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Thread: Norinco 1911A1

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  1. #1
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    Norinco 1911A1

    Hi, would appreciate some advice. I have a Norinco A1 (2 years old and less than 1000 rounds through it). The gun locks up every 2-5 rounds, always with an empty. I drop the mag and have to either push the case downward or kinda hook it out. The slide locks in this position, will not move. It takes serious hits to start moving it forward. It's not just a tap and it releases, seems to drag and hang. Once forward it racks ok but will keep doing the same thing. I can't see any obvious damage in the gun. It will do this with reloads or factory ammo.
    I know it's a cheap gun but I used to kind of like it. Should add guide rod, bushing and spring all look ok.
    Thanks.

  2. #2
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    I'm going to move this to Gunsmithing because it's a 1911, and the malfunction probably isn't unique to the Norinco brand.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Likes (1) :
    wyn6666 (23rd March 2021)


  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by wyn6666 View Post
    The gun locks up every 2-5 rounds, always with an empty. I drop the mag and have to either push the case downward or kinda hook it out.
    My interpretation of your description is that the empty case was not ejected from the pistol. If that's all it is then I would say the slide is not moving fully to the rear most probably due to a mismatch between the strength of the recoil spring and the power of the cartridge. The fix would be a lighter recoil spring or hotter ammo.

    If the case rim is no longer behind the extractor claw when the malfunction occurs then the extractor probably needs some attention or should be replaced.

    A more precise diagnosis of the problem would require a lot more detailed description of the malfunction. A picture or two of the actual malfunction could be quite useful as well.
    Likes (1) :
    wyn6666 (23rd March 2021)

    Last edited by Steve in Allentown; 24th March 2021 at 08:42.


  4. #4
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    Hi Steve and thanks for the reply. I don't have pictures atm but will try and get some. OK more detail.... I bought the gun new about 2 years ago but sold it to a friend here in town. He mainly used his own reloads. I was with him at the range when the malfunction happened, empty shell stuck and even after dropping the mag and removing the casing the slide was rock solid. He had to beat the gun to release it. The gun was mailed to a gunsmith near Winnipeg. All that came back was a letter stating "I was able to replicate the malfunction" but no explanation of what the problem was + bill for 150 dollars. My friend is disputing this bill. I bought the gun back, as felt bad about this issue. I cleaned, lubed and checked the gun thoroughly before trying it. I had the same issue on round number 3 but this time the slide was stuck even more. It took quite a few hard hits with a wooden mallet to get it to move forward (it kind of went forward in stages not a quick release and slide). You may be spot on about the ammo as all I ever put through it was factory and had no issues. It first happened with reloads. My friend said it happened to him with factory ammo after the initial malfunction with reloads.
    Do you recommend I try hotter reloads ? It's the locking up tight of the slide that's really worrying me. With mag out, empty casing removed she's tight as can be.
    Many thanks for your help.

  5. #5
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    Are you using a full length guide rod?

  6. #6
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    Looks like I have the same gun as you but unlike you I've had 0 issues since I got it. Round count is also well below 1K.

    What are you using to lube the gun?

    Is it totally clean?

    Any burrs to be seen anywhere?

    Pictures would help...

  7. #7
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    The symptoms:

    Quote Originally Posted by wyn6666 View Post
    • . . . empty shell stuck . . .
    • . . . after dropping the mag and removing the casing the slide was rock solid.
    • It took quite a few hard hits with a wooden mallet to get it to move forward (it kind of went forward in stages not a quick release and slide).
    I have no advice at this point only questions.

    1. When the empty case got stuck where was the next live round? Was it still fully inside the magazine?

    2. Was the front of the empty case jammed against the barrel hood or any other portion of the barrel?

    3. With the slide removed from the frame can you easily push the disconnector down into the frame and will it immediately pop back up?

  8. #8
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    Hi and thanks all

    1. Yes, next live round was in the mag.
    2. Yes, jammed against the barrel (the last time it happened. First time it was still partially in the chamber)
    3. Yes, disconnector pushes easy and pops back up.

    Clearly I'm no gunsmith but it looks to me as if the slide isnt coming back far enough to eject. The sticking is very odd. It jams rock solid.
    I have two other Norincos, a 9mm and a 7.62x .25. Never had a single issue with either of these. Neither of these have had reloads in them. The only problem gun is the .45 (the one that did have reloads).
    I will take some pictures and add to the post. Thanks for the help so far, appreciated.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by wyn6666 View Post
    1. Yes, next live round was in the mag.
    2. Yes, jammed against the barrel (the last time it happened. First time it was still partially in the chamber)
    3. Yes, disconnector pushes easy and pops back up.
    Based solely on your answers my guess is the empty case pushed the barrel forward and up which resulted in a three point jam. To un-jam this I would tap the barrel muzzle with your wooden mallet. This should push the barrel back and down from the slide thus allowing the slide to easily snap forward.

    Clearly I'm no gunsmith but it looks to me as if the slide isnt coming back far enough to eject.
    I agree. The first thing I would do is remove the slide so you can remove the slide stop, barrel, barrel bushing, recoil spring, and recoil spring guide rod. Then I'd put the stripped slide back on the frame and slowly move it back and forth on the frame to determine if it can easily move the full length fore and aft with no binding. Also, seat an empty magazine then run the slide back and forth to see if the magazine is making contact with the underside of the slide.

    Assuming all is well, I'd take it off the frame and take a close look at the ejector to determine if it is damaged or bent. The I'd put the barrel back in the slide along with the bushing and slide stop and run the slide fore and aft again while you pay attention to any hitches in its travel. Assuming is all is well, I'd put the recoil spring and guide rod back in and repeat the manual manipulation of the slide.

    Assuming everything above goes well with no indications of a mechanical problem, I'd replace the recoil spring with a 12lb or 14lb Wolff and test fire the pistol using the same ammo that you've been using.
    Likes (1) :
    wyn6666 (24th March 2021)

    Last edited by Steve in Allentown; 24th March 2021 at 11:21.


  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve in Allentown View Post
    Based solely on your answers my guess is the empty case pushed the barrel forward and up which resulted in a three point jam. To un-jam this I would tap the barrel muzzle with your wooden mallet. This should push the barrel back and down from the slide thus allowing the slide to easily snap forward.
    ^^^ This. You should never beat on the slide unless you know you are trying to move it in the correct direction. You could be hammering the slide deeper into the jam.

    Try the Norinco with a new recoil spring that you know is the correct weight (16-pound for factory power ammo) and see if the problem continues.

    Field strip the Norinco and examine the barrel locking lugs closely. Use a magnifying glass if you have one. Look for signs of the edges being peened or rounded off. Also, look up how to check barrel timing and lockup depth. It's possible that your pistol's timing is off, and that could be causing the slide to jam as it moves forward. The barrel link may be the wrong length.

    I have experienced three-point jams, but they never locked up the slide to where I needed a mallet to free it up once the empty case was removed, so there's more going on here (IMHO) than just the wrong recoil spring.

    Some links from our Home Page site:

    https://www.m1911.org//technic22.htm

    https://www.m1911.org//technic21.htm

    https://www.m1911.org//testkit.htm

    https://www.m1911.org//testkit2.htm
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Likes (1) :
    wyn6666 (24th March 2021)


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