Hello. There was just something about a "Chinese forty-five" that didn't sit right with me; it wasn't anything political. I just figured it was junk.

By the time I found out that I was wrong, they were pretty hard to find and prices were higher...considerably higher. I shot a few of the guns over the years and had seen that they "ran" fine. Finally, I happened to speak with a gunsmith who said that the Norinco 1911's were made of very good steel and were almost always "in spec" with regard to frame holes and such.

Anyway, a while later I ran across one that had been fired but a few times, less than fifty rounds at a decent price. I bought it.

I knew the sights would have to go as the gun hit about 2" high and slightly to the right for me at 15 yards and with my 52-year-old eyes, they were too small.

It became clear that this would be a "project gun."


Here it is with some different parts, but the original sights so that you can see the POI vs. POA. It goes through several incantations before winding up in the form it is today.

The pistol's proven utterly reliable with any and all loads tried that are in the 230-gr. @ 850 ft/sec range or 185-gr. @ 950 ft/sec or so. My 5" 1911's are routine sprung at 18.5-lbs using a conventional spring. I'd estimate 3K or so through this one so far.

Most of the changes were done at home. A Pachmayr grip safety that's actually for a Commander works great on the gun. Not so pretty as a fitted one, but I already had all the parts used on this gun. Ed Brown hammer and sear along with a McCormick trigger were added. Some E-nickeled parts like the slide stop, magazine release, safety, and such were added just for looks. They were not "necessary" for function; the gun worked fine as it was. I worked the trigger to a bit under 5-lbs as I do carry this pistol on occassion for "serious purposes."

I did have a gunsmith add a King's Hardballer rear sight and silver solder a serrated ramp to the slide after I'd determined the correct height. He also cleaned up the slide and reblued it for me. When I wear the blue off the frame, I'll add checkering before refinishing...or maybe I'll just stay with the skateboard tape.


This is how the lightly modified Norinco 1911 looks today. It works fine with 7 and 8 round magazines, but I normally use 7-rnd magazines in my "serious" pistols; they've just been more reliable for me. Most of my eight's work fine in most of my guns, but the seven's work fine in all of them.

If you run across a Norinco 1911 at around $400 new or less, I'd jump on it particularly if interested in using it as a base or project gun. There is no internal firing pin safety system, just the inertial pin of 1911's past...which suits me fine.


I have no complaints with this pistol. It groups well under 2" at 15 yards in slow-fire and handles well at speed. I will not group with an STI or Kimber at 50-yds in most instances, but neither will any shot be outside an average pie plate at that distance. This suffices for my defensive needs.

So far the pistol's been fired with the following ammunition:

200-gr. Hornady XTP
7.2-gr. Unique
Winchester LP Primer
TZZ Case
Average Velocity: 925 ft/sec

Federal 230-gr. Hydrashok JHP
Average Velocity: 836 ft/sec

Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot
Average Velocity: 816 ft/sec

Winchester RA9TA Ranger Talon JHP:
Average Velocity: 841 ft/sec

Remington 230-gr. Golden Saber BJHP:
Average Velocity: 805 ft/sec

Corbon 165-gr. PowRball +P:
Average Velocity: 1220 ft/sec

I've fired Corbon 185-gr. +P JHP as well as some other loads from Glaser, and other companies, but don't yet have chronograph data for them.

My particular pistol appears to have a slow barrel. In quite a few instances, I find that average velocities are roughly 40 ft/sec or so slower than when the same loads from the same box are fired from about any other 5" 1911. This is not a hard-and-fast rule with Norinco 1911's as I chronographed some loads out of other Norinco pistols that have been very comparable with Kimber, Colt, STI, Springfield, etc.

Best.

I got my first Norinco after I shot my poor old Ithaca to death - 2,000 rounds/week for 8 months of the year for 5 years - and was looking for a inexpensive replacement. Willie had stopped their importation but there were a lot of NIB pistols to be found for a good price. I had my gunsmith order one from one of his suppliers and we were greatly surprised on how well the pistol was made. We both had expected something that was not really up to snuff but by JMB it was better than we had expected and better than one should hope for. Then when I had the MMC rear sight and the Millett dual crimp front sights added we found out how tough the steel was/is.

Since then I've added two more 'Rincos to my supply, #3 shoots the best of the three, the factory barrell had no "push down" and the slide to frame fit was exceptional for a WWII pistol clone, even better than some of the big name makers fiit I've seen since.

But I should not be telling you this, since you may scoop up the Norinco I want to add to the group. Let's see, there are the nickeled ones and I'd like to find a Commander(tm) sized one too, and I need at least one from all the different importers (four in all as far as I know).

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If it ain't metal, single stack and single action; it ain't a 1911 no matter what it looks like.
This is a school free gunzone; no schools allowed within 1,000 feet.

Nice pistol and report Mr. Camp! I unfortunatly made the same mistake you did. Figured they were Chinese junk and never even looked at one. Finally found a NIB 5inch model from the collection of a gentleman who had passed away; got it for $380 and figure I got a deal. Of course if I had not been so hidebound, I could have picked up two of them for that price ten years ago! Live and learn (maybe).

Well your experience sure mirrors mine. I have two as we still can get them up here. My Norinco C has been out to a smith for upgrades and should be back home soon. He is waiting for Novak rear sight and the gun is done. If I can figure out how to transfer a pic to this thread I'll send pics of the two guns. Care-Less nice to see you here! Still banging away out your back door? LOL. Wish I could but if I did I would have the Mounties on my back faster than flies on a dropped sandwich. Regards to all and look forward to reading about others who enjoy shooting the Norinco.

Being a commander fan, I want one of the Norinco commanders that are imported to Canada that we can't get. My first 1911 was a Norinco and it was sold to a friend who still has it and is very happy with it. The only complaint most have with them is goverment that is making them.

Personally, I will take a mil spec Nork any day of the week over all other 1911's.

I thought it was great the John made a forum for the Norinco. I've never seen another place just for the often misunderstood China man 1911.

Boy am i glad to see a Norinco forum. i am planning to get one, and im going to bug the experts here for advice.

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I love the smell of gunpowder in the morning...

Okay, I goofed up too.

Yes, they're junk. You should all send them to me and I'll dispose of them for you.

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Dave Berryhill
Berryhill Custom Gunsmithing
1911Pro.com