop. But for some reason it jammed a lot. Mostly FTF issues. I tried all types of am and 3 factory mags. Nothing helped. I understand this is very rare in the 941 but still it’s what happened to me.
I had the same issue with my .45. I got rid of it because of that. I’ll probably pick up one of these in 9mm.
I have one of the original IMI Jericho 941 pistols, purchasd second-hand for about $250. The “41” of the 941 comes from the interchangeable barrels: one barrel for 9mm the other for the (now forgotten) .41AE (Action Express) round which was originally intended to compete with the (then) newly introduced .40S&W round…(it didn’t)…the idea (not the round) was good: one gun, two rounds with simply the change of a barrel and magazine. I still have one box of the .41AE left…waiting for the right day to fire the remainder of them.
The pistol itself is a heavy combat-built firearm with a great feel in the hand. I was never a big fan of the slide design however, which I found difficult to operate due to its low profile and slide-mounted safey/decocker which forced the operator to engage the safety/decocker to rack the slide, automatically returning the pistol to a double action mode with the safety engaged (it reverted to single action after the first shot).
The pistol functioned flawlessly though thousands of rounds of fire and while I don’t use it much anymore, I can’t seem to part with it due to its unique design and history (and maybe the small hope that the .41AE will make a return, or IWI will make a kit to covert to .40 or .45) …we’ll see…
Dangit. I already own a Baby Eagle. Great gun but I find the slide mounted safety to be a detriment to the design.
I have heard that the Israelis themselves prefer glock 9mm’s to the home-grown Jericho.
As long as they call it a Jericho this time and not a damn “Baby Eagle” I’m all for it. I love CZ75’s and their clones, and the Jericho is one of the best of the bunch.
Would look good sitting next to my CZ-75, plus frame safety and it’s not called a “baby eagle.” The steel frame model is tempting.
Hope there is a decocker version. It would be a sweet sidekick for a Tavor.
I have one of the old ones. I’m sold, I want that frame mounted safety.
I may be an oddball but take my money!
Do I want this or a 1911 hmmm
I had a Baby Eagle in .45. It was a nice gun and accurate. The problem was it would jam once or twice per magazine no matter what ammo I used. This is after hundreds of rounds. I traded it in. I wouldn’t mind a new one in 9mm as I still have a holster and mag holders for the Jericho style pistols. I’ve heard that was a problem with those pistols in .45. I think I’ll have to save some money.
POI: Illinois has no state wide 10 round limit amd as of last year any local regulation of handguns and handgun magazines are illegal because of state law. Otherwise I want one in 45
Even in Crook County, the mag limit does not apply to pistols.
I’ll take the steel with the compensator in .45 please. I’ll flare that magwell and add some fiber optic sights. Dang, that would be sweet.
When I took the “Double Naught Spy” (aka Conceal Carry) class the first time it was with a .45 Baby Eagle. Loved that gun, except for the name. It never gave me a lick of trouble. I also really dig polygonal rifling.
They gling to bring back 41AE too?
I’m curious: What does this offering do that an actual CZ-75 won’t?
Pretty much nothing. IWI would have been better advised to revive the Barak, which was at least an interesting design that had a couple real advantages over the competition. They’re going to be relying on “Israeli combat-tested” marketing to sell there.
Is anyone else disappointed in the lack of full-size polymer 45 ACP? I’d carry the hell out of one o’ them.
Anyone know if they are ambi? I bought my SAR K2P for that reason. This gun is almost identical to the SAR, but I like the looks of this one pretty well.
I’ve been searching for a decently-priced 9mm polymer “Beagle” (I may be the only one that uses that moniker, but I’m sticking to it) for over a year now. I somehow missed all the ones going for $350, unfortunately. As excited as I am about this new development with IWI US, I’m afraid it’ll drive up the price of the older models as well, seeing how they’ll have a “collector” angle to them now. Hopefully I’m completely wrong and the market will be flooded with delicous reduced-price CZ-75 clones from Israel.