Springfield VS Norinco

Springfield M1 Or Norinco 305


  • Total voters
    336
Sinasta said:
Oldsmobiler said:
Hey if it makes you happy go and buy the Springfield. Now if you want a better rifle go buy the Norico, chuck the stock in the fire/trash, sell all the parts you take off the receiver, buy a new USGI stock, barrel, gas assy, blah blah.....and you'll have 10x the rifle than the Springfield.

But hey thats just my opinion.

By the way I have two Norico's so I'm kinda biased :lol:

So your paying 400 for just the reciever?

The Reciever is a bargin at $400.00 since it is a forged, USGI spec'd reciever.IMHO, the Norinco Recievers are worth at least $600.00.

The only other forged M14 Type reciever is made by LRB Arms in New York and they go for $630.00 U.S. :shock:

SKBY.
 
personally, my score is at:
3 dozen GENUINE USGI M-14 rifles.
5 Springfield M1A rifles [ the OLD ones ] - ranging from beat up Standard to SS Super Match in a MacMillan stock,
and [at last count ...]
17 various specimens of Chinese/USGI cross breeding experiments

Right now I have an OLD Chinese M-14S that is better fitted than most of the NEW SA M1A rifles as they generally come out of the box. PLUS, when I started adding on the USGI parts, I knew they would fit a LOT easier than mating them to an SA receiver.

If you view the Norinco [ M-305 or M-14 or M-14S ] as a GREAT forged and very close toleranced receiver, at a BARGAIN price, with a bunch of extra - and possibly usable - parts thrown in for free, you will never go wrong. If you like a project, get a Chinese, simply add the usual GI parts, and you have one of the best rifles available. At only 1/3 or so of the equivalent SA version.

BUT, when you go to sell your stick, you will always get your money out of the Springfield. And, in some situations, for some people [ especially those who don't want to get their hands dirty working on their rifles themselves] having a lifetime warranty and a manufacturer who answers the phone, is worth something.

Only you can decide if that brand name "something" is worth three or four times or so the cost.

but hey, there are still people out there who buy Harleys ... go figger?
 
Norinco M-14S is my personal preference! I've owned a grand total of three, with my first bought back in 1990.

As for 'holding value,' here's some food for thought: occasionally an M-14S shows up on the Exchange forum. One recently went at $400.00 quick enough to make the seller's head spin.

Now I've nothing against brand name products however when I for one buy something used, even gently used, I don't want to pay 'new' price. Has to be some incentive for buying used vs. new, after all! With that in mind, if for argument's sake someone sells a used "$2,000.00 when new" product for around $1,750.00 it may have held its value quite well - but they did mark it down by more than half the price of its "$400.00 when new" counterpart.

Either rifle should serve just fine on the firing line. I'm in the 'Norinco' camp because the M-14S is many times more accessible to shooters and is singularly responsible for the burgeoning M-14/battle rifle 'show, shoot, and mod' craze in Canada.

- Peter
 
this is the only "main" difference between norinco and the US rifles. I can bring my springfield hunting and to matches in the US. My norinco has to stay home. So if you dont head south, Norinco is the was to go for sure!
 
mikebaker1129 said:
I would suggest you buy the Norinco and do the mods yourself. Having 4 of each ,I will say Springfields do "Look" nicer out of the box . Disaster monkey has a point about the cast Reproduced parts . Op rods , trigger assemblies, some rear sight parts ,extractors ,flash suppressors,front sights,and gascylinders are all cast in Taiwan . Receivers are cast in Canada ,and the barrels are spun in house on Wilson blanks. Ask yourself this would you rather buy a SA inc rifle made with mostly Taiwanese parts for $$$$$$ or a Chinese made rifle for about 1/4 of the cost ?
Having both ,it would be a no brainer for me . Of my last 4 rifles 3 have been Polytechs(Chinese ) with only 1 Springfield early rifle with all USGI parts . Plus you get to buy the Norincos for 1/2 of what we have to pay here in the states .
You will not be sorry
Very well said M.Baker :)
 
Keller said:
The big factor in this great debate is simply price; given an unlimited budget I think even the die-hard Norinco owners would choose a Springfield. You can get a Norinco and spend months and quite a bit of money making it "better" if that's what you're into, or you can spend the cash and get a Springfield. In the end the Springfield will mean more money for you if you ever choose to sell.

Most will say that Springfield M1A owners curse the Norincos 'cause we are just mad that we spent too much to get the "same" rifle. Basically there are two types of people, the ones that will settle for something and the ones that are cursed with a desire to own the "brand name" products even if it costs more.

So what do you want, a Polex or a Rolex? :wink: :mrgreen:


Hmm.....I wonder when I consistantly shoot MOA with my 'rinc. As has been said "It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian" take a Polex any day. Here's my polexes
sage1and2_1.jpg


Get a grip. The M1A being the best is purist to say the least and I agree
to an extent. Got the name. So does LRB so does Fulton and a half dozen other companies that make the claim of being the best. At least the Norincos I shoot do themselves proud. Wearing Sage of course. Most 'rinc owners will take on a Springfield any day of the week. Unless it's Wednesday morning.

Better to trick a 'rinc than treat a Springfield :twisted:
 
I voted Springfield as I own an M1A(white stock in pic below) and has been shot quite a few times and love it ... I however just received my Norinco M305(camo stock in pic below) and cleaned it up and re-stocked it yesterday ... un-faaaarken-fortunately I can't go to the range and try her out as it's been SNOWing for 2 days now ... aaaaarrrrrrrgh! :x I so wanna see how she performs ... as she looks great, but is she a shooter??? :wink: Cheers,

Otokiak ... 8)
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

MVC-016F.jpg
 
I have never owned a Srpingfielg armory M1a, but I have shot a couple. I also owned 4 REAL ca m-14's at one time, one of each manufacturer. Alan Lever used to sell them in collector packs of 4.

I have 2 Norinco's now, and if Norinco's 305's and Springfield's M1A were the same price, I would still take the Norinco.
 
I shot my Norinco M305 tonight ... the faaaaarken rear sight sucks azz :x ... real pain in the azz to adjust!!! :x Other than that I would say she's good though ... fed the rounds well, cycled the rounds out with no probs, ... gonna mount a scope anyways on the biitch so hey I'll say Nork's are good! :wink: Now I just have to come up with a name for this gal :lol: :wink: ... and well I still love my ROCHELLE(Springfield model).

Otokiak ... 8)
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

p.s. gonna pimp her(Nork model) out as well with many other mods ... :wink:
 
Know your pain Otokiak. But I look at it this way. If Alvin York won the CMH using Kentucky windage front sight only, guess I am going to have to compensate. Thing that pisses me off the most is I was born in Kentucky :oops:
 
bernse said:
Disaster Monkey said:
Keller said:
In the end the Springfield will mean more money for you if you ever choose to sell.

This is the one stated benefit of Springfields over Norincos that I will agree with.
Considering they are 4x the price, I'd freakin' hope you'd get more for it!

Tell that to the govrenment. Their peons won't give a rats ass.

I am considering running for a seat in the next election. You want me to fight for your rights as gun owners? I don't want your money. I want a strong conservative government.

Take care all and think about what another liberal will do to us. GET OUT AND VOTE
 
Well, this is a bit of a zombie thread revival, but here we are six years later with a majority conservative government and a long gun registry with it's back to a cliff. Is the Norinco M14s even better now than it was in those days?
 
I was just going to mention about this old and stale argument, but time has passed and much water is under the bridge. The Norcs seem to be getting better and better. I do have to admit that I always loved the finish of the M1A rifles and how many of them came from Geneseo, Illinois with USGI parts. That's long gone, though.

Buy what works for your game and your dream build! Enough said! :D

Cheers,
Barney
 
Buy what works for your game and your dream build! Enough said!

This is the best advice on the board period when it comes to Springfield vs Norinco ... myself, I'm looking at importing some LRB M25 receivers ... because I can and it's my build ... besides I don't think you can beat the mount system ... ;)

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA
 
I voted Springfield even though I have a Norinco.
No problems with the Norinco,yet.
But if I had "more money than brains", I would definetley choose Springfield.
Norinco has come a long way, since the earlier days.
Hi-Point has now surpassed them as the biggest POS.:)
 
Today's Springfield is NOT the Springfield of old. Today's Springfield is as similar to the old Springfield rifles as Norinco is. Norinco's, in my opinion are a tad bit better. Springfield Armoury is similar only in name.

When I was having the roller issue with my new bolt, I looked very seriously at a new Springfield. Almost every issue that I raised consistently pointed to sticking with my Norky and fitting it with a few more USGI parts instead of purchasing the Springfield. Now there are a few other companies in the US producing M14's which for the same price as a Springfield, I would look at.

Perhaps the best advice I received was from a former US Soldier (Marine, I think) whom was visiting the range when I was shooting my fixed Poly M-14. He had seen the platform and was very, very impressed with the dead-on headspace I was getting with the USGI bolt and the Norky receiver. The chromed barrel as a standard feature also passed his scrutiny. Mine has a decent rear sight and I narrowed my front sight blade to match width.

His advice, stick with the Norky, as my modified rifle was as good or better as any of the newer Springfields. He was telling me about some issues with the extractors and some binding issues with the bolts/receivers (something about some run of the receivers being out of spec). He also commented that for the same price an LRB is twice the rifle (not that I would know any different).

Lastly he told me we were "lucky" to be able to get these cheap rifles and turn them into good quality shooters for half the cost.

My advice, if you are looking into a US built rifle, maybe check out some other manufacturers, as they may be of better quality than the "Springfield" name. On a side note, I know a local shooter here whom got rid of his new Springfield 1911 (Range Officer??). I guess it was not up par in terms of performance and caused him some problems. The Springfield folks were also causing issues with warranty (I suspect where most frustration was vented). You know what he bought instead, a Remington R1 and was very happy with it.

Go Figure. :D
 
OK you guys got me sold on the Norinco.......It realy kills me to say it and hear it but It is what it is....and if it saves money excellent. I will buy one..next question USGI parts, where would i get those in Canada and will the Norinco's fit the Macmillan stock...i assume it will if it is USGI spec. thanks for your help. :D

The bolt is a bit of a pain, but I got mine (complete assembly) from 7.62 Firearms in the States. Springs, rollers, roller clips from Brownells. Op-Rod from Dlask in Vancouver.

Hope this helps.
 
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