The Bryco Model 38, now marketed as the Jimenez JA-380, is an inexpensive American "Saturday night special" pistol.
History
The Model 38 was Bryco's most famous product, along with the Jennings J-22 which carried over. The weapon was later produced by Jimenez Arms when Bryco went out of business, and is still being made by Jimenez today.
Design Details
The weapon uses simple blowback to cycle its action. The weapon is made of Zamak, a zinc alloy.
Lawsuit
The Model 38 was the weapon which caused the demise of Bryco, despite it being one of their most famous products. This was due to the result of a losing lawsuit directed against Bryco due to a safety flaw with this weapon, with the lawsuit stemming from an incident where a 7-year old boy was paralyzed from the neck down when a 20-year old family friend was attempting to clear the chamber of a Model 38 and the gun discharged; the gun was inadvertently pointed at the 7-year old. The plaintiffs later convinced the jury that the weapon had a feeding issue, which was made evident when the slide was pulled back to check the cartridge with the safety on.