Issues with Norinco 213 9mm

[Kiln]

Hey guys, not long ago I bought a Norinco model 213 9mm pistol from a LGS and it looked almost brand new. Seems to have barely been shot so I thought I lucked out but when I took it out today it became clear that I bought somebody else's headache.

I fired about 100 rounds with 1-2 malfunctions EVERY SINGLE MAGAZINE. It usually jammed religiously on the sixth and seventh rounds with the new bullet failing to enter the chamber and standing straight up in the magazine. Rounds would stand up in the magazine and get caught in the ejection port. Good news is that it is extremely accurate and when I wasn't clearing jams the gun is comfortable and absorbs recoil very well.

The gun is clean, the parts seem to be well fit, and I don't think it is the gun's fault but instead the magazine. Anybody think differently? Should I bother buying a magazine for $25 or should I just quit while I'm ahead and get rid of it?

The gun's intended use is for occasional range trips and not for defense, just thought I'd state that now and save myself from the "is $180 all your life is worth" posts.

 

[firesky101]

I would start with an extra power magazine spring from wolff. Cheapest way to start a diagnosis, unless you know someone with tried and true magazines.

 

[WardenWolf]

Okay, first, the Norinco 213 is the Chinese version of what is commonly known as the Tokarev pistol. Tokarevs come in two calibers, 7.62x25 and 9mm, with 7.62x25 being by far the most common. Only the Chinese made them in 9mm. No matter what form they're in, however, they're known for being incredibly reliable pistols, and they share a large parts commonality between models.

I would concur with firesky101 on it being a magazine spring issue. If the follower is depressed too far, either while loading or unloading, the round can indeed stand straight up. This is often seen when carelessly loading or unloading a magazine by hand, and can occur when chambering when the magazine spring depresses, causing the breech face to overrun the round and turn it vertical. That it happens on the 6th and 7th round further supports this, as this is when the spring would be providing weaker support. The last round failing to jam could be due to a number of differences related to its direct contact with the follower.

One other thing to check out is whether you are using genuine 9mm Tokarev magazines. The Chinese Tokarevs come in two major variants. The most common variant uses full-length 7.62x25 magazines with a small spacer in the rear to accomodate the shorter 9mm round. You may actually be using 7.62x25 magazines, without the spacer. While these usually work just fine with 9mm, occasionally they can have feeding issues. Check and see if there is a small spacer at the back of your magazine (with an unloaded mag, it will look as if the follower is not touching the rear of the magazine). If not, you may have the wrong magazine. The other variant has the spacer in the magazine well of the gun itself, and cannot accept a normal Tokarev magazine.

 

[Kiln]

They are the full sized magazines with the spacer if that helps.

 

[WardenWolf]

I have the parts needed to convert my own Tokarev to 9mm, so I compared the magazines. Unfortunately, the spaced 9mm magazines use different springs than the 7.62x25 magazines, so you can't use standard Tokarev springs.

You've got 3 options here, and two of them are guaranteed to leave you with a working gun. One, you can just buy replacement magazine springs or complete replacement magazines. Two, you can buy the 7.62x25 parts, which include barrel, link (if it doesn't come with barrel), bushing, magazines, and a recoil spring, and convert your to the "proper" caliber. Three, you can just buy some 7.62x25 magazines, which are cheaper than the 9mm version, and they will probably work just fine. The Tokarev's feed lips are machined into the gun itself, not the magazine, so the gun is not nearly as picky about magazines as, say, a 1911.

Take your pick. Note that the 213A magazine will not fit your pistol. That is for a rare double-stack variant of the Tokarev. The cheapest option is to buy a single 7.62x25 magazine and see if it works. Then you can go either way and decide whether or not you want to keep it 9mm or convert it to the more powerful (and more fun) 7.62x25 caliber.

My advice: convert it. For $30 on Gunbroker, you can get a Romanian 7.62x25 barrel (with link) and bushing. Then you just need magazines and recoil spring. It's a cheap fix, and the 7.62x25 round is just fun to shoot.

Here's the relevant auctions:
Barrel:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=289368988
Bushing:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=289975488

When you see that muzzle flash, you'll wonder why you EVER wanted the 9mm version.