Norinco or SAM 1911a
- Thread starter Woodeneye
- Start date
I have a SAM Commander .45ACP and the fit and finish is excellent it is also a great shooter. I had some problems with re-loads that had a flat nose (semi wad cutters) but so did my other 1911. Switched to 230 grain round nose bullets and haven't had a FTF since.
The SAM has been to the range about 10 times now and it is giving me good groups every time...I am very pleased with this gun.
The SAM has been to the range about 10 times now and it is giving me good groups every time...I am very pleased with this gun.
Norc's are nice enough metal. But sometimes their fit can be less than desireable. But if you're buying an Armco tuned one then all that worry is gone. I'd say this is a "6 of one, half dozen of the other" sort of deal... with the nod going to the Armco tuned one considering that everyone that has one found them to be super nice right out of the box due to the hand fitting that you won't get with a SAM.
- Location
- Airdrie, Alberta
Norincos won't win a beauty contest but if reliability is what you want, buy the Norinco.
I have a Norc but I would buy the SAM at $440 before I'd buy and "Armco tuned" at $490. I haven't shot the SAM but they sure look good in terms of fit and finish. I've heard no complaints about them.
I did have to replace the sear spring in my Norc. The trigger pull was 8 lbs and the grip safety didn't lift all the way out and rattled as result of a slack leaf on the sear spring. It was a $20 drop in fix. Trigger is now 5lbs and the grip safety lifts all the way out.
I did have to replace the sear spring in my Norc. The trigger pull was 8 lbs and the grip safety didn't lift all the way out and rattled as result of a slack leaf on the sear spring. It was a $20 drop in fix. Trigger is now 5lbs and the grip safety lifts all the way out.
I bought a (lightly used) SAM Commander. Really well finished. Shoots excellent. I'm real happy with it. Maybe someday I'll buy a Norinco 1911 to compare. People say the Norincos are decent outside and rough inside. The SAM is good inside and out.
When I shoot hollow points mine sometimes doesn't like to feed the first of eight cartridges. It's happy when I only load seven hollow points in a mag. But when shooting round nose it always feeds all eight shots very reliably.
- Location
- Lower Mainland BC
If it's a Commander model, I'd go for a SAM 1911, has more appeal considering SAM slide doesn't have that ugly new Nork front serrations and square trigger guard...
SAM has classic looks and for sure has better sights and better finish.
I have an old batch/model of Nork Commander that's a good shooter and a good range pistol.....very hard to say which one will win to be your future gun.
SAM has classic looks and for sure has better sights and better finish.
I have an old batch/model of Nork Commander that's a good shooter and a good range pistol.....very hard to say which one will win to be your future gun.
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
I own a SAM.. I say SAM all the way. You will not be disappointed in the quality for the price.. Very good gun..
You must be reading different threads than what I'm reading. You get what you pay for? Sometimes. And sometimes you get less. And sometimes you get more. I definitely got more than what I paid for with my non-tuned Norinco 1911.
To the OP: There is no substitute for a side-by-side comparison. Check them both out in person and get the one that appeals to you. The Norinco is definitely rough-and-ready, but it's got a proven track record as a solid performer. The SAM looks nicer and is not made in China (you can take it to the USA, if that matters to you).
The SAM looks nice, in a traditional way but a Norinco has more of an up beat new styling to it. That's a hard call. I'd get both. Lol! I've had many 1911 Norinco, commander sized and GI length they all were pretty decent and fed well. Can't go wrong with that. On the other hand the SAM has I nice find ish to it. Something Norcs lack a bit. Any of the Norincos that come from Armco were given a little more attention. Armco is a great place to get any 1911 from.
The bushing on my Norc is slightly out-of-round. It groups not terrible, but not as good as I'd expect. Might be just me, but I'm going to replace it anyways to see if it helps. Also, the front sight dot is sort of an orange colour and some of the paint is missing so it's hard to see, so I need to redo that too. Otherwise the gun is pretty solid and dead reliable with 230 grain loads (it shot 200 grain lead SWC well also, but 185's won't feed reliably).
The best accessory you can buy for the Norc though are the 8 round SAM mags from Wolverine, $18 a piece.
It's a good platform to learn with, that's for sure. And .45 is oh so satisfying to shoot.
The best accessory you can buy for the Norc though are the 8 round SAM mags from Wolverine, $18 a piece.
It's a good platform to learn with, that's for sure. And .45 is oh so satisfying to shoot.
I would buy both ...
but if I could buy only one ... the SAM
The fit and finish is better.
If you love you guns and think of them as creatures of workmanship the quailty between the two ... The SAM wins. The NORC the rear sights are also ugly. Every time i'm at a gun store I want to by a NORC 45. But the sharp edges , .... makes my skin crawl.
but if I could buy only one ... the SAM
The fit and finish is better.
If you love you guns and think of them as creatures of workmanship the quailty between the two ... The SAM wins. The NORC the rear sights are also ugly. Every time i'm at a gun store I want to by a NORC 45. But the sharp edges , .... makes my skin crawl.
Frankly, I was a bit embarrassed that the stock Norinco mags worked so well in mine (100% reliability). After hearing how critical the mags are to 1911 function, I picked up some quality aftermarket mags (Chip McCormick) before the pistol even arrived. But as it turns out that purchase was not at all necessary.
SAM does have a nice look to it for fit and finish. Although its more money, the one they have that's full size with the rail is pretty damn sweet. Curious, but isn't that new Ruger SR1911 fairly inexpensive, as well? There is a beautiful 1911. Plus its stainless for the bling too.
That's true, the 7 round Norinco mags are not the nicest finished but they drop free and feed reliably (provided your gun likes the ammo you're feeding it).
