Norinco NP 29 1911 9MM
Initially I thought I would do a “Tale of two guns”, comparing the Norinco to the Trojan. That would be like comparing a old jeep to a new Rolls. Both are vehicles but…
The Norinco NP 29 differs from it’s twin A1 in .45acp in a number of ways. First the gun comes with a beavertail with mandatory palm bump, extended slide stop, extended mag release and a different safety – longer and somewhat flatter. It also has passable sights, though if the idiot in China thinks he has the front sight right, I got news for him! In any event the sights are a three dot attempt white dots in the rear and a yellow dot up front. You have to align the dots to get the right point of aim or you will shoot HIGH. Of course shooting under a covered range into sun light makes seeing the dots almost impossible. I would prefer being able to sight off the top of the front sight but I digress.
The exterior of the gun is finished off really quite well. For a $350 Cdn gun refinishing will be the last project I undertake with this gun. Internally we have the usual rough surfaces. The rails though are much better machined and are smooth, not as nice as the Trojan but the Trojan up here is in the $1,400 Cdn. Range.
The trigger breaks after a good deal of creeping at about five lbs. I would guess. Clean but there is travel. I had a time getting used to the arched MSH. I prefer flat and when Dlask gets hold of the gun that will be the third thing he attends to.
Accuracy? Well from 15 yds I was able to blow out a 2” circle from a rest. I actually do better two handed standing if I take my time. Hey at 60 you got to go with what you got left!
Things I like:
Fit and finish are impressive for the dollar paid.
Beavertail and hammer are forged and will be kept.
Out of the box accuracy
Things I didn’t like
-Arched MSH will be flattened and checkered 20 lpi.
-Trigger creep – who am I kidding for $325Cdn I’m complaining?
-Sights are OK but gun will get Heinie fixed sights, when the wallet recovers from buying a new gun safe
-Ejector needs tuning or I am going to have to buy a steel helmet. I had brass going every where most of the time.
-Like the Trojan the slide seldom locks back after the last round. Please don’t tell me I have to tinker with my mags. I have, until my screwdriver complained about being over worked. I am beginning to think, if you are going to build a 9MM in the 1911 format you are going to have to make the grip smaller and make smaller mags with a FLAT foot to engage the slide stop properly. The little raised portion on the foot caused from stamping is the cause IMHO and it just can’t be that tough to correct the follower. Mecgar are you listening. Either that or make the slide stop thingy stick out more so the mag foot can make good contact with it. STI – this can’t be that big of a deal.
-The barrel is the traditional barrel without the feed ramp. Sorry but the feed ramp in the Trojan is a much better deal and Norinco could work on that.
Overall for $350Cdn this is a heck of a gun. It is worth customizing but you will spend almost as much as you would for a Trojan. Accuracy is certainly acceptable. My 125 gr Truncated Saecco bullets fed well enough but had a couple of minor jams which I attribute to the mags not the bullet design. Accuracy with Remington 147 gr bullets was OK but I think I can do much better with plated 125 gr RN bullets. No knock on Remington cartridges but the 9MM barrel twist is really design for the 115 gr – 125 gr. Bullet. Next test will be with 125 plated above 6 gr Unique.
This winter the gun goes to Dlask for a trigger job, flattening the MSH and Heinie sights and he can install one of his slide stops, The extended slide stop is a PITA and not needed and will go.
Always wanted one of these guns for reason only gun god knows. If I am going to go 9MM in IDPA the Trojan will follow my Browning into battle. For practice and just busting rocks and milk jugs the Norinco will do all of that and more. With as little work I would hesitate to say the Trojan and Norinco would be a toss up. The Browning slide lock works and I can’t say that for either the Trojan or the Norinco.
Stay Safe
Gun rag guys would shoot 1 ½” groups at 25 yards I am sure but for me at 15 yards the gun will do 2” all day long and better than that if I had the skill. Besides at 25 yards seeing the targets never mind hitting them is a challenge.
Slide stop issue solved by going to lighter 10# recoil spring in both Norinco and Trojan. Slide now locks back after last round is fired. Both guns came with to heavy of a recoil spring for the 9MM.
__________________
Initially I thought I would do a “Tale of two guns”, comparing the Norinco to the Trojan. That would be like comparing a old jeep to a new Rolls. Both are vehicles but…
The Norinco NP 29 differs from it’s twin A1 in .45acp in a number of ways. First the gun comes with a beavertail with mandatory palm bump, extended slide stop, extended mag release and a different safety – longer and somewhat flatter. It also has passable sights, though if the idiot in China thinks he has the front sight right, I got news for him! In any event the sights are a three dot attempt white dots in the rear and a yellow dot up front. You have to align the dots to get the right point of aim or you will shoot HIGH. Of course shooting under a covered range into sun light makes seeing the dots almost impossible. I would prefer being able to sight off the top of the front sight but I digress.
The exterior of the gun is finished off really quite well. For a $350 Cdn gun refinishing will be the last project I undertake with this gun. Internally we have the usual rough surfaces. The rails though are much better machined and are smooth, not as nice as the Trojan but the Trojan up here is in the $1,400 Cdn. Range.
The trigger breaks after a good deal of creeping at about five lbs. I would guess. Clean but there is travel. I had a time getting used to the arched MSH. I prefer flat and when Dlask gets hold of the gun that will be the third thing he attends to.
Accuracy? Well from 15 yds I was able to blow out a 2” circle from a rest. I actually do better two handed standing if I take my time. Hey at 60 you got to go with what you got left!
Things I like:
Fit and finish are impressive for the dollar paid.
Beavertail and hammer are forged and will be kept.
Out of the box accuracy
Things I didn’t like
-Arched MSH will be flattened and checkered 20 lpi.
-Trigger creep – who am I kidding for $325Cdn I’m complaining?
-Sights are OK but gun will get Heinie fixed sights, when the wallet recovers from buying a new gun safe
-Ejector needs tuning or I am going to have to buy a steel helmet. I had brass going every where most of the time.
-Like the Trojan the slide seldom locks back after the last round. Please don’t tell me I have to tinker with my mags. I have, until my screwdriver complained about being over worked. I am beginning to think, if you are going to build a 9MM in the 1911 format you are going to have to make the grip smaller and make smaller mags with a FLAT foot to engage the slide stop properly. The little raised portion on the foot caused from stamping is the cause IMHO and it just can’t be that tough to correct the follower. Mecgar are you listening. Either that or make the slide stop thingy stick out more so the mag foot can make good contact with it. STI – this can’t be that big of a deal.
-The barrel is the traditional barrel without the feed ramp. Sorry but the feed ramp in the Trojan is a much better deal and Norinco could work on that.
Overall for $350Cdn this is a heck of a gun. It is worth customizing but you will spend almost as much as you would for a Trojan. Accuracy is certainly acceptable. My 125 gr Truncated Saecco bullets fed well enough but had a couple of minor jams which I attribute to the mags not the bullet design. Accuracy with Remington 147 gr bullets was OK but I think I can do much better with plated 125 gr RN bullets. No knock on Remington cartridges but the 9MM barrel twist is really design for the 115 gr – 125 gr. Bullet. Next test will be with 125 plated above 6 gr Unique.
This winter the gun goes to Dlask for a trigger job, flattening the MSH and Heinie sights and he can install one of his slide stops, The extended slide stop is a PITA and not needed and will go.
Always wanted one of these guns for reason only gun god knows. If I am going to go 9MM in IDPA the Trojan will follow my Browning into battle. For practice and just busting rocks and milk jugs the Norinco will do all of that and more. With as little work I would hesitate to say the Trojan and Norinco would be a toss up. The Browning slide lock works and I can’t say that for either the Trojan or the Norinco.
Stay Safe
Gun rag guys would shoot 1 ½” groups at 25 yards I am sure but for me at 15 yards the gun will do 2” all day long and better than that if I had the skill. Besides at 25 yards seeing the targets never mind hitting them is a challenge.
Slide stop issue solved by going to lighter 10# recoil spring in both Norinco and Trojan. Slide now locks back after last round is fired. Both guns came with to heavy of a recoil spring for the 9MM.
__________________
