......Lets say i buy a norc 1911.. how good it can become with the proper upgrades? Of course the frame and slide will always be machined by Norinco but what about the rest?
Is this a good idea or not?
Putting lets say : another barrel(match?) , trigger? etc etc......
Advices please.
6 years ago, a younger good buddy bought this Kotanko-customed off the EE and unfortunately, he had to take a leave from our hobby to pursue a career. He offered this Kotanko-customed Norkie Sport Two Tone to me, before he was going to list in on the EE. For the price, I stole it from him, thanking my lucky stars. If you've never seen or caressed a Kotanko custom 1911, you're missing a lot. Trigger job is as good as any I've felt using what I believe are a stock Norkie sear and hammer. Its probably got almost 2K rounds through it, so it shoots very smoothly and reliably, no FTFs or FTEs even with Truncated Cone bullets from a Lee mold.
Trigger was replaced with a Videki. Rear sight is a low-mount Champion copy of the great Bomar sights of bygone years. Front is fiber optic. Magazine well is a Smith Alexander or a very very good copy. Slide to frame fit has probably been massaged a bit but not fitted so tight as to lose reliability. Barrel to slide fit is bank vault solid. The slide and frame may have been de-horned, not sure as the blueing and chrome look original. The hammer, beavertail, safety and slide lock edges have been smoothed out as well.
Inside mating/sliding surfaces may have been stoned or polished as well because everything works satisfyingly smooth.
The bushing may have been fitted, looks original though, and barrel to bushing fit looks perfect as there are no discernible scratches or wear marks on the barrel muzzle at all.
It came with 5 Norinco mags that may have been re-worked, I am not sure, but these 5 mags are utterly reliable in this pistol.
Its got minor blueing scratches where the slide touches the dust cover. If only to show character and prove its got a couple thousand rounds experience.
I don't expect a kitchen table gunsmith to take a Norkie to this level, as machining is required to fit the rear sight. You can certainly try and learn how to do a good trigger job at least. Begin by ordering a Videki trigger and a sear jig from Brownells and a couple good GI quality spare sears in case you botch up the original sear or hammer.
You may send out your slide to a smith to machine and fit a Champion adjustable if you wish. For me a NOVAK would have been perfect and what I would have done if I had had this Norkie customed.
I would use the orignal barrel until it wears out. Accuracy is a little better than my previous Norkies. I'd say 4 inch groups at 10 meters, but that's me shooting. My pistol skills are not really a reflection of this pistol or any pistol.
Almost forgot, the grips are Colt knock-offs I picked up a long time ago, cant remember when or where.
I have trimmed down my 1911 family to just this Kotanko and a Ruger SR1911.
