Raven Arms was a firearms manufacturer established in 1970 by firearms designer George Jennings. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibiting the importation of inexpensive handguns prompted Jennings to design the MP-25, a .25-calibersemi-automatic pistol, and enter the firearms business. Raven has been referred to as the original "Ring of Fire" company, a term describing companies known for producing inexpensive Saturday night special handguns.[1]
Before Jennings developed the MP-25, a friend who owned a pawn shop that sold firearms complained to Jennings that his supply of inexpensive imported handguns (typically made by Röhm Gesellschaft) had been cut off due to the Gun Control Act of 1968, resulting in a significant loss of sales. At the time, Jennings operated a machine shop that made parts for Southern California aerospace companies. Jennings established Raven Arms to produce the first Raven, the P-25 for his friend, and over the next 20 years, the company sold approximately two million variations of the pistols. The first variation of the Raven had a large button sliding safety on the side, and was manufactured in Baldwin Park, California. The second variation changed the safety to a smaller sliding safety, but retained the designation of P-25, and was manufactured in Industry, California (as were all other subsequent Ravens). The third variation changed the design of the pistol slide serrations and was designated the MP-25. The fourth and final variation of the pistol removed the sliding safety and changed it to an upward moving disk safety and retained the designation MP-25.[2] In parallel with this growth, gun-control advocates started pushing legislation in Washington, in state capitals, and in city councils to ban inexpensive weapons.
In November 1991, a fire destroyed the Raven Arms factory. Jennings retired and sold his designs to Phoenix Arms.[2] Phoenix was owned in equal shares by Jennings's ex-wife, his children, four of his grandchildren, and by Raven's former general manager. Phoenix continued to produce the MP-25 as the "Model Raven" and introduced a magazine safety disconnect which rendered the pistol unable to fire without a magazine inserted[2] Phoenix was run under the management of Jennings's son Bruce, and developed additional .22 and .25-caliber pistols, called the HP22 and HP25.
Raven MP-25 Chrome with faux mother of pearl grips and push up safety.
The MP-25 can hold six .25 ACP rounds in the magazine, plus one in the chamber, and is finished in chrome, satin nickel or black. The grips can be either wood or imitation mother-of-pearl handles. There is a similar model called the Raven Arms P-25. Both have similar blowback and envelope designs and are essentially identical firearms.[4]
Early models have a sliding bar safety that will not allow the pistol to chamber a round or cock the striker if the safety is not in the fire position when the slide is pulled back. Later models have a push up safety that will not allow the action to be cycled at all when engaged.[4]
The firing pin also acts as the ejector. It protrudes from its hole when the slide nears the end of its rearward travel, contacting the spent case and sending it up and out of the pistol. The gun's fixed sights are cast into the top of the slide. The trigger pull is fairly stiff, at about 8 pounds, 6 ounces.[5]
Conflicting Viewsedit
There are conflicting views on the MP-25. Critics refer to it by the pejorative term "Saturday night special", as it is both easily concealed and affordable enough that the poor can afford to purchase it.[1] However, Roy Innis, president of the activist group Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), rejected the pejorative term: "To make inexpensive guns impossible to get is to say that you're putting a money test on getting a gun. It's racism in its worst form."[6] Some advocates of the pistol say that it is reliable, despite its low cost.[7][8]Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE) reported that a Phoenix Arms Model Raven with an altered or damaged sear tip discharged unintentionally when the safety was moved "off" after the trigger had been pulled with the safety "on".[9]
Original flyer that came with the purchase of a P25.Raven P-25 parts list
Mark Orrin Barton used an MP-25 and several other handguns in his killing spree in Atlanta and Stockbridge, Georgia, on July 29, 1999, before killing himself.[14] The MP-25 had been purchased from a pawnshop by someone else in 1991.[15]
^ abFreudenberg, Nicholas (January 21, 2014). Lethal But Legal: Corporations, Consumption, and Protecting Public Health. Oxford University Press, USA. pp. 48–52. ISBN978-0-19-993720-2.
^ abcBrown, Peter Harry; Abel, Daniel G. (June 15, 2010). Outgunned: Up Against the NRA: The First Complete Insider Account of the Battle Over Gun Control. New York: Simon and Schuster. pp. 57, 157. ISBN978-1-4516-0353-8.
^PBS. "frontline: hot guns: Interview with Bruce Jennings". PBS. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
^ abWood, J B (October 21, 2007). Automatic Pistols Assembly/Disassembly. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 535. ISBN978-1-4402-2401-0.
^"Firearm Recalls & Warnings Index". Retrieved July 6, 2015.
^"CNN - Pennsylvania students cope with shooting spree - April 25, 1998". CNN.
^Lieberman, Joseph A. (September 1, 2008). School Shootings:: What Every Parent and Educator Needs to Know to Protect Our Children. Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN9780806535692.
^. www.francesfarmersrevenge.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
^"'It's a Bad Trading Day ...And It's About to Get". Newsweek. August 8, 1999.
^Amy Goldstein; Sue Anne Pressley; Hanna Rosin (July 31, 1999). "Killer Wrote of Fear, Hopelessness". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
External linksedit
Media related to Raven Arms at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 1970
raven, arms, firearms, manufacturer, established, 1970, firearms, designer, george, jennings, control, 1968, prohibiting, importation, inexpensive, handguns, prompted, jennings, design, caliber, semi, automatic, pistol, enter, firearms, business, raven, been, . Raven Arms was a firearms manufacturer established in 1970 by firearms designer George Jennings The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibiting the importation of inexpensive handguns prompted Jennings to design the MP 25 a 25 caliber semi automatic pistol and enter the firearms business Raven has been referred to as the original Ring of Fire company a term describing companies known for producing inexpensive Saturday night special handguns 1 Raven ArmsCompany typePrivateIndustryfirearmsFounded1970 54 years ago 1970 FounderGeorge JenningsDefunct1991 33 years ago 1991 HeadquartersCarson City Nevada Irvine California and Costa Mesa California U S Area servedU S Key peoplePaul JimenezProductsweapons Semi automatic pistols Raven kept manufacturing costs to a minimum by building their guns from injection molded Zamak a zinc alloy Contents 1 History 2 MP 25 2 1 Description and Operation 2 2 Conflicting Views 2 3 Criminal uses 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory editBefore Jennings developed the MP 25 a friend who owned a pawn shop that sold firearms complained to Jennings that his supply of inexpensive imported handguns typically made by Rohm Gesellschaft had been cut off due to the Gun Control Act of 1968 resulting in a significant loss of sales At the time Jennings operated a machine shop that made parts for Southern California aerospace companies Jennings established Raven Arms to produce the first Raven the P 25 for his friend and over the next 20 years the company sold approximately two million variations of the pistols The first variation of the Raven had a large button sliding safety on the side and was manufactured in Baldwin Park California The second variation changed the safety to a smaller sliding safety but retained the designation of P 25 and was manufactured in Industry California as were all other subsequent Ravens The third variation changed the design of the pistol slide serrations and was designated the MP 25 The fourth and final variation of the pistol removed the sliding safety and changed it to an upward moving disk safety and retained the designation MP 25 2 In parallel with this growth gun control advocates started pushing legislation in Washington in state capitals and in city councils to ban inexpensive weapons In November 1991 a fire destroyed the Raven Arms factory Jennings retired and sold his designs to Phoenix Arms 2 Phoenix was owned in equal shares by Jennings s ex wife his children four of his grandchildren and by Raven s former general manager Phoenix continued to produce the MP 25 as the Model Raven and introduced a magazine safety disconnect which rendered the pistol unable to fire without a magazine inserted 2 Phoenix was run under the management of Jennings s son Bruce and developed additional 22 and 25 caliber pistols called the HP22 and HP25 MP 25 editDescription and Operation edit MP 25 nbsp MP 25 with blued finishTypeSemi automatic pistolPlace of originUnited StatesProduction historyDesignerGeorge JenningsDesigned1960sManufacturerRaven ArmsProduced1970 1991No built3 million 3 VariantsP 25SpecificationsCartridge 25 ACPActionBlowbackFeed system6 round detachable box magazineSightsPost and rear notch nbsp Raven MP 25 Chrome with faux mother of pearl grips and push up safety The MP 25 can hold six 25 ACP rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber and is finished in chrome satin nickel or black The grips can be either wood or imitation mother of pearl handles There is a similar model called the Raven Arms P 25 Both have similar blowback and envelope designs and are essentially identical firearms 4 Early models have a sliding bar safety that will not allow the pistol to chamber a round or cock the striker if the safety is not in the fire position when the slide is pulled back Later models have a push up safety that will not allow the action to be cycled at all when engaged 4 The firing pin also acts as the ejector It protrudes from its hole when the slide nears the end of its rearward travel contacting the spent case and sending it up and out of the pistol The gun s fixed sights are cast into the top of the slide The trigger pull is fairly stiff at about 8 pounds 6 ounces 5 Conflicting Views edit There are conflicting views on the MP 25 Critics refer to it by the pejorative term Saturday night special as it is both easily concealed and affordable enough that the poor can afford to purchase it 1 However Roy Innis president of the activist group Congress of Racial Equality CORE rejected the pejorative term To make inexpensive guns impossible to get is to say that you re putting a money test on getting a gun It s racism in its worst form 6 Some advocates of the pistol say that it is reliable despite its low cost 7 8 Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners AFTE reported that a Phoenix Arms Model Raven with an altered or damaged sear tip discharged unintentionally when the safety was moved off after the trigger had been pulled with the safety on 9 nbsp Original flyer that came with the purchase of a P25 nbsp Raven P 25 parts list Criminal uses edit An MP 25 was used in the 24 April 1998 Parker Middle School dance shooting The shooter shot two teachers one fatally and two students with his father s pistol 10 11 Serial killer Robert Lee Yates shot his victims with two MP 25s 12 13 Mark Orrin Barton used an MP 25 and several other handguns in his killing spree in Atlanta and Stockbridge Georgia on July 29 1999 before killing himself 14 The MP 25 had been purchased from a pawnshop by someone else in 1991 15 See also editArcadia Machine amp Tool Davis Industries Jimenez Arms Phoenix Arms Lorcin Engineering Company Sundance IndustriesReferences edit a b Freudenberg Nicholas January 21 2014 Lethal But Legal Corporations Consumption and Protecting Public Health Oxford University Press USA pp 48 52 ISBN 978 0 19 993720 2 a b c Brown Peter Harry Abel Daniel G June 15 2010 Outgunned Up Against the NRA The First Complete Insider Account of the Battle Over Gun Control New York Simon and Schuster pp 57 157 ISBN 978 1 4516 0353 8 PBS frontline hot guns Interview with Bruce Jennings PBS Retrieved September 24 2014 a b Wood J B October 21 2007 Automatic Pistols Assembly Disassembly Iola Wisconsin Gun Digest Books p 535 ISBN 978 1 4402 2401 0 Benedikt Joseph von 2021 Raven Arms MP 25 Known as a Saturday Night Special the little Raven MP 25 belly gun was cheap but reliable Shooting Times https www shootingtimes com editorial raven arms mp25 389100 Harrison Geoffrey July 2 2013 Lethal Weapons Great Debates Tough Questions Smart History Norwood House Press ISBN 978 1599535920 Wood J B October 22 2007 Automatic Pistols Assembly Disassembly Gun Digest Books ISBN 9781440224010 Benedikt Joseph von 2021 Raven Arms MP 25 Known as a Saturday Night Special the little Raven MP 25 belly gun was cheap but reliable Shooting Times https www shootingtimes com editorial raven arms mp25 389100 Firearm Recalls amp Warnings Index Retrieved July 6 2015 CNN Pennsylvania students cope with shooting spree April 25 1998 CNN Lieberman Joseph A September 1 2008 School Shootings What Every Parent and Educator Needs to Know to Protect Our Children Kensington Publishing Corp ISBN 9780806535692 Robert Lee Yates Jr Serial Killer Robert Lee Yates Jr www francesfarmersrevenge com Archived from the original on April 22 2009 Retrieved July 20 2022 It s a Bad Trading Day And It s About to Get Newsweek August 8 1999 Amy Goldstein Sue Anne Pressley Hanna Rosin July 31 1999 Killer Wrote of Fear Hopelessness The Washington Post Washington D C ISSN 0190 8286 OCLC 1330888409 External links edit nbsp Media related to Raven Arms at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Raven Arms amp oldid 1222817477, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
