[marktwain]

from what I understand, those were non-functional guns.

The pistol almost certainly was.

It was a prop for a court case, a Byrco .380.

I have not heard good things about it. Very cheap, not reliable or durable!

The rifle may or may not have been loaded.

It seems to have been an AR15 clone of some type.

It had a magazine in the well, but no ammo was found when the police seized it, days later.

[Lurkinanloomin]

The Ring of Fire is a phrase coined to describe a group of now (mostly) defunct gun manufacturers in California. The original companies were Bryco, Jennings, Lorcin, Raven and Phoenix. They specialized in cheap, poorly made pistols in sub-service (less than 9mm) calibers. The idea was (ostensibly) to make small, easily concealed pistols that could be sold in the $100-175 price range.

https://lonelymachines.org/2006/11/19/the-ring-of-fire-lives-on/#:~:text=The%20Ring%20of%20Fire%20is%20a%20phrase%20coined,could%20be%20sold%20in%20the%20%24100-175%20price%20range.