Hi guys, this is SA from TGF. I'm the Site Admin there and I am sharing our small effort to review and test at the range the above mentioned gun. This review is written by our member KBW who is also a member here and is being re-produced here partially with his express permission.
REVIEW & RANGE REPORT – NORINCO NP22
NP22 is a Chinese clone of legendary Sig P226 pistol, exported by Norinco. It is not known which company is manufacturing these handguns, most probably more than one company as the system in China goes. Perhaps that is the reason one would find large variation in performance in different pieces. However, overall NP22 is a robustly manufactured gun that performs pretty well. Being a clone of one of the best ever handguns, it has no design flaws as such. It is one of the cheapest 9x19 handgun and is commonly available in all big cities of Pakistan. Another variant of NP22, available in Pakistani market is HP 77B. Basically the same handgun, it is a little more crudely finished and is slightly more in weight.
BASIC SPECS
Model: NP22
Manufacturer: Norinco, China
Caliber: 9x19 mm Parabellum
Dimensions: 196x140x37 mm
Barrel: 112 mm
Weight(unloaded): 780 grams (875 with magazine)
Capacity: 15 rounds
Sight Radius: 159 mm
Slide: Steel
Frame: Aluminum Alloy
Sights: Fixed three dot sights.
Trigger Pull: DA….. 6-7.5 daN, SA…… 2-3 daN
Finish: Matte blue slide and black frame.
Note: Most of the NP22 pistols shown in this review are not NIB. The pics should be viewed keeping in mind this aspect.
REVIEW
Packing:
NP22 comes in a plastic pistol case that includes the handgun, two magazines, a cleaning rod, few spare springs and a users manual. Packing, though not flessy, is sufficient. At least better than Russian, Serbian and few Taurus handguns which come in a cardboard box.
Finish, Looks and Manufacturing Quality:
NP22 for sure has Sig P226 looks. However, on close inspection NP22 looks a little crude and to say the least, does not attract the buyer in first go. Though Sig P226 design is an attraction in itself but the crude finish instantly neautralises buyers enthusiasm to some extent. The internals are even more crudely finished, though solidly manufactured and one can straightaway make out that they would last a long time. Rough edges and tooling marks are visible at many places. The matte blue finish is just average and leaves a lot of room for improvement. It is somehow straightaway evident that in NP22, Norinco has saved money on finish. In Finish, looks and quality of manufacturing, I would rate NP22 4/7.
Slide, Frame and Grip:
The slide is made of forged steel and is matte blue. Is heavy and solid looking though somewhat crudely finished, both from outside and inside. The firing mechanism is strongly made and very reliable. Firing pin strikes are well centered and strong. Slide to frame fitting is quite good which enhances accuracy of the gun. Unlike a CZ999, NP22 does not have Loaded Chamber indicator.
Frame is made of Aluminum alloy, is shining black in colour and light in weight. All controls, including decocker, magazine release lever, take down lever and slide release lever, all are located on the frame. Unlike CZ999, and just like new models of Sig P226, NP22 has a separate control from slide release and decocking. Moreover, there are no ambidextrous controls in NP22, which makes it a relatively simpler gun though at the cost of options for left / right hand shooters. As you can see in the pic, the main spring is quite exposed and is only covered by the grip. The frame in different models of NP22 comes both with and without acessory rails. The one shown in this review has accessory rails.
NP22 has plastic grips in black colour. As you can see in the pics, the grips are attached with the frame with two screws and have been strengthened at the back side, primarily because the alloy frame has not been extended upto that area. The checkering is nice and even, providing good grip to the hand.
Action and Barrel:
NP22 is a recoil operated, locked brech pistol, which uses Modified Browning linkless short recoil operation, just like Sig P226.
The barrel is 112 mm long, is made of forged steel and is chromelined from inside only. The quality of rifling is uniform and precise which overall results in enhanced accuracy.
The chamber is strong and well made. Feed ramp is large in size and well polished, allowing reliable use of all types of ammos, specially JHPs.
Trigger Mechanism:
I have so far checked six different NP22 and was not impressed with the quality of trigger in general. A little on the heavier side (6-7.5 lbs in DA and 2-3 lbs in SA mode), the trigger has over play and creep, resulting in un-even break at times. Only one out of six NP22 had a very soft and precise trigger. Some trigger work would surely be needed on most of the shelf NP22s. This is one area where Norinco needs to put in some serious effort.
Recoil Mechanism:
Owing to a heavy slide, reasonably good recoil spring and reasonably good slide to frame fitting, NP22 has a manageable recoil. The placement is second shot is pretty quick, however, there is room for improvement in this area.
CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE REVIEW INCLUDING REVIEW OF THE GUN'S SIGHTS, MAGAZINE, SAFETY MECHANISM, RELIABILITY, MAINTENANCE, SUITABILITY OF PURPOSE AND 50M ACCURACY TESTING ETC INCLUDING HIGH-RES IMAGES.
Accuracy:
I tested four different NP22 at the range and shot another two during various range shooting sessions. By and large, its quite an accurate gun, however, the accuracy level differs from piece to piece, some times drastically.
As you can see in the target pics below, one NP22 is just Average, two are Accurate and the fourth one is Fairly Accurate, though I believe the fourth one had the max accuracy potential. Detail reason is given below.
Below are the range test results of four different NP22 pistols.
NP22 #1
Condition: Excellent, 99%
Dist: 10, 20 & 30 M
Ammo: POF 2Z
Sequence: 5 shots from 10 M, 5 from 20M and 5 from 30M on the same target.
Stoppages: None out of 17 bullets (including two warmer rounds each before two tests)
Score: 106 / 150 (70.66 %)
Groups
- 10 M................2.4 inches (40/50 pts)
- 20 M................6.3 inches (25/50 pts)
- 30 M................8.4 inches (20/50 pts)
- ....................... 85/150 (56.66%)
Overall Score......... 106+85=191 / 300 (63.66%)
Accuracy Rating: AVERAGE
As you can see, NP22 #1 just gave an average performance on the paper. The groups are scattered with no definite pattern.
NP22 #2
Condition: Excellent, 99%
Dist: 10, 20 & 30 M
Ammo: POF 2Z
Sequence: 5 shots from 10 M, 5 from 20M and 5 from 30M on the same target.
Stoppages: None out of 17 bullets (including two warmer rounds)
Score: 128 / 150 (85.33 %)
Groups
- 10 M................1.6 inches (45/50 pts)
- 20 M................3.6 inches (40/50 pts)
- 30 M................6.8 inches (30/50 pts)
- ....................... 125/150 (83.66%)
Overall Score......... 128+125=253 / (84.33)
Accuracy Rating: ACCURATE
This NP22 shot well. The groups are reasonably good.
CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE REVIEW INCLUDING REVIEW OF THE GUN'S SIGHTS, MAGAZINE, SAFETY MECHANISM, RELIABILITY, MAINTENANCE, SUITABILITY OF PURPOSE AND 50M ACCURACY TESTING ETC INCLUDING HIGH-RES IMAGES.
REVIEW & RANGE REPORT – NORINCO NP22
NP22 is a Chinese clone of legendary Sig P226 pistol, exported by Norinco. It is not known which company is manufacturing these handguns, most probably more than one company as the system in China goes. Perhaps that is the reason one would find large variation in performance in different pieces. However, overall NP22 is a robustly manufactured gun that performs pretty well. Being a clone of one of the best ever handguns, it has no design flaws as such. It is one of the cheapest 9x19 handgun and is commonly available in all big cities of Pakistan. Another variant of NP22, available in Pakistani market is HP 77B. Basically the same handgun, it is a little more crudely finished and is slightly more in weight.
BASIC SPECS
Model: NP22
Manufacturer: Norinco, China
Caliber: 9x19 mm Parabellum
Dimensions: 196x140x37 mm
Barrel: 112 mm
Weight(unloaded): 780 grams (875 with magazine)
Capacity: 15 rounds
Sight Radius: 159 mm
Slide: Steel
Frame: Aluminum Alloy
Sights: Fixed three dot sights.
Trigger Pull: DA….. 6-7.5 daN, SA…… 2-3 daN
Finish: Matte blue slide and black frame.
Note: Most of the NP22 pistols shown in this review are not NIB. The pics should be viewed keeping in mind this aspect.
REVIEW
Packing:
NP22 comes in a plastic pistol case that includes the handgun, two magazines, a cleaning rod, few spare springs and a users manual. Packing, though not flessy, is sufficient. At least better than Russian, Serbian and few Taurus handguns which come in a cardboard box.
Finish, Looks and Manufacturing Quality:
NP22 for sure has Sig P226 looks. However, on close inspection NP22 looks a little crude and to say the least, does not attract the buyer in first go. Though Sig P226 design is an attraction in itself but the crude finish instantly neautralises buyers enthusiasm to some extent. The internals are even more crudely finished, though solidly manufactured and one can straightaway make out that they would last a long time. Rough edges and tooling marks are visible at many places. The matte blue finish is just average and leaves a lot of room for improvement. It is somehow straightaway evident that in NP22, Norinco has saved money on finish. In Finish, looks and quality of manufacturing, I would rate NP22 4/7.
Slide, Frame and Grip:
The slide is made of forged steel and is matte blue. Is heavy and solid looking though somewhat crudely finished, both from outside and inside. The firing mechanism is strongly made and very reliable. Firing pin strikes are well centered and strong. Slide to frame fitting is quite good which enhances accuracy of the gun. Unlike a CZ999, NP22 does not have Loaded Chamber indicator.
Frame is made of Aluminum alloy, is shining black in colour and light in weight. All controls, including decocker, magazine release lever, take down lever and slide release lever, all are located on the frame. Unlike CZ999, and just like new models of Sig P226, NP22 has a separate control from slide release and decocking. Moreover, there are no ambidextrous controls in NP22, which makes it a relatively simpler gun though at the cost of options for left / right hand shooters. As you can see in the pic, the main spring is quite exposed and is only covered by the grip. The frame in different models of NP22 comes both with and without acessory rails. The one shown in this review has accessory rails.
NP22 has plastic grips in black colour. As you can see in the pics, the grips are attached with the frame with two screws and have been strengthened at the back side, primarily because the alloy frame has not been extended upto that area. The checkering is nice and even, providing good grip to the hand.
Action and Barrel:
NP22 is a recoil operated, locked brech pistol, which uses Modified Browning linkless short recoil operation, just like Sig P226.
The barrel is 112 mm long, is made of forged steel and is chromelined from inside only. The quality of rifling is uniform and precise which overall results in enhanced accuracy.
The chamber is strong and well made. Feed ramp is large in size and well polished, allowing reliable use of all types of ammos, specially JHPs.
Trigger Mechanism:
I have so far checked six different NP22 and was not impressed with the quality of trigger in general. A little on the heavier side (6-7.5 lbs in DA and 2-3 lbs in SA mode), the trigger has over play and creep, resulting in un-even break at times. Only one out of six NP22 had a very soft and precise trigger. Some trigger work would surely be needed on most of the shelf NP22s. This is one area where Norinco needs to put in some serious effort.
Recoil Mechanism:
Owing to a heavy slide, reasonably good recoil spring and reasonably good slide to frame fitting, NP22 has a manageable recoil. The placement is second shot is pretty quick, however, there is room for improvement in this area.
CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE REVIEW INCLUDING REVIEW OF THE GUN'S SIGHTS, MAGAZINE, SAFETY MECHANISM, RELIABILITY, MAINTENANCE, SUITABILITY OF PURPOSE AND 50M ACCURACY TESTING ETC INCLUDING HIGH-RES IMAGES.
Accuracy:
I tested four different NP22 at the range and shot another two during various range shooting sessions. By and large, its quite an accurate gun, however, the accuracy level differs from piece to piece, some times drastically.
As you can see in the target pics below, one NP22 is just Average, two are Accurate and the fourth one is Fairly Accurate, though I believe the fourth one had the max accuracy potential. Detail reason is given below.
Below are the range test results of four different NP22 pistols.
NP22 #1
Condition: Excellent, 99%
Dist: 10, 20 & 30 M
Ammo: POF 2Z
Sequence: 5 shots from 10 M, 5 from 20M and 5 from 30M on the same target.
Stoppages: None out of 17 bullets (including two warmer rounds each before two tests)
Score: 106 / 150 (70.66 %)
Groups
- 10 M................2.4 inches (40/50 pts)
- 20 M................6.3 inches (25/50 pts)
- 30 M................8.4 inches (20/50 pts)
- ....................... 85/150 (56.66%)
Overall Score......... 106+85=191 / 300 (63.66%)
Accuracy Rating: AVERAGE
As you can see, NP22 #1 just gave an average performance on the paper. The groups are scattered with no definite pattern.
NP22 #2
Condition: Excellent, 99%
Dist: 10, 20 & 30 M
Ammo: POF 2Z
Sequence: 5 shots from 10 M, 5 from 20M and 5 from 30M on the same target.
Stoppages: None out of 17 bullets (including two warmer rounds)
Score: 128 / 150 (85.33 %)
Groups
- 10 M................1.6 inches (45/50 pts)
- 20 M................3.6 inches (40/50 pts)
- 30 M................6.8 inches (30/50 pts)
- ....................... 125/150 (83.66%)
Overall Score......... 128+125=253 / (84.33)
Accuracy Rating: ACCURATE
This NP22 shot well. The groups are reasonably good.
CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE REVIEW INCLUDING REVIEW OF THE GUN'S SIGHTS, MAGAZINE, SAFETY MECHANISM, RELIABILITY, MAINTENANCE, SUITABILITY OF PURPOSE AND 50M ACCURACY TESTING ETC INCLUDING HIGH-RES IMAGES.
