Interesting Videos of SAM Factory in Philippines (and undergound gun makers there)

--Terry--

--Terry--

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I found the following video very interesting, especially since I have just bought a SAM (Shooters Arms Manufacturing Inc. of Philippines) manufactured 1911 pistol. The video showed some illegal underground gun making industries (if they can be called that), and the tough and risky life they lead. And at the end, they tell us that the SAM factory actually hire quite a few of the illegal gun makers in the area, providing them work, imcome, shelter, and medical care. Their lives are changed since they started to work in this factory.

And there are some inside factory scenes that I also find interesting.

The second video is the official SAM self-promotion type video, but it does have a lot of inside-the-workshop footage that show how guns are made there. In fact, I become a little nervous about the fit and quality after watching the 2nd video. In my opinion this video is not showing a very good picture of their own quality control. But well, maybe guns are made this way. Who knows.

I had seen quite a few other Philippines underground gun manufacturing videos, but only these two are about the SAM factory. If you have seen others, please let me know.

Now I'm curious what the Norinco factories are like inside.


 
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Had a SAM 1911 commander tactical before. Fit and finish was ok. I did replace the mainspring housing and it was a tight fit.

Sold it because I wanted a full size 1911.

It was a decent pistol.
 
--Terry-- said:
Why?
Click to expand...

While the fit and finish is better then a norc. I found the function of them sub par. Mine was beating it self apart with factory ammo. Due to too light of springs installed from factory. There was feeding issues and extraction issues. The ejector on the 9mm wasn't even hardened and bent easy. The extractor wasn't or still isn't tuned right.

Now father and friend had a SAM 45 commander. Same thing. Springs were too light, and ejection issues. Even with the supplied mags.
 
OkayShooter said:
While the fit and finish is better then a norc. I found the function of them sub par. Mine was beating it self apart with factory ammo. Due to too light of springs installed from factory. There was feeding issues and extraction issues. The ejector on the 9mm wasn't even hardened and bent easy. The extractor wasn't or still isn't tuned right.

Now father and friend had a SAM 45 commander. Same thing. Springs were too light, and ejection issues. Even with the supplied mags.
Click to expand...

I'm from there but I've been using STI's, CZ and Para-ordnance. The SAM pistols are cheap with a well machined frame and slide but these are not custom pistols. Some friends of mine bought them but they have to do a lot of upgrading and tuning. Never had any issues after work were done on those.
 
chavacano said:
I'm from there but I've been using STI's, CZ and Para-ordnance. The SAM pistols are cheap with a well machined frame and slide but these are not custom pistols. Some friends of mine bought them but they have to do a lot of upgrading and tuning. Never had any issues after work were done on those.
Click to expand...

Still. I wasn't impressed with the function.
 
--Terry-- said:
The second video is the official SAM self-promotion type video, but it does have a lot of inside-the-workshop footage that show how guns are made there. In fact, I become a little nervous about the fit and quality after watching the 2nd video. In my opinion this video is not showing a very good picture of their own quality control. But well, maybe guns are made this way. Who knows.
Click to expand...

how exactly do you think guns are made?
Cave Trolls and Wood Elfs hand turning the metal on crystal anvils?

CnC machined then had fit parts to ensure function.
how else are you going to make an all metal pistol?

i had seen the video years ago and just re-watched it, nothing i saw raised any flags that i could see.
i own a SAM Thunderbolt and its a fantastic pistol, out of the dozen 1911's i own its one of the best.
 
wayupnorth said:
how exactly do you think guns are made?
Cave Trolls and Wood Elfs hand turning the metal on crystal anvils?

CnC machined then had fit parts to ensure function.
how else are you going to make an all metal pistol?

i had seen the video years ago and just re-watched it, nothing i saw raised any flags that i could see.
i own a SAM Thunderbolt and its a fantastic pistol, out of the dozen 1911's i own its one of the best.
Click to expand...

I'm quite late to the SAM game, without doing much research before I bought my first SAM.

The videos showed a lot more vise and hand filing, grinding and fitting than videos from other manufacturers (this is why I'm curious what a Norinco workshop looks like), and that is what makes me nervous. For commercial production of the same few models over and over again, the factory is supposed to reduce such hand filing and fitting to a minimum (ideally none), and try to standardize all parts so they can be interchangable. Dimensions and surfaces would be ground/polished by machine and jigs until parts have drop-in fits. My understanding is that mass production guns should be made in this way, or it would be too labor intensive, and quality control is much harder.

Now after some more research, I'm a little disappointed to learn that SAM 1911s are not standard in many ways, and will not take most of the drop in parts. This will take away a lot of my tinkering fun.

I have serveral makes of 1911s before buying the SAM: Colt, Norinco and Dlask (and a couple of WWII pieces that I won't tinker with). All the 3 makes are quite standard, and take aftermarket drop-in parts without any fitting needed. So again, the SAM is a little disappointing, and is a gun I will have to keep mostly "original", which is not a good thing for a 1911.
 
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