Norinco 1911- Internals?

[rellascout]

And the price for those services... for the avg High Road member.

Total time: About 2 hours.
Total cost: 120 bucks...the price of a Kart barrel in 2005.

Most good smiths will cost you $100 an hour X 2 hours. $200

Kart barrel without bushing $135 dealer price at MidwayUSA.

So add $335 to the $450 to $550 Norincos sell for these days and that = Colt for me.... YMMV

$450+ $335= $785.00 For $850 I could have this....

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=577407

 

[1911Tuner]

Then, by all means...go buy it.

Again...I'm not a shill for North China Industries. The question was asked, and I answered it. Then it turned into a debate about accuracy and custom features and resale value...none of which had anything to do with the question.

I have a bone stock Norinco here that I bought NIB/unfired in the summer of '09. I ran two magazines through it to test for function and put it up. In the fall of last year, I decided to take it and wring it out on the falling plate machines.

The gun fed my SWC reloads just fine, and it cleaned the plates just fine from the 25 yard line. Subsequent trips have produced the same results. The round count is approaching 3,000 without a malfunction or a broken part. For my purposes, I really can't ask much more than that from a pistol that I gave 350 dollars for...except that it's not real pretty...but I can live with that.

 

[rellascout]

Same broken record... again trying to distract from your contradictions. No one has called you a shill for chinesse products but your, "lady doth protest too much" attitude, tells me you have some sort of fixation on them.

We all seem to agree that the parts are not MIM and not cast. They are also not well finished. I and others have experienced what we would call soft parts which if one is going to shoot the gun in the 3000 to 6000 round count range should be watched and replaced if deemed necessary.

You are the one who bought up the fact the barrels are trash. I and other members have pointed out that if you are going to have to toss the barrel anywhere from 500 to 6000 rounds there are better options. RIA under $375 and SA GI around $500 IIRC have been mentioned. I also mentioned for a little bit more money you can get a Colt.

Norincos are no longer $350 pistols. Not a single person has disputed that the prices on these are going up. Find a LNIB unshot Nork today for me at $350 and I will buy it. The reality is that they are $450 to $550 pistols used and shot in 2011. With a life expectancy of 6000 rounds from a Nork barrel buying a used Nork becomes a gamble of about $130 (New Barrel) + fitting of a new barrel if you plan on shooting it more than 200 times a year. LOL

You have gone back and forth with anyone and everyone who did not get in lock step with your opinion. You accuse others not answering the OP.

Not everyone who bought/buys one has any intention of using it to compete in Bullseye matches at Camp Perry.

Some people just want a 1911-pattern .45 Auto pistol.

You then go on and on about $300+ worth of gunsmithing you did to produce a nice group once again contradicting yourself. When that is pointed out to you all you do is respond with more of the same....

Again...I'm not a shill for North China Industries. The question was asked, and I answered it. Then it turned into a debate about accuracy and custom features and resale value...none of which had anything to do with the question.

You have done your part to further this debate. I know you will deny it but its pretty clear you are neck deep in the debate "about accuracy and custom features and resale value". I personally love these dicussions. You seem to as well but seem unable to admit it. You claimed not be in an arguement or even a discussion yet here we are 2 pages later. LOL

 

[1911Tuner]

Same broken record

Let's start over. Try to wrap your head around this.

If the OP's question had been:

"Would you rather have a Norinco or a Colt/Springfield/Kimber/RIA etc"...then all your points would be both valid and on topic.

Or if it had been:

"Which gun should I get... a Norinco or a Colt/Springfield/Kimber etc...then your points would have been valid and on-topic.

But the question was:

"Are Norinco small/internal parts any good?"

The answer is a qualified yes. They're fine. They're no better and certainly no worse than the small parts that were used in the USGI pistols...and those were fully up to the task. They weren't pretty and they weren't highly polished...but they were perfectly functional.

If I were to have a Norinco on the bench...assuming that I was both willing and equipped to do a full custom build-up...I'd gut it and replace everything. Not because the parts are no good...but because they're not very pretty...and because it's expected...and because the more parts I sell and install, the more money I make. When a man pays through the nose for a hand-built gun, he expects all new parts that shine like a new penny.

All small parts in the gun...which includes the slide and barrel...are service parts. Expendable. Parts that are meant to be replaced whenever they wear out or break or fail to function. This, regardless of whether it's a Norinco or a 5,000 dollar hand-built custom.

Bottom line: What you prefer has nothing to do with the question.

 

[rellascout]

Bottom line: What you prefer has nothing to do with the question.

You obviously work under your own set of rules as a moderator. IF you were adhering to the rigidness of your last post you would have only posted once in this thread. Instead you have posted many times and offered many of your personal preferences and personal observations as if they were facts. Those who disagreed with them or presented differing opinions have been told they are off topic. You have spent most of your posts in this thread telling us nothing more than what you prefer. How come your off topic posts and your derailing of the thread is acceptable but others is not? How about you wrap your head around that? You are contradicting yourself.

 

[McKnife]

You obviously work under your own set of rules as a moderator. IF you were adhering to the rigidness of your last post you would have only posted once in this thread. Instead you have posted many times and offered many of your personal preferences and personal observations as if they were facts. Those who disagreed with them or present differing opinions have been told they are off topic. You have spent most of your posts in this thread telling us nothing more than what you prefer. How come your off topic posts and your derailing of the thread is acceptable but others is not? How about you wrap your head around that? You are contradicting yourself.

In the past, I would be surprised to see this... but unfortunately I'm not anymore.

 

[1911Tuner]

And if you hadn't tried to sidetrack the thread and turn it into a discussion about something besides the OP's question, I'd have posted once and backed out. I stuck around for two reasons. To try to keep it on topic and to show that he shouldn't pay too much attention to information that comes from opinion based on limited experience...or bad experience with one gun...or from listening to people who've never even seen an example of the gun in question.

 

[rellascout]

In the past, I would be surprised to see this... but unfortunately I'm not anymore.

I agree fully in past the mods were not so contradictory... they did not engage in backhanded comments and negativity towards the membership. YMMV

 

[rellascout]

And if you hadn't tried to sidetrack the thread and turn it into a discussion about something besides the OP's question, I'd have posted once and backed out. I stuck around for two reasons. To try to keep it on topic and to show that he shouldn't pay too much attention to information that comes from opinion based on limited experience...or bad experience with one gun...or from listening to people who've never even seen an example of the gun in question.

Again with the backhanded comments. What do you know about my knowledge of Norincos? What bad information has been posted in this thread about them? Did you look into your crystal ball to determine how many Norincos others posting here have owned, shot or looked over? You are making huge assumptions based on your opinion. It is amazing that you actually believe you helped keep this thread on topic.....

You know your stuff. You have worked on some Norincos. You like them for a $350 basic looking GI pistol. That does not negate other peoples opinons based on their knowledge, experience and time with the pistol in question.

 

[ohwell]

now if ya wanna see scout really get unglued just say Ruger lol and just to add I think Tuner is quite a bit more on topic than what this has turned into.

 

[xr1200]

Realscout is correct, a kart barrel/ bushing is $140-$160 and no smith is going to fit it for $20.

Even using wilson's price guide they charge a $150 to fit one of their barrels on a 1911.

I did a SA 1911 GI build up about 2 years ago, the gun shot 2 foot groups from a rest at 25yrds. Didn't matter as I was only using the frame for ace 22 conversion.

After a while I decided to build up the frame and slide as a project.

Heres a price breakdown.

Gun $450 new/
kart barrel/match bushing $135
beaver tail grip safety $50
mag well and housing $69
2 piece guide rod $25
bomar front/rear sights $100
Nowlin complete trigger kit $125
wilson extended/slide stop and safety $50
Gun smith work $250 mill slide for sights, fit safety and grip safety, and fit barrel and bushing.

Total Price $1254

The gun shot 2.25" groups at 25 yrds. and had a 4lb trigger

Now compare that to the range officer that I got for $646 last month and shot it last weekend and it did 2.5" groups at 25yrds. with winchester white box fmj.

Sold the SA last year for $900 in order to thin out collection as I was relocating.

In comparison the range officer is almost exactly the same gun and just about as accurate, as my custom $1240 1911 and I could have bought 2 SA RO for the price of the custom gun.

 

[amd6547]

As a Matter of fact, I am one of those who just wants a reliable, service grade 1911. An RIA might have fit my needs fine, but having found a NIB Norinco for the price I did, I went for it.
XR1200's SA GI brings up several points for me..first, that his $450 pistol would only do two foot groups at 25yds is fairly pathetic...my Norinco out of the box was easily hitting clay pigeons at the same range.
Then, looking at the work he did (or paid to have done), there is at least $500 worth I would not want at all.
I don't really understand why rellascout has a problem with 1911tuner, or why he feels it necessary to repeatedly say "buy a colt".
As a Norinco owner, I for one appreciate reading 1911tuners very unique perspective on the Norinco 1911.
I feel I have a perfectly solid 1911 for my needs, at a price I can afford now, with the option of upgrading it at a later date if I want.

 

[xr1200]

Note ! The highly modded Springfield Gun was a decent gun, it was just that I had to many 45acp 1911's and it was the lowest value gun from the collection and I was not completely happy with the way the smith did the work and I had a lot higher end target 45's to keep.

The only advantage it had over the range officer was the kart match barrel.

As for there being $500 of unwanted mods, that statement makes no sense, most of the parts that went into the gun are the heart of a true tack driver.

Key areas are barrel & bushing, lockup, sights, and trigger/action job $365 for the parts and $250 in labor in not much for all these items and a reblue included, plus the beaver tail grip safety

 

[Girodin]

Wow I was enjoying learning something about Norcs until someone decided to turn this thread into his own personal whine-fest. The last two pages became unbearable.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I think the OP's question has been addressed and this thread has drifted far enough.

Let's put it to bed