Reasonable beginner 1911
- Thread starter Old Birch Legs
- Start date
If personally stay away from norinco and Sam
Yes they are attractively priced, and there are many norinco and SAM fan boys that swear by them, id personally never buy one
Grab a Ruger SR1911, the come up in EE for about 575 to 650
Yes they are attractively priced, and there are many norinco and SAM fan boys that swear by them, id personally never buy one
Grab a Ruger SR1911, the come up in EE for about 575 to 650
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I'm a Norinco fan boy and would recommend them to anyone. My Norincos are just as reliable and almost as accurate as my Colt 1911, Browning 1911, Kimber 1911, CZ 1911 and wife's Les Baer 1911. But what do I know, best to ask a guy with a better 1911 collection.
Travis Bickle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Upper Lower Middle Alberta
lol! My all time favorite types of opinions on the internet:
"I don't like brand X, would never own one, never have owned one, don't buy them!"...
OP I would say I've owned and shot the hell out of 3 Norinco 1911's including a 9mm variant over the years.
I've also had many a chance to shoot higher end STI Trojan as well as Sig Spartan examples.
Fancy finishes and tactical factory add ons out of the box aside none of them shot more accurately or more reliably than any other Norinco model I've been beating the piss out of for years. All the ones I have even passed the unsupported (no magazine inserted) single round fired and extraction test:
http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=131
They are outstanding entry level 1911's.
If old school 1911A1 Gov is your thing (it's 100% mine) the Norinco examples hold their own against much more expensive models made from much softer steels and even plastic parts in some cases....
That's an unbiased opinion.
Ask yourself what you really want out of a gun. If you want a rock solid, simple, reliable gun you can throw across the ground for $300 shipped off the EE there's no better way to go than Norcs.
There's much "nicer" looking, prettier finishes and better triggers out there for sure in a 1911. The price gap starts going full retard along the way. If you shoot pistols for precision accuracy or something I would not suggest a Norinco (and even then you can polish up a norc trigger and adjust the spring tension to drastically improve them for zero cost but I digress)
But to say they are bad guns is short sighted, unfair and I would even say flat out bull s**t. They are one of the all time home runs of all the guns Norinco has cloned in their catalogue in my opinion.
"I don't like brand X, would never own one, never have owned one, don't buy them!"...
OP I would say I've owned and shot the hell out of 3 Norinco 1911's including a 9mm variant over the years.
I've also had many a chance to shoot higher end STI Trojan as well as Sig Spartan examples.
Fancy finishes and tactical factory add ons out of the box aside none of them shot more accurately or more reliably than any other Norinco model I've been beating the piss out of for years. All the ones I have even passed the unsupported (no magazine inserted) single round fired and extraction test:
http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=131
They are outstanding entry level 1911's.
If old school 1911A1 Gov is your thing (it's 100% mine) the Norinco examples hold their own against much more expensive models made from much softer steels and even plastic parts in some cases....
That's an unbiased opinion.
Ask yourself what you really want out of a gun. If you want a rock solid, simple, reliable gun you can throw across the ground for $300 shipped off the EE there's no better way to go than Norcs.
There's much "nicer" looking, prettier finishes and better triggers out there for sure in a 1911. The price gap starts going full retard along the way. If you shoot pistols for precision accuracy or something I would not suggest a Norinco (and even then you can polish up a norc trigger and adjust the spring tension to drastically improve them for zero cost but I digress)
But to say they are bad guns is short sighted, unfair and I would even say flat out bull s**t. They are one of the all time home runs of all the guns Norinco has cloned in their catalogue in my opinion.
Sakoman .308
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
sti spartan was fun accurate and reliable. under 800.oo too
Disclaimer I know nothing about cowboy or wild bunch shooting but I was looking for a competition ready entry level 1911 recently for IPSC. I found the the Springfield Range Officer was the way to go. It's pretty close to out of the box ready. Worth a look.
Remington R1 government model (not the enhanced) is perfect for Wild bunch. You can pick one up for around $650 It meets all the criteria, you just have to take a sharpie to the white dot on the sights now and then. Unless it is a sass sanctioned match, most cowboy matches in Ont. give a fair bit of leeway regarding firearms. I've seen double stacks, Norinco's, and some of the women use 9mm's. If it is a sanctioned match, then it's a stock government, some of the matches in the states even require 7rd mags as opposed to 8. In the sanctioned matches you are also supposed to meet power factor and lead bullets. Then of course you need a Winchester 1897 or model 12 shotgun. Your rifle also has to be 40 cal or better. In your other post you said you were looking at 45lc, so an 1873 in that Caliber would do both cowboy and Wild bunch. Wild bunch is generally considered a B match or side event with Cowboy being the main event, although there are some wild bunch only events held. There is basically an informal circuit in Ont. and you will see the same people at all the various matches. Barrie is one of the most active clubs with matches twice a month. Basically you can shoot the same stage twice if you like, once as cowboy, and once as wild bunch. They're shooting indoors for the winter now, and move outdoors in the spring. In the summer the regional SASS shoot is held there over 3 days. If you show up at one of the monthly matches, they will show you the ropes and almost certainly some one will have you shooting a stage or even the entire match so you can get a feel for it
Personally, I would first look out for a good local gunsmith and someone who can do warranty work.
I just happen to live close to the S&W (And others) Canadain warranty center and gunsmith shop.
I for my first 1911 I picked up an S&W. I thought I wanted a Colt, but after seeing all the issues with Colt, and the fact I already had an S&W 586 that has been great, heading to stainless steel S&W1911 was an easy choice.
Having a local gunsmith and brand experts close buy, I can get 1911 updated as skills improve and keep the warranty intact.
I walked in on the day I picked up the pistol and asked for a fibre optic front sight and trigger job. I was told they would upgrade the sight but would not touch the trigger until I shot 1,000 rounds through the gun, at which time they would address any issues I still had with the trigger.
Rather than just take my money, they explained that after 1,000 rounds much of the factory issues should be worn (and polished) out. Polishing a trigger before it is properly broken in can cause the trigger to fail over time. Some have gone so far as to dump an entire mag on full auto.
BTW I also bought a used and tuned GSG 1911 .22. It shots rather well, and I start out with each session at the range with the .22.
Most days I work out the rough edges with the .22 and then move on the .45 $$
If I am not shooting well with the .22 I just call it a day and pack up and go home.
The .45 is rather expensive to shoot when having a bad day at the range.
I just happen to live close to the S&W (And others) Canadain warranty center and gunsmith shop.
I for my first 1911 I picked up an S&W. I thought I wanted a Colt, but after seeing all the issues with Colt, and the fact I already had an S&W 586 that has been great, heading to stainless steel S&W1911 was an easy choice.
Having a local gunsmith and brand experts close buy, I can get 1911 updated as skills improve and keep the warranty intact.
I walked in on the day I picked up the pistol and asked for a fibre optic front sight and trigger job. I was told they would upgrade the sight but would not touch the trigger until I shot 1,000 rounds through the gun, at which time they would address any issues I still had with the trigger.
Rather than just take my money, they explained that after 1,000 rounds much of the factory issues should be worn (and polished) out. Polishing a trigger before it is properly broken in can cause the trigger to fail over time. Some have gone so far as to dump an entire mag on full auto.
BTW I also bought a used and tuned GSG 1911 .22. It shots rather well, and I start out with each session at the range with the .22.
Most days I work out the rough edges with the .22 and then move on the .45 $$
If I am not shooting well with the .22 I just call it a day and pack up and go home.
The .45 is rather expensive to shoot when having a bad day at the range.
On the OP's initial post in this thread..... My .02...
I've owned 1911's of various makes, models & types from the early 1980's to the present.... Including several different Norinco 1911's, of which I still have a few.... Never had a lemon Norinco 1911 yet.
For a strictly 'entry level' 1911 there's nothing wrong with one of the 'unmarked' [ie no Norinco or made in China markings] Norinco mfg 1911's that still come up on the EE here in the $325 range.
You can even 'dress it up' a bit later on if you like, too....
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NAA.
