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The full-sized, all steel, Jericho is about as solid as the 9mm gets.
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Read more about the Jericho: https://iwi.us/Jericho/Jericho-F-Full-Size-Steel.aspx
Buy a Jericho from GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=jericho%20941
Enter to win an IWI Tavor, and more: https://www.gunandgearaway.com/
IWI is an Israeli company that builds military grade weapons for people just like you and me. Most people associate IWI with the Tavor SAR16. But the rifles are just one of the tricks IWI has up its sleeve. They also make pistols. The Jericho has been known by a few different names and, and they’ve been imported by Mossberg, Magnum research, and KBI–but now IWI is handling things themselves. So the Jericho is back, and it has the full weight of IWI behind it.
Speaking of weight–we’re taking a look at a full-sized, steel framed, 9mm workhorse. There’s more steel in the Jericho 941 F than there is in a 2015 Ford F-150. If you have had your fill of the anorexic plastic pistols that have dominated 2015, this sledgehammer may be just what you need.
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Features
- CALIBER: 9mm
- BARREL: Cold hammer forged 4.4” barrel
- WEIGHT: 2.3 lbs.
- LENGTH: 8.2”
- Magazine: ships with two 16 round magazines.
- MSRP: $649.00
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The Jericho comes in various lengths and calibers, and with a steel or polymer frame.
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How does it shoot?
Shooting the full sized steel 941 is a lot like shooting a competition handgun. The gun is heavy, which means recoil is tame. The trigger pull is smooth and the break is exact. The single action trigger pull breaks right at 5.5Lbs. The double action is heavier, but it’s more or less an insurance policy in a gun like this–as in you hope you never need to use the double action. The thumb safety allows the Jericho to be carried cocked-and-locked, like a 1911.
Elements of the design are common to both CZs and The Desert Eagle.
The controls are accessible and over-sized making manipulation possible with only one hand–especially if you are right handed. But lefties shouldn’t feel disheartened. Even though it isn’t ambidextrous, the gun can be accessed with the left hand fairly easily.
I put the gun through my normal review paces. The 941 is extremely reliable. Shooting with out hiccup and eating everything from steel cased Wolf to Freedom Munitions remanufactured range ammo, the 941 never even hinted at choking. The 941 is a handgun that has seen action around the world, so I didn’t expect it to break down in the modest number of rounds fired during the initial testing of our review, but there is always that chance. Still, in 500+ rounds the Jericho ran flawlessly.
Accuracy
Considering this is a full-sized, steel-framed gun you should expect it to be very stable, and you would be right. That stability combines with the solid trigger to produce an accurate pistol. The 941 pistols are more accurate than most handguns in its price bracket primarily because it is more forgiving of user errors (like poor trigger-finger placement). Its three dot sights make for quick and accurate shots. Muzzle flip is negligible. While it isn’t as fast from the holster as some compact polymer guns, I find my split times are faster and my hits are more consistent.
Slowing things down, I find my groups start to shrink. At 10 yards I was able to shoot a 2” group consistently, inside of 7 yards groups were even tighter. While there may not be excessive texturing on the grip or frame, the gun is still easily controlled, thanks primarily to the size and weight.
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Five from 25 yards. I find I shoot a bit low with the Jericho.
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Five fast from low ready.
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Forcing the gun to shoot from double action makes accuracy slightly more complicated, as you would expect. The long take-up of the trigger takes some staging to be able to pull off clean shots. Keep in mind that the gun doesn’t have a de-cocker (some older versions of the Jericho have had them, but this one doesn’t). Lowering the hammer manually is doable, but (in my opinion) unnecessary. Fans of the old-school single action will feel right at home, but the rest of you may need some practice with moving the gun through stages of preparation. And it does incorporate a firing pin block, so there’s no reason not to carry it with the hammer down.
The steel mags are simple and hold 16 rounds of 9mm. Their wide base-plates make for easy manipulation.
Ergonomics
Have I hammered home that this gun is a tank? Shooting a gun like this is incredibly easy. If you didn’t know any better, you could get spoiled. The light recoil and reliable accuracy make practice less fatiguing. But that’s only one component of the experience.
But there are drawbacks to the added mass. This is no lightweight. 2.3 pounds. Most 9mms weigh about half this much, and some are very easy to wear all day. This Jericho isn’t. After a couple of hours in the holster, I am still very aware that it is there. Still, that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
While I’m hung up on the rather obvious weight of steel, my biggest complaint is the lack of real estate on the slide. Racking the slide is tricky at times. I would go so far as to say that it would be much harder to rack with wet or muddy hands than the standard GLOCK, Beretta, or Sig. This is inherent in the design itself, as the slide rides deep in the frame. I understand why–it keeps the barrel axis low in the frame and drives recoil backward, instead of allowing it to tilt up with muzzle rise. But manipulation still requires a lot of practice. Build those basic skills if you intend to use the front of the slide to clear malfunctions or jams.
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The controls are prominent and easy to reach without substantial shifting of your grip.
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The high walls of the frame mean there isn’t much on the front of the slide to hold onto during slide manipulations.
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They do offer the gun with a polymer frame, different barrel lengths, and other calibers. One advantage of the polymer frame is the ease of customization. Front slide serrations would still require milling, but the rest of the frame could be changed in small ways to add extra traction.
Considering this gun hasn’t seen many changes since its inception in the late 1980’s, the Jericho is impressive. Comparing the Jericho to other guns in its price range, it stands toe to toe. Is their room for improvement? Always. I’d look for more traction from different grips, and maybe upgraded sights (something with a flat front shelf that would aid in one handed manipulations). If this was going to be my go-to-war gun, I’d want more texture on the front of the slide.
Conclusion
The full-sized, steel-framed Jericho 941 is obviously a no-nonsense, battle proven handgun. It is fairly affordable at the MSRP of $650.00 and (for the most part) easily accessible. Is it the right handgun for everyone? I think not. But for the military collector, the handgun enthusiast, the competitive shooter, and the older generation who remember and appreciate steel-framed guns, it’s invaluable. And for the rest of you, the IWI offers this same gun in a polymer frame at nearly half the weight. Polymer or steel the 941 is good to go in my book, and deserves a lot more consideration than it is getting.
Post Script: While we’re talking about IWI, I’d like to mention the big contest. IWI is giving away a Tavor. And they’re not alone–they are not alone. The total prize package totals more than $6,700 and includes a wild slew of kickass prizes. Check it out.
Click on this link here to read more about the contest: https://www.gunandgearaway.com/
Click here to enter: https://www.gunandgearaway.com/#enter-section
Read more about the Jericho: https://iwi.us/Jericho/Jericho-F-Full-Size-Steel.aspx
Buy a Jericho from GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=jericho%20941
Enter to win an IWI Tavor, and more: https://www.gunandgearaway.com/
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Basic maintenance is as easy as you’d expect.
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The grip panels are substantial, and give the gun a wide girth.
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The top of the slide is ribbed, and the sights are ramped–easy to holster.
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The front sight is angled for ease of draw.
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The rear sight offers a basic two dot sight picture, but the front angle misses the boat completely.
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The rail is a must on a pistol this size.
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