[Horsesense]

Anybody out there have a Norinko knock off'? if so what do you think of it?

[Zeke Menuar]

Found this on another forum:

http://www.pistolsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=14745&highlight=norinco

ZM

[plnkr1234]

Hi,

I have a Norinco 97 Trench Gun. I like it. The fit and finish seems pretty good and the wood looks nice with a dark walnut color. I heard they are real walnut stocks sent over from the US although I can't confirm this.

It's all steel and quite heavy, but this makes it nice to shoot as well. It does not have the disconnector. It seems reliable but I haven't shot it that much. The action was quite rough, but it is starting to smooth out a little. From what I understand, the model 97 action is not too smooth anyway.

Overall, seems pretty nice, especially for the price.

Best.

P.S. Anyone know how to field strip it for cleaning?

Thanks

[Sir Galahad]

If you see one and want it, better buy it now. I heard there is a 2 year embargo on Norinco for selling arms to our enemies.

[Dr.Rob]

I like the look, but wow is that HEAVY for a shotgun.

Still they do look cool.

[dickwholliday]

Hey Sir Galahad ......WWDHD = What Would Dick Holliday Do......He He!

[Gewehr98]

Are there any big-name distributors who carry them? (As I head over to gunsamerica.com and look)

[Sir Galahad]

My local shop has one.

[Red Label]

I just have a very hard time buying chinese anything. If you have a hankering please try to find an old original. I know it will cost a lot more but think about what they have stolen from us before you buy something from China! Even though we have free trade with them don't think for a minute that they won't take advantage of any opportunity they may get.:cuss:

[Nightcrawler]

I just have a very hard time buying chinese anything.

Sir, with all due respect, it's quite possible that a great deal of the things you own (or components of them) are made in China. Ever shop at one of the big name discount stores? Wal-Mart, Target, ShopKo, K-Mart, etc?

There's just a lot of stuff they don't make in the US anymore. Unfortunately, Winchester 97 shotguns are one of them.

[Deepdiver]

I like it, too - just don;t have the extra $$ right now. It would be real "handy" to throw in the truck, though.

[Preacherman]

Bear in mind that Norinco has just been placed under sanctions by the US government for two years, due to its supplying weapons technology to nasty governments elsewhere. No more Norinco shotguns (or anything else) may be imported for the duration of the ban. If you want one, buy it now, because there won't be any more for quite a while...

[Wildalaska]

A shop here in Anchorage, Gun Runners, has at least 4 short barreled 97s, one of which I recall has a flaming bomb proof on it...but no shield or bayo lug. I know this becasue we rebuilt these guns.

They are at 907/245-5486

WildillbebackAlaska

[Benjamin]

Davidsons', the distributor which maintains http://www.davidsonsinc.com (routing you to 'gallery of guns') has a stock of Norinco shotguns, in their various forms.

I thought 'sporting' shotguns were exempt from the chinese arms embargo.

Either way, they're still coming into the country, legally.

[Horsesense]

I would love to be able to afford an original. As a kid, my elderly neighbor (a WWI Vet) had one propped in the corner of his living room (most likely his son sold it for $100 bucks after he died).

I usually avoid products made in China BUT, as I said, this is a hankering.

I've got plenty of pump guns and will probably have to wait till after I find a 20ga-coach gun for the wife.
On second thought, it would be a noble jester if I started using that $400 tax credit, each year, to start a collection for my little girl….yah that’s it!

[ShaiVong]

A local shop around here has one of those too. Always found it curious.

Does it cock the external hammer after every pump? How do they stand up to 870's and 500's?

[Gunsnrovers]

Instead of buying from the Chinese, buy an original 97 for about $300 or so (what ever they are going for in your area) and buy the heat shield and bayonet lug assembly from IMA for $99: http://www.ima-usa.com/

[streakr]

The Norinco 97s are a good bargain and well worth the money (aside from the political aspect - BUT the more jobs the Chinese have means FEWER of them will come here illegally). They have improved greatly since they first came to the US. The first models had awful wood and were really sloppy, but cheap! The SOLE reason Norinco 97s are imported because of Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS). These imports need the attention of a CAS gunsmith to smooth them up and improve the function.

Original 97s are in great demand for CAS and prices have significantly accelerated. In 1972 I bought a Black Diamond 1897 (trap model) for goose and duck hunting for $75 ! Now it's worth 20 times that and really wows people when I shoot traps or clays with it. I currently use an E model 97 (made in 1931) that cost me $425 in 1998.

Shooter quality Winchester 97s will run upwards of $350, with really nice ones in the 600-800 range. There are alot of them out there but the trench guns (real ones) will go well over $1000. There are lots of fakes out there. I have seen original bayonets for them go for $400 +! (try auctionarms.com, gunsamerica.com, gunbrokers.com)

A well tuned 97 is great fun to use but plan to use lower power shells for maximum enjoyment. A 97 shot with magnums is PAINFUL!!! Cowboy shooters use our shotguns alot (500-1000 plus shells per year) and use them FAST.

Streakr - new to the Forum

[DAL]

No more Norinco shotguns (or anything else)

ANYTHING else? Are you sure about that? What will Wal-mart stock its shelves with? Or maybe the embargo deals with just firearms and related products? If so, the only people who will really suffer by this symbolic act are U.S. citizens.
DAL

[clubsoda22]

Go to a gun show, saw a bunch at the last one i was at. Sitting right next to the winchester defender i picked up. THe trench gun was neat, had the bayonett and everything.

[Sir Galahad]

The problem with advising to buy originals is that there are just not a lot of originals in this configuration. Further, a lot of them are old and showing their age. Even further, some people can't find them right now. When a guy sees a chopper he likes at the gun shop, he wants it now, not a year from now, if he has the duckets to afford that example right now. He might not have those duckets a year from now, so it's better to buy that chopper while he has the duckets before, over a year, he eats out for lunch once to often and then, bingo, no extra simoleons to spend on the chopper. If he buys the chopper, he'll brown bag for lunch (and usually healthier meals, too) and have that chopper to shoot on weekends rather than spending countless hours cruising the net for an original 97. Plus, he may save duckets buying the Norinco and use the extra duckets left over for ammo. And the Norinco is what he wanted and doesn't have to settle on something else. I bought an original 97 at a gun show years ago and it literally fell apart after 200 rounds. I'll never make that mistake again. If I see a new repro, I'll go with that. I don't collect antique firearms.

On the question of Chinese made goods, well, to each as his conscience dictates. But look at the American arms dealers caught trying to funnel howitzer, missile, and F-14 parts to Iran. It's not just the Chinese.

[streakr]

I was at a gunshow this weekend and found a plain Norinco for $299 with the reddish wood but nicel blueing and metal to wood fit. The action needed some cleanup.

I asked the vendor selling it if they had the trench gun models but they had sold out the three they did get. They went for $499 (ouch)!

I saw a number of real 97s but the cheapest was $500 for a really dog-tired specimen.

If you can find a Norinco, get it.

Streakr

[2nd Amendment]

Currently on Gunbroker with a little over 4 hrs to go:

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=10868344