[Fat Boy]

I have seen the copies of the old external hammer 12 ga. pump guns out there, I think from Norinco. My understanding is that these guns are chinese in origin. I have always like the looks of the external hammer riot guns, but couldn't afford the old ones. And, I would like to have a functional gun that would stand up over time, and be a shooter as well.

My questions are:

1. What is the quality of these imports? How durable could I expect such a gun to be?

2. Are these actions smooth? Or are they harder to function, given the external hammer?

Thanks!

[MAX100]

The TTN and the EMF Co Colt 1878 reproduction Norinco made coach shotguns are very nice and higher quality but they cost more. I believe they are worth the extra cost. Some may have different take.


GC

[tkendrick]

Norinco makes great guns! You can reasonably expect to get three or four boxes of shells to fire out of them before they start to malfunction and fall apart!

[MAX100]

Them falling apart is the reason so many Cowboy action shooters use them in competition and shoot thousands of rounds out of them each year.

Go to a Cowboy Action shooting website forum and join then post your question there. You will get better info there. They know the guns well that are use in Cowboy competition.


GC

[PT92]

I have read great reviews for their 870 Copy:

http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/programming/expand.asp?Prodid=498

-Cheers

[MAX100]

Not all of the Norinco shotguns are good. The 1897 hammer pump and the 1887 lever action shotguns do have problems. I don't know about the 1893 hammer pump.

The Norinco Model 37, model 982, NEF Pardner Pump, the TTN and the EMF 1878 coach guns or all good in my opinion.


GC

[RCR29]

I'm on my 3rd 1897 Trench gun clone. The first one's forearm fell off during shooting, and the second one's hammer kept following the bolt up after a couple hundred rounds

[MAX100]

Some have good luck with the 1897 and some don't. I looked one over I had in stock and I felt they were not very well made shotguns. I was going to stock them but decided not too.


GC

[Logan5]

I had bad luck with my 97. I hear they can clean up nicely after a trip to a CASS smith... I'll get around to sending mine off eventually, but at the moment mine's still broken.

[MilsurpShooter]

I like mine, 1897 Trench Gun copy (Heat shield, bayonet lug)

Action was pretty stiff when I first got it, required a decent amount of force to operate especially with the hammer down. But so far I've put about 30-40 boxes of Slugs/Buckshot through it, not to mention cycling it during cleaning and it's starting to feel much better.

Besides, rapid firing these things is worth it IMO... Always fun to let off 5 rounds real quick and get the "What the heck was that" looks from the rest of the guys on the line. Not that bad as accuracy goes either. Managed to make a string of Slugs from the 6 ring in and under the X ring, each shot touching from 50 yards, 4 or 5 rounds IIRC