1970 – 1991
Irvine, California
- 1970 established by George Jennings
- 1978 his son Bruce Jennings founded Jennings Firearms in Irvine, California
- 1982 his daughter & Jim Davis established Davis Industries in Chino, California
- 1989 his nephew Steven Jennings established Sundance Industries in Valencia, California
- one of the “Ring of Fire” Manufacturers
- November 1991, a fire destroyed the Raven Arms factory
- 1991 sold designs to Phoenix Arms
Raven Arms
About Raven Arms
Raven Arms was a small California handgun maker founded by George Jennings in 1970. The Gun Control Act of 1968 had restricted imports of small, inexpensive handguns, and Jennings designed the Raven MP-25, a simple .25 ACP pocket pistol, to fill that gap with a domestically made gun. The MP-25 sold in very large numbers, with roughly two million pistols and variations reported over about two decades.
Raven Arms was the first of several related Southern California companies, founded by Jennings family members and associates, that made low-cost pistols. Critics grouped them under the label Ring of Fire companies and called their products Saturday night specials, and they became frequent targets of proposed bans on inexpensive handguns. For gun owners, the story is often cited in debates over whether cost-based handgun restrictions fall hardest on low-income people seeking affordable self-defense. A fire destroyed the Raven Arms factory in November 1991, after which Jennings retired and sold the designs to Phoenix Arms, which continued production as the Model Raven with an added magazine disconnect safety.
Key Facts
- 1968: Gun Control Act restricted imports of inexpensive handguns
- 1970: George Jennings founded Raven Arms
- 1970s-1991: About two million MP-25 pistols and variations sold
- November 1991: Fire destroyed the Raven Arms factory
- 1991: Designs sold to Phoenix Arms, which continued the Model Raven
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Sources
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