Chinese Colt 1911 Knockoff

Self | 5/16/03 | Robe

[Robe]

I have been told that the Chinese have a knockoff of the 1911 Colt .45 that goes for around $150.00 and isn’t a bad buy. Any of our FR gun experts know anything about this? I would like to hear your comments Thanks ROBE

[Space Wrangler]

I haven't heard anything about this. I'll be back to check the replies.

[white trash redneck]

You are probably thinking of the Norinco. I've never owned one, but I gather that the finish (external and internal) can be rough. You could luck out and get a good specimen, or you may not, and end up paying the gunsmith the difference between it and a good US brand.

[11Bush]

Nothing like buying an American classic from the chi-coms.

[SpartacusII]

My brother has one. It?s a Norinco. I have a Colt series 70 and the parts are interchangable. The only difference is the finish. The Norinco is kinda rough. Otherwise, it functions just as well as my Colt. Hope you enjoy it!

[umgud]

Gun-Tests.com ran severl head to head tests on cheap imported 1911 clones, Norinco included. I don't remember the particulars, but the reports were not glowing. Not all cheap guns are bad, but I try to stay away from them. A freind had the Firestorm 1911 clone (around $300) and was happy. There are several good quality 1911's in the $500-$600 range.

[Charles Martel]

$150.00 seems low, even for a Chinese knock-off of the Colt. There was a copy made by Norinco, but those stopped coming in back when Comrade Clinton barred Chinese firearms and ammo from being imported.

[yarddog]

I have owned a couple of Norinco .45's. They are a perfectly good .45 auto.

You are right that $150 is low. They generally went for around $300 when you could get them.

[Lee Heggy]

I haven't seen the actual gun but there are many pictures on the web. Just do a google on 'Norinco Colt 1911'. Personally I would just as soon pay the extra dollars and get the real thing. Screw the Chicoms.

[Space Wrangler]

HREF="http://pictures.auctionarms.com/199634/Norinco%201911A1.jpg">
Mash here</A> for a pic. I didn't know the Chi-coms were cloning the 1911's now. Interesting.

[joesnuffy]

Check out the Dan Wesson Pointman or Patriot

[Space Wrangler]

Mash here for a pic. I didn't know the Chi-coms were cloning the 1911's now. Interesting.

[holdmuhbeer]

Spend the money and get a Springfield.

[yarddog]

The Springfields are made in Brasil. Supposedly finished here.

[stevio]

Yea there's something just not right about buying a 1911 from the chi-coms.

[Charles Martel]

I didn't know the Chi-coms were cloning the 1911's now. Interesting.

Those 1911 copies were all over the gunshows back around 1995. I don't know if Norinco has continued to manufacture that pistol since the U.S. market was closed. Norinco made a copy of the M-1A rifle, too. Those were temptingly priced, but many of them had heat-treating problems and other issues that make them less than a bargain.

[GOP_1900AD]

My advice, EMBARGO THE AXIS and forget about buying the gun. Pay a few more $$$ and buy either American or from one of our true friends (e.g. Italy)!

[Space Wrangler]

Yeah, If I'm laying the cash down for a 1911, it's going to be a Kimber. Colt is, sadly, in a state of decline. Kimber makes better 1911's, and Bushmaster makes better AR's. It's sad that other companies out there can build Colt's guns better and cheaper than they can.

[Robe]

Thanks everybody..
I thought the 150 bucks was very low also.(sparking my post here)
I have a SKS that I sported-up, and I have had good luck with it, It's a nice little carbine like rifle that’s great in the woods, and it delivered a couple of deer last year... so when I heard about this I thought I'd check it out....
I'd love to have a true Colt or Springfield but I can't justify it on a teachers salary (I’ve grown accustomed to eating 3 meals a day and living indoors)
(:^)

[jscd3]

The only difference is the finish. The Norinco is kinda rough.

The real difficulty with all Chicom weapons is that there is very little emphasis placed on making parts to either tight specifications or consistent quality. Imagine 10,000 little shops all making their own version of the 1911 (or m14, or SKS, whatever) often on machines that they maintain and in some cases even fabricate locally. There is an immense problem associated with quality control. The arm that you buy may be fine; the one next to it in the glass case could be made in a totally different shop 1000 miles away, and have significant part interchangeability problems.

I remember discussing his with a gunsmith years ago (as well as more recently) - Imagine having a dozen different Nornco SKS rifle, with none of them quite exactly the same; where parts seemed interchangeable, but with interchange leading to random jamming. Imagine getting a couple of M14 clones, one of them exteremely high quality, the next one having soft metal in used in the fabrication of the bolt. You get the picture...