I was looking at a Chinese Norinco 45 this morning. Best i can tell unfired, in the box, instruction sheet, cleaning rod and brush. Not even an "idiot mark" on it. Nicely blued. Fixed sights GI type gun.

They any good?

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John 3:16 .

They have excellent steel in them and are often used for custom 1911 builds.

Here's my Custom 1911 Norinco I had built by Ikey Starks in Denver in the mid 90's.

VERY good guns.

Mine has served me very reliably for over 20 years.....great gun.

Randy

The only beef I have ever had with Chinese semi-autos is the qualify of the springs used in them.

Before Clinton put 80% of FFLs out of business most of us bought most of our new guns out of the Shotgun News through home FFLs. Usually the ads offered a price break if you bought more than one of the same gun. A freind and I spit an order of two Norinco 1911s. They were $266 out the door! Both were good solid 1911s. Parts were 100% interchangeable with Colts and they were reputed to be made of good steel. Grocery store gun magazines often pictured customized Norinco 1911s.

Similarly, Hungarian FEG Browning High Power copies were dirt cheap, 100% parts interchangeable with FN Brownings, made of good steel and often used as the basis for custom pistols.

Every part (except springs of course) machined from tooled steel. Tougher than Woodpecker Lips! Great basic 1911's and getting harder to find every day, especially in the condition you describe.

I remember when I first saw thes sometime in the 80's and I turned my nose up at them thinking a colt was the only 1911 to have.
I forget how much they were but I wish I would have bought a couple of them.

I'd buy it if the price was reasonable.

My safe includes a Norinco NHM-91, MAK90, and SKS-M. Granted they're not pre-bans, but they're great quality. The AK variants have exceptional triggers and function flawlessly. Plus they're probably only going to go up in value.

They are good guns but look closely at the locking lugs. There was a period of time where they were machined improperly and barrel would bounce around and shear the locking lugs.

Once that happened the gun will never be the same.

If they look good and they are not asking too much then go for it. The are very good 1911A1 clones. They used to be one of 3 base guns that Wilson would accept. They stopped accepting them at one point because they were too hard on the tooling.

I would not pay more than $500-$600 depending on the condition. Anything over that you are better off just buying a SA or Colt IMHO.

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Use should dictate gear!

Before I got fed up with 1911s (very personal) I had two Norincos and they were excellent. They fired everything I ever fed into them, they were extremely accurate, etc. If I had the opportunity to buy one again, and if I wanted a 1911, I wouldn't hesitate to acquire a Norinco. They were among the best guns Norinco ever made.

Side story - a now deceased friend of mine, a truly top notch gun guy and LEO, had his Norinco 1911 sent to an engraver and the engraver sent it back saying the steel was too hard to engrave. That is SOLID!

My brother has owned and used a Norinco .45 for many years, it's his favorite gun. As previously noted, the Norinco .45 has a good reputation for quality and durability.

Years back at Camp Perry, Clark used them for custom 45's. Said the slides were harder then normal and they used the Norinco barrel because it was match quality. Neat thing is some places sell them reasonably, they think it's a junk gun. How much they want? Larry

You can still get them dirt cheap in Canada. The Clinton import ban is what made the price sky rocket in the US. I have had 2 or 3 over the years but they all have been sold off at one point or another because I chose not to customize them.

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Use should dictate gear!

CajunBass, fairly certain I looked at the Norinco you speak of. They had two on the 21st, if we are looking at the same place.

They were new in the boxes and a fair price I thought. List at $599 and thought to have a little swing on pricing. I didn't try for any discount as I had just spent my gun-fund for the time being.

One of them has a small crack in the left-side grip panel at the upper grip screw, If we are on the same page.

I want a Norinco, and have looked at a few locally but they were well beat up at $550 ! I have heard many times of the great steel used; even the tale I don't believe for a minute, about using train track rails. I imagine China needs all the rail lines it can get and can't imagine pulling up rails to make side arms.

In the U S I believe it is against an old federal law for an individual to salvage, cut up, or otherwise destroy rails. Reputable junk yards will not take them as scrap.

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wanna do right-- not right now

That we are.

They always have a little wiggle room on price. Just depends on how long it's been hanging around.

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John 3:16 .

"In the U S I believe it is against an old federal law for an individual to salvage, cut up, or otherwise destroy rails. Reputable junk yards will not take them as scrap."

Someone should have told WT Sherman that back in 1864-65.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Local thieves steel a lot of metal to sell to businesses that recycle it. It is unusual to see a power poll that still has its ground wire. There is a persistent problem with thieves stealing rail spikes! In addition to being theft this **** endangers lives. What job is any harder than stealing RR spikes?

The Chinese norinco 1911a1 is all forged steel. They say the norinco guns are made from our scrap railroad track. My project norc 1911 is the most accurate of my 1911's. I fitted a nm barrel bushing with a new surplus military barrel.

We don't use spikes with the new ribbon rails. We use a spring binder setup now.

I used to have one that I bought from a friend.

The major components are first rate, probably better than mid-'80s vintage Colt. The small parts are garbage, but easily replaced.

Mine was my primary carry piece until I got laid off a few Christmases ago and needed the money to pay the rent. I ended up selling it back to the guy from whom I bought it. If I hadn't needed the money, I'd still have and carry it.

Scrapyards may not take spikes from the public, but some fishing shops do. Spikes are commonly used here for weights for sturgeon fishing in the Columbia River.

I did some research on these 1911’s back when I found mine. I found a post from an engineer in Canada that had info on the steel. I’ll try to attach a pdf if you want to read it.

Looks like if you click on the blank picture it will take you to the pdf.

Attached Files

Norinco 1911 Steel.pdf (193.6 KB, 68 views)

I wanted to, someday, have a master pistolsmith build me a really, really nice custom 1911. Bomar sights, all the goodies. I found a NIB Norinco at a gunshow and jumped on it. Locally, the top 1911 man is Steve Barlow, Barlow's Custom Guns. I saved up some cash for the work and took cash and Norinco into his shop.

Another shooter offered me twice what I had paid for it a couple of years earlier and I sold it to him.

Right now, my favorite 1911 is my first year S&W 945 I bought new in 1998.

Were I to go shopping for a new 1911 to have dolled up today, it would be either a Colt or a Springfield Armory.

I will echo the hint about checking the locking lugs.

I had one that beat them up pretty badly. It seems the frame rail geometry was off on some of them. The result was the locking lugs didn't get full engagement and a "shelf" would peen into the lugs because that's the only section that was actually engaging.

I've owned one and seen one other with the problem, so they are out there. Vast majority of the ones I've looked at didn't exhibit the problem, so I would think it's pretty limited, but if you're going to buy one you should check for it.

The only damage was the lugs on the barrel. The slide didn't have any damage, probably due to the steel used in it. I fitted a Hart barrel to it, and that solved the problem. I've heard people actually changing the frame rail geometry, but that sure seemed like alot of work. I don't know if a longer link would solve it, but it seemed like the Hart barrel was the better solution to me. Anyway, I sold it to a buddy at work, and he still has it and is more than happy with it. It drove tacks with the fitted barrel.

Other than that problem, they are really well built guns, made from high quality steel.

Thanks for all the information but I think I'm going to pass on it. I'm afraid it would become another gun I don't shoot and I've got too many of those now.

If it was a S&W revolver that wouldn't be a consideration.

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John 3:16 .

CajunBass, I'm on the same page as you I have 7 1911's, always looking at the Norinco 1911, but in the end never pull the trigger. It is a great copy of a WW2 1911a1, but I already have a '44 Remington Rand and I find the sites on that one a little lacking. If one fell into my lap for a very, very ,very good price, I would snatch it up, but for current market prices, there are S&W 66s and 28s I would buy before spending my money on the Norinco.

Back in "my day", I worked on several Norinco M 1911. Like everyone else I found the steel to be excellent and the small parts to be 'suspect'. I changed out springs with Wolfe's and the slide stop, ejector, sear and thumb safety with Colt's. The hammer was usually changed to a Commander style hammer out of election not because of necessity. If the customer wanted to keep using the OEM barrel, I would coat the lugs of the barrel with Dykem and send him to the range to shoot a box of hard ball thru the gun. I then 'read' the marks and would advise the customer if the barrel was fitting properly or if it should be changed. Most of the barrel fits were good, but some were off. GI barrels were a dime a dozen back then and it was a natural to swap one into the Norinco. I did fit several custom long barrels with threaded muzzle for a muzzle brake with total success. I was always a little surprised at just how good the Norinco actually was with just a little of parts swaps and tuning.

I feel the same way today about the M 1911 by Armscor. It is forged in the Philippines and assembled here in So. Nevada. The frames and slides are every bit as good as other major brands that have greater name recognition.

Not a big deal and don't mean to hijack but I thought RIA (Armscor) 1911 slides were forged while frames were investment cast, has this changed?

ETA:
Back in the day (pre-import ban) the Norinco was not only quality steel but was the cheapest way to get a forged frame to build on. I had a GI model and sold it along with an M1A (also forged receiver) of the same persuasion.
I was a C3 dealer and recall the local SO buying some norinco select fire M14's for $195 each.

I was under the same impression.

I've got a Citadel 3.5cs and couldn't be happier.

The Philippine guns are the new Norincos.

It's funny how the best quality firearms and knives I have are also some of the least expensive and from China. Get the Norinco you won't regret it

Yep, the old Norincos were used as a base for many custom 1911s. I stumbled across a box stock one a couple of years ago and bought it. Since you rarely see them in original condition anymore, I decided to leave it as it was.

Not to hijack or drift but IIRC, the Norinco M14 bolts had metallurgy (soft) issues and there once was a cottage industry swapping out bolts for GI's. I sold a few surplus TRW's for that reason.

The version of this rumor that I heard alleged that Norinco "M-14" receivers were soft and after firing a lot bolt lug impressions in the receiver got deep enough to create excess head space. I was suspicious that these were economically motivated rumors made up by owners who's investment in $1,000 Springfields was being undermined by readily available $400 Norincos. I did see a few of the Norincos fired quite a bit and while they were not accurate enough to be competitive in High-Power matches they shot well and did not develop problems. Heat treating tool steel in temperature controlled furnaces is WW I technology and the steel mills supplying the steel will provide the recipe. I have had dirt cheap Chinese hand tools that were made out of unsatisfactory steel. Maybe experience with those was the seed of the rumor.

The problem as I understood it was the bolts were inferior (with ensuing excessive headspace when shot a lot) but receivers were ok. I didn't then and still don't know if there was any truth to any of it but I did sell some bolts for that purpose. I can't honestly say if there were problems or not as the few norinco M14S models I've owned and been around didn't show any inherent problems but weren't shot a lot either. One thing I never did figure out was if the receivers heat treat was ok, why weren't the bolts?
The local SO that had the select fire versions never reported any problems (other than accuracy) but I don't know how much they were fired.

ETA:
After a quick but unthorough search, I came up with this comment...

"The bolts aren't soft, but they do have lugs that have an incorrect radius and it's a good idea to replace them with GI."

If your SO (sheriff's office?) Norinco M-14s had soft metal receivers or bolts then much full auto fire would likely have brought out the problem. On the other hand, it is hard to imagine much use for difficult to control full auto .308 fire in police work so maybe they only experimented with full auto.

My only Chinese Norinco......Has never malfunctioned.......

Attached Images

100_1128.jpg (134.3 KB, 42 views)

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S&W Accumulator

Fulton Armory tested a norinco m14. They had a write up posted on their sight with the results. They said most of the bad stuff was concocted by the m1a/m14 manufacturers in the states. I guess the norinco m14 being very affordable hurt there sales.

I have one tucked away growing roots in the safe.

I shot a m14 select fire in full auto at my dealers gun club. He never told me about the barrel rise. On the second go around I could control it.

"I shot a m14 select fire in full auto at my dealers gun club. He never told me about the barrel rise. On the second go around I could control it. "
One of the rationales for the M14 was to replace not only the M1 Garand but also the BAR, for which purpose it was ultimately unsuccessful. The BAR was heavy enough to be controllable in full automatic fire. The lighter mass of the M14 made control in full automatic mode nearly impossible. It's difficult to violate the laws of physics.

One of my bucket list pieces is a NORINCO TRENCH SHOTGUN ! They used to be an easy find but now have seemed to vanish from shows and GB

+1
even with the E2 stock and M2 bipod. (they did help though IMO along with the comp)

After thinking I was just going to have the shop take it out of layaway and put it back on the shelf, I changed my mind again and bought it home. I didn't have a 1911, and it will go right along with my Argentine FM Hi-Power.





I haven't shot it but did field strip it. It was dry as a bone, but a few drops of oil here and there smoothed it up. It has a surprisingly good trigger.

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John 3:16 .

You will enjoy that Norinco. I should not of sold mine.

Great platform for a custom job. I built one back in the early '90s. Turned out really nice and I used it a lot for bowling-pin and bulls-eye. Like an idiot, I traded it for something I probably didn't need after 5 years. I'd build another with a Norinco as a base in a heart beat

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John

You did well. I have one from years ago and wished I'd gotten more when they were first imported. One feature mine has is the Chromed barrel. In WY / CO that isn't a big deal but here in ND the humidity is high enough it's comforting to have.

FWIW mine has decent parts and I haven't had to change anything.

Good buy!

I've had mine since I bought it new in the early 90s. I've left it stock except for replacing the plastic grips with walnut WWI style grips. It's always functioned 100% with any factory ammo and has good accuracy. It's not a tack driver, but I'd rather have combat accuracy and 100% functioning.

When I bought my Norinco it was what I could afford. At the same time my father in law bought a new Series 80 Colt GM. The Colt always jammed on the third or fourth round. He had it ported, polished, changed mags. It still jammed. He was the armorer for his company in the 50s so he knew 1911s. It frustrated him and he sold it. He still asks if I have "that .45". I tell him I do and he says "better keep it".