Norinco 1911 A1

[Char-Gar]

I have been working for several months with a Norinco 1911A1. I bought it because it was cheap and I thought I could turn it for a profit. Well sir, I must tell you folks that this pistol is more accurate than the run-of-the mill basic Colt, or Springer. It is a low end no frill pistol, but it is the best of the pack and I have tried them all.

It had not jammed on me once and feeds anything I put in it. This pistols have forged framed and the slides are milled from bar stock. The steel is very hard. This pistols have a reputation for being almost everlasting in terms of life.

I just picked up my second one today as they have not been imported since 1995. I wanted a spare..

Anyway, If you run across one, and are looking for a basic 1911A1, don't hesitate to buy this Chinese pistol. They are first rate.

[robertbank]

Welcome to the world of Norks. Everything you just posted is bang on. They are great guns. Just need new sights and a trigger job and they are good to go.

Stay Safe

Bob

[waksupi]

Charger, another good one to add to he list is the Argentine Colts. I bought mine for around $175 some years back, and they have gone up in value, but are still available reasonably. No need to pay a thousand bucks for a dependable 1911.

[Herb in Pa]

I found a Basllister Molina about 15 years ago pretty cheap. I kept the original barrel, added new sights and a full length guide rod. I took it along to Knob Creek one year and had it bead blasted and parkerized for the princely sum of $35. It's a great shooter.

[Char-Gar]

Robertbank....do you have any suggestions for better sights on the Nork. The front sight sits on a flat milled on the top of the slide. That is good in that the sights sits level and makes full contact with the top of the slide. It is bad in that it places the sight about .020 lower. This would make the pistol shoot high with standard change out fixed sights.

I have a couple of ideas I am working on, do you have any solutions? I do not want to mill a dovetail in the slide. Cost too much and that offends my cheap nature. I have never had problem with a staked on sight staying in place. If it is done right (I can do it right) there it is and there it will be.

[robertbank]

Well first here is a picture of my Norinco Joe Dlask did for me. You mentioned you want a staked front sight. Well OK, I like the look of my Heinie fixed sight on this gun. Joe cut it into the slide and it looks & works great. I understand Novak now has a low mount adjustable sight that is interesting and you might want to check it out on Brownells Catalogue.

I know Joe did have to mill out the dovetail for the rear sight to fit and I am sure you know by now the Norinco steel is very hard and tough on cutters but it certainly can be done.

You likely will have to find a high front stake sight to match the Heinie. A brouse through Brownells should give you some options. Hope this helps.

I should add I am really not a big fan of adjustables for the 1911 unless you are really into bullseye shooting. For IDPA/IPSC or just self defense fixed sights are more than adequate for most. Also where I made a mistake on my Commander when I had night sights installed is that I did not make it clear to the 'smith I wanted the sight set so the top of the front sight (to shoot POA), was to be level with the rear sight. As it is the glowing ball is set to reside at the bottom of the rear sight which leaves the top of the front sight below the level of the rear. While it works, this kind of sight picture is counter intuitive which, unless I pay attention has me shooting high as I want to have the front sight and rear level.

You didn't ask but that is a Dlask Long Trigger on this gun. I have medium large hands (Golf Glove size) and I think the longer trigger makes it easier to shoot accurately IF you use the last part of your trigger finger to pull straight back on.

Hope this helps.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a387/robertbank/Firearms1/Norc11.jpg

Stay Safe

Bob

[Johnch]

I have 2 Norinco 1911 45's
1 is a top notch shooter .
The other will not feed for SH!T .

When I bought the 2 one , I tryed to get it to feed , put in the back of the safe and forgot about it .

Till you started this thread .

I may dig it out and have a gun smith look at it .

Johnch

[Char-Gar]

Robertbank...I think I may have whipped my sight problem. I bought a pair of King Hardball rear sights. These sights take a .175 high front. I bought a pair of Brown .200 front sights. This should give me .025 to play with, enough to compensate for the milled flat and perhaps a little more to file down for a personal POA. We will see.

[robertbank]

Looks like you have. Let me know how they work out. Nice to see some pictures when you are done.

Stay Safe

[lar45]

I remember when they first came out that their was a big rush on them for a base gun to build up. I didn't get one as I just looked at the name and passed. Too bad for me.
I picked up an East German Makarov and it is a very nice pistol. It was 10x the pistol that my Walther pp in 32 was. I traded the Walther for a Belgian browning 16ga Auto5, pre WWII.

[Char-Gar]

Robertbank...I installed the King rear and Brown front on Nork 1. I took it to the range and checked it at 25 yards. The sights were perfect for 230 hardball, sliding the rounds right over the top of the front sight, and my favorite handload (200 SWC/7.5/AA5 hits about 3" high at that range. I will call that good.

When I do my part, the pistol will group Wolf 230 hardball into 2.5" at 25 yards. I really can't ask a service grade pistol to do any better. I am on my second thousand of this Rooski ammo, other than shooting very dirty, it is good solid stuff and groups as well or better than any other hardball I have used.

I fired Norc 2 and it proved just as reliable as No. 1. I didn't get as good groups due to the hard trigger and itty bitty sights. I installed the same King/Brown sights on it, and tomorrow I will do a clean up on the trigger and that should bring it under control.

These are good solid pistols and one heck of a value.

[robertbank]

Great to hear. 2" at 25 yards is as good as it gets for most of us. Try 200 gr LSWC 5.3 gr 231 and see what happens.

Love my Norks. We get them up here for $325Cdn. NIB. Canyou believe it.

Stay Safe

Bob

[Lucky]

I got the Commander model recently, not authorized to transport yet though.

If you all had to pick a Lee mould to use on the Anniversary press, off their web-page today, what would it be? Are the semi-wadcutters better than the round-noses, and do you need the micro-grooves?

Thx!

[robertbank]

Good MOrning

If I were you I would try buying a Lyman 452630 two or four cavity mould off of ebay. Saeco also has a similar mould. They are put up for sale regularly and in my view are much better buys than a Lee.

You can also get good deals on Lyman/RCBS resizing equipment off of Ebay as well. I bought all my casting equipment there and saved quite a bit by doing so. Wholesale Sports is in Calgary and they have a pretty good selection of dies, moulds and other stuff so you might want to check them out as well.

Stay Safe

[Lucky]

Hey thanks, yea I got my Winchester there, good place. Thanks again!