IWI-US just posted up pictures (on their Facebook page) of the Jericho 941FS (steel-frame, frame-safety, compact) in .45ACP and Jericho 941PSL (polymer-frame, frame-safety, compact) in 9mm, with promises of a press release tomorrow. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out that this is probably going to be an announcement that IWI-US is taking over the imports of the Jericho from Magnum Research. Given how badly Magnum Research has done at marketing the Jericho (“Baby Eagle” – seriously?), this is a big step in the right direction.

In my opinion, pricing is really going to be the make-or-break on the Jericho’s success. We’ve seen an influx of high-quality pistols from Turkey and Slovakia lately, and it’s becoming less and less clear that the > $600 price point is really sustainable on a gun that’s essentially an already-widely-available Tanfoglio. They’d be well-advised to think about offering models with threaded barrels and night sights at a minimum.

If you want the full run-down on the Jericho 941 models, you should look at the IWI brochure (PDF).

Now, here’s the real question: what’s Magnum Research going to do? If it were me, I’d be looking at importing BUL Cherokees, given their existing relationship with BUL (the “Desert Eagle” 1911s are supposedly BUL guns). But those lack the cachet that the Jericho has… this should be interesting.

12/16 update: the Baby Eagle line has completely vanished from Magnum Research’s front page. The Baby Eagle is still listed in the catalog, but I think MR’s relationship with IWI is coming to a close…