Newb looking for some norinco NP 34 & NP22 insight

Remmy700

Remmy700

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So I think I'm going to take the plunge and get my first handgun. I've shot a few in my day and prefer the semi's over revolvers and since it'll be my first I don't want to lay down lots of coin hence looking at the norinco's.

I was hoping some of you could tell me the pro's and con's of these two pistols, what I should be looking for to avoid one with a gremlin and what the actual difference are between the 22 & 34? Since I mentioned this will be a budget but I'm sticking with the 9mm family. I've seen a few in the EE but after shipping and insurance it's cheaper to buy new unless I can find a local sale.

Any and all insight will be appreciated.

Thanks
ET
 
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I own a NP 22 and love it, haven't dealt with the NP34 myself but don't rule out the NP 29 1911, I own one of those too and love it too. keep in mind with the 1911 you have alot more options for mods down the road.
 
HIT_MAN said:
I own a NP 22 and love it, haven't dealt with the NP34 myself but don't rule out the NP 29 1911, I own one of those too and love it too. keep in mind with the 1911 you have alot more options for mods down the road.
Click to expand...

The 1911 will be quick to follow if I enjoy the handgun experience, like I said I've shot a few handgun but a grand total of about a 100rds combined. I believe I've got tons to learn because I would've been more accurate throwing the pistol at the target lol, been a long gun guy my whole life.

Also wondering if you can get a 22lr upper for the 22,34 or 1911?
 
My first pistol was an NP34...Great first pistol...Pretty much all Norincos pistol models are great "bang for the buck" pistols....I never had any problems with mine...The NP22 is the clone of the full size Sig P226 while the NP34 is the clone of the compact Sig P228....
 
I had the np34 but sold it. The pistol itself seemed reliable and was comfortable to hold. I was originally going to keep it as a beater handgun and allow new shooters to molest it however I bought an FEG Hi-power for fairly cheap so I figured I'd use that instead. I didn't have any problems with the NP34 and it was a solid pistol.
 
I have an NP-22. Just for fun, i pulled it out of the box and started using it without cleaning or doing anything to it. About 1200 rounds later, its still working fine, never had a stoppage. Trigger was pretty rough at first, im not sure if its improved or im just used to it now.

Overall, well worth the money I thought.
 
I have an NP22, and I quite enjoy it. Ran it straight out of the box with no cleaning for at least 1200 rounds, haven't had a single issue. I'm not terribly accurate, but that's the shooter not the gun. If i bench it, it's quite accurate.

I don't think you can go wrong either way, for the price they're fantastic.
 
I have several Norinco's, including the NP34 it is one of my favorites and most accurate guns. The only thing you need to do is get better grips right away. Houge wrap around rubber grips are good and cheap. Then get a couple of extra mags and you are good to go.


Mark
 
I have the NP22. Love it no problems at all. shoots nice and groups tight. No issues with ruff Trigger that some people say they have at first. But second on new grips.
 
I have an NP22 as well. I love it. I was lucky to get one that fires as good as a real 226 (after a bit of tweaking). As stated above, the grips suck, but everything else is preety good. I picked up 4 extra mags as well.

I also own a norc 1911 ( which I do like) but I prefer my np22.
 
I also own an NP22 and had an NP29. The NP29 was modified to accept a GSG 22lr conversion unit. I had to file down the ejector a little so that the magazines could be completely inserted. I also had to polish the inside of the frame where the slide stop is to make it possible to install the slide and barrel assembly. I also needed to change the original mainspring (23 lbs) for a reduce one (19 lbs) or else I was getting FTF and FTE. As you can see it was not a drop fit but after 4 hours of work with a file and sand paper, it worked beautifully. My NP29 trigger was terrible when I got it so I had to polish the trigger bow, trigger channel, the disconnector face and the leaf spring as explained in the AGI videos. The extractor did not have the correct tension either and I was getting FTE once in a while. After filing and polishing the angles and bending it as explained again in the AGI videos, I never had any FTE. It was a good gun, but not out of the box, and if I had to pay a gunsmith for every modification I made, in all honesty it would not have been a good buy. But I really learned a lot with this gun. I recommend getting a copy of the 1911 shop manuals by JERRY KUHNHAUSEN to know how to fix these 1911 pistols.

My NP22 is a different story. This is the only Norinco I got that did not required any modification or tweak to function properly. (I own others Norinco, like an 1897 and two 1911 .45 acp, all of which required some care to function properly). Its only problem is a cosmetic one, where the relief in the slide for the barrel to cam into is crooked. It does not affect function nor accuracy, but it is not a SIG fit and finish. And I must agree with others about the grips, you have to change them. The conversion unit for the SIG P226 does not fit on the NP22 frame, and unless a competent gunsmith mill the slide, you probably can't make it fit yourself.

I find that Norincos are good guns for the money, but in my experience, if you are not prepared to tinker with them, you might be disappointed. Sure, I only got a limited sample (5 different units), but 4 of the 5 required not so simple tweaks to be reliable... My latest purchase was a used Remington R1 and there is a day and night difference with the nork. I always read good things about the SAM (Shooter Arms Manufacturing) vs the Nork, but I never saw nor handled one but may be of interest to you.
 
Hello all, I just received my NP34 last week. Seems like a solid purchase, however I'm having some trouble seating the magazine in place. I replaced the grips with a set of Hogue Sig 229 grips and thought the bottom of the grip may be keeping the magazine from fully seating in place. I've trimmed the bottom of the grip and that appears not to be the source of the problem as I still can't get them to seat properly. I also ordered and received 2 new P229 mags with the gun (so I have 4 in total) and all are having this problem

I really need to slam the magazine in place (I mean use quite a bit of force, way more than any other handgun I've used) OR I have to almost stop and use two hands to get it in place. Just doesn't seem right.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem or even heard of this problem with this model handgun? Any help or commentary is appreciated.
 
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Are these the original norinco magazines?
I had to do some tinkering to get Sig 226 mags to fit in my NP22, just by filing out the little magazine catch hole. However, my norc magazines worked fine in the NP22, so i'd be hesitant to suggest that in your case.
 
Happy with mine, although the ramp appears to be shorter and steeper than the real Sig, will polish mine so it feeds JHP better.
 
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