sights upgrade on norinco sport

[MauserMike]

Has anyone done it themselves? I'm thinking Bomars or something similar.

I understand that a new dovetail needs to be cut as the Norc ones are non-standard. Its just not worth the cost to have Armco do it. About $250 for the job on a sub $400 gun.

Has anyone done it without access to machining equipment? Can it be done do it myself with a file and lots of care and patience?

 

[Woodeneye]

I too am interested in this.Someone must have done this.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

You can do most domestic slides if your good with a file, but you need to be careful, and unless your a tool and die maker or mould maker who's done lots of hand fitting, it's probably not going to turn out as well as you'd like.

Norc slide are very hard, i'm not sure how well files would stand up. Some diamond needle files are available in specialty shops, but it will be slow going.
If i had to i could do it, but i'd more likey purchase the carbide tooling from brownells and find a mill i could borrow an hour on.

If you do decide to cut by hand, find some scrap steel to practice on, and do a couple of trial runs to learn the tricks. Keeping it square and level is not as simple as it might look

 

[luke s]

I agree, the price is crazy to mill on such an inexpensive gun, and filing a clean straight cut is just a tricky with a small file

I wanted to do it on my norinco too but it is just cost prohibitive to send it to a smith, if anything I would try to file it a bit and then JB weld the new sight in

 

[dogzilla]

E mail Casey at Tac Ord, I think he is waaay cheaper and a lot faster than Armco. I am going to have Casey do mine when the time comes. Despite being a machinist the cost to buy the dovetail cutters is more than the cost to have him do the job for me. There are some things worth doing right, sights is one of them.

 

[luke s]

I went and talked to casey about this in person, the cost was over $200 as well, but I do believe he will get it done much faster than armco would

 

[easyrider604]

Has anyone done it themselves? I'm thinking Bomars or something similar.

I understand that a new dovetail needs to be cut as the Norc ones are non-standard. Its just not worth the cost to have Armco do it. About $250 for the job on a sub $400 gun.

Has anyone done it without access to machining equipment? Can it be done do it myself with a file and lots of care and patience?

Good luck filing the slide for Bomar/Champion sights.

I saw some ads for the latest Norkie 1911s with Bomar style adjustable sights, though, for $400.

 

[luke s]

Yeh I picked up one of the bomar sight commanders.

Hence selling my Armco tuned sport model

 

[graydog]

Good luck filing the slide for Bomar/Champion sights.

I saw some ads for the latest Norkie 1911s with Bomar style adjustable sights, though, for $400.

Where does find this model for sale?

Graydog

 

[easyrider604]

Where does find this model for sale?

Graydog

I've been searching the last 20 minutes and can't find it. Luke S said he got one in 9mm, that could be the one that I saw.

They may not yet be available in 45 acp though. I'd wait for that, if caliber was important.

I do have a Norkie Sport TT with gunsmith fitted bomar type sights, they are cool and very similar to the real bomars. But IMO, adjustable sights are not really necessary for everyday pistol shooting. Fixed sights are fine, once you calibrate the rear sight by drifting, and if you shoot only one load.

I found that with adjustables, I just kept fiddling with them when the problem lay in my poor shooting

 

[alpining]

I've been emailing with Rodger at Dark International. He says he can make fibre optic sights to fit the existing cut in the slide. Much, much cheaper than recutting the slide. Presumably he could make whatever pattern you'd like.

 

[caperaway]

For mine I took an old Heinnie sight and filed it down to fit the Norc dovetail.Figured it was better to screw up on a sight rather than the slide(sights are easier to get than slides ).Fits decent,stays in place and shoots to point of aim so I'm happy.

 

[easyrider604]

I've been emailing with Rodger at Dark International. He says he can make fibre optic sights to fit the existing cut in the slide. Much, much cheaper than recutting the slide. Presumably he could make whatever pattern you'd like.

Roger built up my Norkie Sport TT...Bomar style rear sight, FO front, SA magwell, Videki trigger, tuned trigger...for the previous owner. Outstanding gunsmithing work! After seeing and shooting my Norkie, I am all praises for his quality and skills.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

The idea of refitting an existing sight to the norc dovetails is what i was going to do, if only i could get the #$%#@$% rear sight out of the slide on my NP29. Started with a lyman hammer and brass punch, ended at heating with propane to release the loctite (some burned off, i know the smell) and a 18 oz hammer and brass punch, while the slide was in a vice between hardwood blocks....so far the sight is winning. I think i'm going to have to split it carefully with either a hack saw or small mill cutter so i can collapse it out of the dovetail....no worries about THIS one coming loose while shooting LOL

 

[Kc.338Lp]

I thought i remembered reading the Norinco slide uses standard Series 70 dovetails .. cause i hate my freaking sights with a passion...

 

[Trigun]

Those Norinco are work horse type, if you got a good one and want to keep it forever, it is worth to spend some money on it, but if you are not sure, then you better leave it as is. I bought a used NP-29 two years ago, it comes with an adjustable target sight, just the sight alone and the cost of gun smith, it is already over three hundred dallors. mind you the gun itself was only $320 new.

Trigun

 

[alpining]

To be honest, gents, I just don't get what's the problem with the standard Norc rear sight. While it's not elegant, mine (sport model) seems to work just fine. What am I missing?

 

[mmattockx]

I thought i remembered reading the Norinco slide uses standard Series 70 dovetails .. cause i hate my freaking sights with a passion...

I had a friend measure several of his series 70's and his dimensions are very close to what I measure on my late model Norc, as close as can be expected with two different people measuring with the rear sight still in place. I have not drifted my Norc sight out to see how a series 70 sight fits, though.

To be honest, gents, I just don't get what's the problem with the standard Norc rear sight. While it's not elegant, mine (sport model) seems to work just fine. What am I missing?

Shoot a Gold Cup or 1911 with Bomar sights and you will see the problem. The Norc is slow to align and hard (for my eyes) to work with. A decent Bomar style is much, much superior from my experience.


Mark

 

[easyrider604]

To be honest, gents, I just don't get what's the problem with the standard Norc rear sight. While it's not elegant, mine (sport model) seems to work just fine. What am I missing?

Adjustability, is all. A good pistolero can compensate for distance, different loads, etc. If yours is working fine, then you just saved $250 for adjustable Bomar copies. $250 buys a lot of ammo and even more reloading components.

 

[alpining]

Shoot a Gold Cup or 1911 with Bomar sights and you will see the problem. The Norc is slow to align and hard (for my eyes) to work with. A decent Bomar style is much, much superior from my experience.
Mark

Well, I can't knock something I haven't tried, but I don't really notice my rear sights while shooting. Aside from the outline provided by the rear notch, that is. And that outline is easily modified.

My stock Norinco sights are also fully adjustable: Drift punch for windage and a needle file for elevation.