Magazine Issues with Norinco 1911

[TDC]

Wow man, that's a little harsh. Buying a Norinco isn't like buying a car that doesn't work. Having a Norinco is like buying an older car that you want to work on. Because of the price you pay, you expect that things may not run 100% but then you change out some parts shine it up and you have one hell of a beautie!! The more high-end guns AKA Wilson 1911's are like buying a Ferrari, If I spent that kind of money (Which I never would by the way) you damn right I expect it to run smooth as butter. That's what you paid a crazy amount of money for. So for guns aswell as cars I'd take the less expensive one, change some parts to make it mine, tune it up and then sit back and enjoy something I worked on when it runs just as good if not better than the more expensive ones.

With more money in my pocket of course!

A great comparison. For the folks who love tinkering with their guns its a great choice. Its a cheap way to get into handguns. You understand that Norinco's may not work out of the box and are comfortable with that. Many others expect it to work and then complain on this forum that it does not. You equate high dollar guns to Ferrari's which is a pretty fair association. Don't think for a second your low dollar pistol/car will ever be the quality that the high dollar equivalent is.

Out of curiosity, for those who have replaced many of their Norinco parts with USGI ones, what is the total cost of your pistol??

TDC

 

[Can-down]

The Norinco parts are USGI.....I'd guess that most replace parts for looks or feel and do not buy parts that are original spec USGI.

 

[TDC]

The status quo around here seems to be "buy the Norinco, ditch everything but the frame" which is why I asked what the total cost of producing a functioning gun is. The other question I ask is, why strip the pistol to the frame. Are the factory guns not functional??

TDC

 

[Can-down]

The status quo around here seems to be "buy the Norinco, ditch everything but the frame" which is why I asked what the total cost of producing a functioning gun is. The other question I ask is, why strip the pistol to the frame. Are the factory guns not functional??

TDC

Getting a little off topic here,
If you do a search this topic has been discussed quite a bit...
For the record I doubt that the status quo is "ditch everything but the frame" and the reason some do is that the frame's are recognized as being well made and it is a cheap way to start a full custom build.

 

[NAA]

Norinco Glock Clone....

Wait until Norinco starts cloning the Glocks.

It will give new meaning to 'Glock Perfection'. Wonder if the kool-aid will taste as sweet then.....

On the upside, you will probably be able to get a G17 or G22 'clone' for $250.....

NAA.

 

[USP]

A great comparison. For the folks who love tinkering with their guns its a great choice. Its a cheap way to get into handguns. You understand that Norinco's may not work out of the box and are comfortable with that. Many others expect it to work and then complain on this forum that it does not. You equate high dollar guns to Ferrari's which is a pretty fair association. Don't think for a second your low dollar pistol/car will ever be the quality that the high dollar equivalent is.

Out of curiosity, for those who have replaced many of their Norinco parts with USGI ones, what is the total cost of your pistol??

TDC

Ive had my 1911 Norc since about 1991, its been flawless. As it was one of my first handguns I decided this year to use it as a build project and go all out. Ive spent about $2200 on it in upgrades and finishing. It should be done in less than a month. I have no interest in resale value and chose to do a build on because its both a good platform from a metal point of view and also because I like the gun.

TDC why spend your time trolling Norinco threads? If you dont want to buy one, dont buy one. Other than Norinco I own alot of HK, Sig and Glock so I am only to happy to spend alot of cash on other things. I dont believe that in 1911s new model Colts or Kimbers are either dependable or offer good value either.

 

[Coyote Ugly]

Ya...Norinco..Norincky-Dink..If it aint Colt USGI, Remember Kids, your #### WILL FALL OFF!!!

 

[Crack]

I don't own any Norinco products, although I have handled and shot all the greatest they have to offer(with the exception of M4 that is available) and they're all crap.

I don't own any 1911's because they are out dated antiques with too many negatives to be of any value for my needs. There's no dispute they are maintenance whores that require constant care to function properly. 45ACP is over rated as a calibre, the mag capacity is pathetic, external hammers are not necessary nor are manual/positive safeties(think DA or DAO pistols). For some they're what they seek. 1911's are "cinematic" and excellent poser guns for some. I won't lie, they are classics and have a very traditional look to them. However, looks are not a consideration when I select a pistol.

Regardless of why you prefer/praise or simply select a 1911 or any other pistol. If it doesn't run out of the box, its sh*t. I wouldn't buy a car that didn't run, especially not a new one. I expect my meals at a restaurant to be hot and cooked when I get it. To accept a non functioning firearm from the box would be no different than buying a dead car or receiving a cold uncooked steak at a restaurant. Yet for some reason it is acceptable for Norinco products and Norinco products only. Why? Deep down every Norinco owner knows they bought a low dollar POS and are hoping its one of the few that run.

I see numerous posts about how "my Norinco hasn't had a failure yet" or "x number of rounds through my Norinco and no broken parts". I don't see too many matter of fact posts by those with brand name pistols. Why? Brand name pistols work, and are expected to work out of the box. You get what you pay for and I pay for a firearm that will work all the time without extra care or modifications and its not a Norinco.

TDC

Quick!!! How can we get this man a Knighthood!?!?!?

 

[TDC]

Ive had my 1911 Norc since about 1991, its been flawless. As it was one of my first handguns I decided this year to use it as a build project and go all out. Ive spent about $2200 on it in upgrades and finishing. It should be done in less than a month. I have no interest in resale value and chose to do a build on because its both a good platform from a metal point of view and also because I like the gun.

TDC why spend your time trolling Norinco threads? If you dont want to buy one, dont buy one. Other than Norinco I own alot of HK, Sig and Glock so I am only to happy to spend alot of cash on other things. I dont believe that in 1911s new model Colts or Kimbers are either dependable or offer good value either.

A question for you. Why invest $2200 into any pistol?? What do you use your pistol for?

TDC

 

[BUSHMAN79]

The Norinco I have is a great pistol, only issue is it shoots a little low. It's at least as well made as a Remington-Rand or an Ithaca. Seriously, what have we got to lose by buying one? We can only use them for target shooting, so it's not like we bet our lives on them. Having a 1911 available for under $400 can get more people shooting. I ended up with mine as part of a trade, and was so pleased with it, that it is now one of my favourite pistols. Wish they'd put nicer grips on them, though.

 

[ajayofcanada]

I cut a couple of coils off the mag release spring in mine as I had the same problem. I also polished the catch while I had it apart.

Snipping springs is an accident waiting to happen, I would try everything else before doing something like that, you could end up with a gun out of commission for a month till a new spring comes in the mail.

Just get a new mag, I bought some 1911 mags from Brownells for cheap, a Wilson Combat top of the line mag was 29 bucks, and a Nighthawk Custom was 25 bucks, both companies are Registered with the US state dept so they have no problem shipping, and since they only hold 8 rounds, they have no problem going across the border due to mag capacity laws.

 

[rdelliott]

Hey Guys

Just got my new Norinco 1911. I tore it apart and gave it a good cleaning but I have oone issue that I've noticed so far. It seems that I can't just push the magazine into the gun. The mag gets caught up on the mag release. I have to push in the mag release about 3/16" to get the mag to go in.

Any info on how to fix this?

Had what sounds like the same issue with my new Norc 1911 myself. Solved it as follows:

Insert mag until it meets resistance. Give the mag a good whack with the heel of your support hand. Eject. Lather, rinse, repeat a few hundred times.

Your mags will soon be going in and coming out slick as snot.

 

[Sesshomaru]

I don't own any Norinco products...I see numerous posts about how "my Norinco hasn't had a failure yet" or "x number of rounds through my Norinco and no broken parts". I don't see too many matter of fact posts by those with brand name pistols. Why? Brand name pistols work, and are expected to work out of the box. You get what you pay for and I pay for a firearm that will work all the time without extra care or modifications and its not a Norinco.

TDC

Umm, let me try.

If I bought a $325 Norinco 1911 and its sharp edge hurt my girly hands, I rant and rant on CGN cause I 'm a cheap a$$ and I have the right to rant(even if it was a $99 pistol that didn't ship overnight)

If I bought a $1### Kimber 1911 and it broke, jam, can't shoot the barn door 15 yards away. I just shut up (so I can sell it on EE for $1###) and not going to advertise I'm an idiot.

Why so many people complaining about the Norinco guns?
Just like Ford, GM and Chrysler, Norinco are popular/affordable for MOST people, as long as the cheap price doesn't hurt the pride of the gun owner.

 

[TDC]

Umm, let me try.

If I bought a $325 Norinco 1911 and its sharp edge hurt my girly hands, I rant and rant on CGN cause I 'm a cheap a$$ and I have the right to rant(even if it was a $99 pistol that didn't ship overnight)

If I bought a $1### Kimber 1911 and it broke, jam, can't shoot the barn door 15 yards away. I just shut up (so I can sell it on EE for $1###) and not going to advertise I'm an idiot.

Why so many people complaining about the Norinco guns?
Just like Ford, GM and Chrysler, Norinco are popular/affordable for MOST people, as long as the cheap price doesn't hurt the pride of the gun owner.

I see two possibilities here. By purchasing a cheap pistol one can blame the cheap pistol for poor marksmanship(the opposite of the Kimber example you posted). The other possibility is that you're way off base. I see plenty of quality guns for sale in the EE. Not so many Kimbers/STI's/Wilson combat simply because of their price or those who own one are happy with it.

TDC

 

[Canuck44]

I see two possibilities here. By purchasing a cheap pistol one can blame the cheap pistol for poor marksmanship(the opposite of the Kimber example you posted). The other possibility is that you're way off base. I see plenty of quality guns for sale in the EE. Not so many Kimbers/STI's/Wilson combat simply because of their price or those who own one are happy with it.

TDC

I guess that is why Kimber went back to an internal extractor after thoroughly screwing up their attempt at an external version. If we follow your logic Colt, Kimber, Springfield and Para ought to ditch their service departments because their guns always work right out of the box.

Take Care

Bob

 

[TDC]

I guess that is why Kimber went back to an internal extractor after thoroughly screwing up their attempt at an external version. If we follow your logic Colt, Kimber, Springfield and Para ought to ditch their service departments because their guns always work right out of the box.

Take Care

Bob

I never said the brands above "always work". If you haven't already noticed I am not a fan of the 1911 in any flavour. I do however see a lot fewer complaint threads from the major brands. Perhaps its simply due to the high volume of Norinco's being sold that is to blame for the regular broken gun threads or they're(brand name) better built. Either way, I see a lot of problems with all Chinese built/Norinco's and the pistol forum isn't the only place. The Grizzly has issues. I have yet to see a trench gun that didn't choke. The 870's have issues and won't accept aftermarket parts. The M14/M305 need tuning to function. The M311/AR won't accept aftermarket parts. The Tokarev is a f*cking joke. The originals are crap. Yeah, I see the products out of the PRC are top notch.

There are those copies that do run, I'm not disputing that. What I can't understand is why there are so many issues with NEW guns, and why so many are willing to accept the fact a new gun doesn't run out of the box.

TDC

 

[USP]

A question for you. Why invest $2200 into any pistol?? What do you use your pistol for?

TDC

A question for you...is why do you care? I invested $7K in my AR.... does it really matter though? Its my money..not yours.

I wasnt aware I needed your approval on what I do with my cash. I dont get why you troll and s**t on peoples threads either. What do you use your guns for?

 

[RUSTSPOT]

1911 is by far the most customizable platform. TDC,what could you do to a plastic gun beside changing the sights and some springs? you cant even throw better grips on most of them. if i need a gun for duty then i'll take a plastic gun . 1911 is a hot rod. it could be a 5000 buck rat rod or a 50,000 custom. for most shooters, there are more to a gun than just putting rounds down range.

 

[TDC]

1911 is by far the most customizable platform. TDC,what could you do to a plastic gun beside changing the sights and some springs? you cant even throw better grips on most of them. if i need a gun for duty then i'll take a plastic gun . 1911 is a hot rod. it could be a 5000 buck rat rod or a 50,000 custom. for most shooters, there are more to a gun than just putting rounds down range.

Question is, besides quality night sights and regular spring replacement( normal for all guns) why do you need to change anything else? Customizing ones gun is a personal thing. Personally, I'm concerned with reliability and placing holes where I want on target. Custom paint jobs, engravings, stainless controls, weighted grip plugs, or the overall "look" is a non issue. Cool looking guns don't win matches or save lives. Skill does.

TDC

 

[effinggoof]

As I read this increasingly blasphemous thread, I keep hoping that Jeff Cooper will rise from the grave and slap TDC across the mouth for the sheer unadulterated #### he is posting about the 1911.