Bucky Lawson shares his thoughts on the IWI Jericho 941 pistol after about 1,000 rounds of range time.

Steel handguns are enjoying something of a Renaissance. No one is giving up their polymer-framed carry guns, but shooters are recognizing that steel offers a fine shooting experience, especially when it comes to recoil. IWI takes advantage of that steel Renaissance with the Jericho 941 F ORP, an updated, optic ready variant of the proven Jericho 941 platform.

Israel Military Industries (IMI) introduced the Jericho 941 platform in 1990, offering the gun in 9mm Parabellum and .41 Action Express. Those two cartridges explain the “941” appellation. .41 AE never took off, so most Jerichos are chambered for 9mm rounds, but the name remains.

The Jericho 941 was initially dubbed the “Baby Eagle” and the “UZI Eagle” in the United States because it resembles the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. IMI used that as an advertising tool because they marketed both pistols at the time. “UZI Eagle” came from an unrelated Mossberg campaign when that company distributed the Jericho for a time. IMI became Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) in 2005, when the company was privatized.

The Jericho 941, however, is not based on the Desert Eagle, having a completely different operating system. IMI based the Jericho on the outstanding CZ-75, another well-regarded steel-framed handgun, and one of the original so-called “Wonder Nines.”

IWI offers several Jericho 941 configurations. This review will deal specifically with the Full-size Optic-Ready Pistol (F ORP) variant.

IWI Jericho 941 F ORP Specs

• Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
• Capacity: 17+1 (10-round magazines are available)
• Barrel length: 4.4 inches
• Overall Length: 8.2 inches
• Weight: 38.6 ounces without the magazine
• Single/Double Action
• Steel Frame, Barrel, and Slide
• Optic Ready

Jericho 941 Features

One need look no further than the Jericho 941’s slide to see the CZ-75’s influence. Both pistols feature a tapered, low-profile slide riding on internal rails, providing a noticeably lower bore axis than comparable large, steel-framed handguns. The slide release doubles as a takedown pin, also like the CZ-75. It’s a simple process.

The steel frame is beveled up front to aid holstering and generally streamline the gun itself. That beveling is one feature that evokes the image of the Desert Eagle. A nice beavertail extends backward to prevent hammer bite. The grip panels are stippled for a 360-degree purchase. They’re solid, but not overly-aggressive. A slight palm swell helps it contour with the hand. The grip itself is beefy, like the rest of the pistol. The backstrap is not interchangeable.

SA/DA Trigger

I like single/double action (SA/DA) triggers, though I admit it’s a matter of taste, and those triggers are harder to master. They do, however, offer the shooter more control in the moment than the pre-cocked triggers in modern striker-fired handguns. The Jericho 941’s trigger has a long DA pull, with no discernable break. I have, however, learned to stage the trigger effectively. The pull is too heavy for my trigger gauge to read, though I estimate it at around 12 lbs.

I prefer carrying SA/DA semi-auto firearms like the Jericho in the half-cock position. That position yields a smooth, consistent 7-lb. pull. The initial take-up is fairly long, but the wall is clearly defined. You don’t get a clean, quick break, but the trigger is easily staged from half-cock and I like the control it gives me. Follow-up SA shots have a light, crisp 2.25-lb. break. The frame-mounted, thumb safety allows Condition 1, or “cocked and locked,” carry if you like that style and possess the training.

New for the F ORP Variant

The F ORP is the most capable Jericho 941 yet. The most obvious upgrade is the optic-ready slide, for which IWI includes steel RMR and DeltaPoint Pro adapter plates. Each plate includes a tall, milled rear sight notch to go with the slide’s tall front sight blade. They’re essentially suppressor-height sights, though IWI doesn’t yet offer a threaded barrel for the platform. IWI includes the screws and Allen wrenches for installing the plates.

Effectively manipulating the low-profile slide requires some practice, though the new, deep front serrations aid the process. Or you could just use the optic, which I find myself doing more often than not. IWI added a captured recoil spring assembly, which is more robust than the old spring and guide rod configuration.

The grip texturing is better than the old Jericho 941 models, providing a more positive grip. The safety is now ambidextrous, where the older models are not, and the left-side catch is larger. IWI also added more slots to the forward Picatinny accessory rail. The enhanced magazine release is one of my favorite features. It’s larger and more prominent without being in the way. The mechanism is positive and ejects the magazines robustly. The catch is reversible but requires a competent gunsmith or armorer to do the work.

Shooting the Jericho 941 F ORP

The Jericho 941 F ORP is a literal blast to shoot. The beefy grip feels good in the hand, and the weight is just satisfying. The recoil is light too, with that big frame soaking up the 9mm recoil very well indeed. That easy recoil also contributes to accuracy and faster follow-up shots.

I usually carry a subcompact pistol, but I enjoy large-framed handguns because I have big hands and long fingers. I like the extra real estate that doesn’t require me to slightly shift my grip to hit the mag release. I got used to that long ago, but it’s nice to have everything right there, as it is with the Jericho. The slide catch is the only control that’s hard to reach, thanks to the intervening safety catch. Personally, I don’t care since I’m perfectly comfortable dropping the slide manually, but it’s worth mentioning.

The tall iron sights are good, though I wish the front blade wasn’t blacked out since it sometimes gets lost for a split second during transitions. I’ve been meaning to add a drop of luminescent paint to provide some contrast but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

I came around to pistol optics only reluctantly, but I eventually had to acquiesce to my aging eyes. And I do shoot considerably better with them than without. Most recently, I’ve been running a Meprolight MPO-F red dot on the Jericho 941.  A rugged optic for a rugged pistol. Plus, IWI and Meprolight share the same parent company, so it seems natural.

Accuracy

IMI designed the Jericho 941 for combat, so my co-tester and I run it that way. We’ve put it through multiple drills, transitioning horizontally and vertically, and between short and longer ranges. We’ve run it on the dueling tree numerous times and through countless Bill Drills. We also ran the local police department’s 50-round qualification drill twice each. We scored maximum points each time, not least because the Jericho is accurate and functioned flawlessly.

At this point, I have something like 1,000 rounds through the gun and have yet to experience a single malfunction. We fired the following loads:

• 115-grain Blazer Brass FMJ
• 115-grain Federal American Eagle FMJ
• 115-grain PMC Bronze FMJ
• 115-grain Federal Punch JHP
• 124-grain Remington UMC FMJ
• 124-grain Speer LE Gold Dot JHP

We consistently hold 1 to 1.5-inch groups at 7-10 yards when firing deliberately. Those groups tend to enlarge to 2 to 2.5 inches when firing against a timer in transition. We probably average 4 to 5-inch groups at 25 yards using iron sights. Adding a capable optic reduces those groups to 3 inches or so. Those discrepancies are obviously not the gun, but the shooters. The gun itself is very capable indeed.

Final Thoughts

If you couldn’t tell, I like this gun. I had wanted a Jericho 941 for a long time, but I decided a couple years ago not to spend my money on new semi-auto pistols that aren’t optic ready. That obviously coincided with my conversion to pistol optics. So, I reluctantly passed on buying another Jericho, since I already owned a polymer-framed Jericho Enhanced.

But the F ORP variant changed the game. I got the steel frame I so desired, plus optic compatibility. Now I’m looking to integrate the Jericho 941 F ORP into my system as a battle belt gun. I really need to get off my duff and find ta proper holster for that application. Yes, I know it’s heavy. I don’t care. It’s also rock solid and does everything I want it to do.

IWI could have let the Jericho 941 ride off into the sunset. In fact, I had heard they intended to do just that. But a few months later, here came the upgraded F ORP, so I suppose the rumors of its decline were premature. I, for one, am glad they were. This gun has an awful lot to offer, assuming you want a big, rugged 9mm pistol with a 17+1 magazine capacity and modern features. If that sounds like you, check it out. IWI might have exactly what you’re looking for.