New to me Norinco 1911A1

[graycrait]

Yesterday I picked up a pretty nice Norinco - serial in the 500,000s. It had Uncle Mike slabs and finger groove insert. Blueing is excellent with minor wear along the edges of the slide. No holster marks. An old friend, dead now two years, told me to buy any Norinco I saw for 250.00. Well, 10 years later I saw and bought this, my first one seen in a gunshop, for 300.00, no box. The only odd things I found were a two-piece guide rod and the Uncle Mikes.

I converted it to GI recoil set-up and took out the finger groove insert. I detailed stripped and cleaned the pistol and soaked it in my mix of tranny fluid & CLP, reassembled and it seems to be a fine 1911A1. Upon examining the sear hammer hook interface it appears, along with breech face and barrel bore that this pistol was fired little, cleaned infrequently, but in overall excellent shape.

What do I do now?

Craig in Clarksville, TN

[Chucktshoes]

Shoot it. A lot.

[Burboy]

Enjoy it as is or modify it to death. Your choice. They are really fine 1911's. I have read that they were very popular with pistol smiths due to the supposedly better grade of steel. Chrome lined bore too. Shoulda bought a gross of them when they $200.

[Kevo]

Sweet find at a great price, Congratulations. I'd shoot the crud out of it and see how it does. New sights and magazines would be what I'd do when possible. Maybe a different length trigger if you don't like the short one. Or leave it bone stock, and buy more ammo.

[hardknox00001]

Ignore all advice above. That gun is dangerous and will get you hurt. You should proceed immediately to a meeting place to be determined and give that thing to me for safe disposal.................

It's for your own safety...........................really

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Seen any others? I haven't seen any Norinco's, but

would love one especially at that price!

[graycrait]

The Norinco 1911 is on Gunbroker all the time for 4-600, some unfired in the box. I think there are generally a few on Gunsamerica.

TN Gun Country in Clarksville got several wall lockers full of guns recently, including my Norinco, some collectables, many just plain good serviceable firearms. PF11 for 100.00. I fixed a 6" S&W 686 that was in pristine internal condition for 225.00. Same price for a nice Ruger Security Six. Used Glocks for 300.00, used P95s for 200.00, Rossi SS J-frames for 75.00, crazy prices on loads of used guns. I picked up a Glock 21 that appears to have fewer than 20 rds, if that, down the pipe for 300.00 and I just couldn't pass on a Ruger MKII 22/45 for 125.00.

[Dolomite_supafly]

These are some of the best guns to use for custom builds. I have personally done several and all spec Colt parts drop right in. If you want to make some money I would gladly give you more than you paid for it.

Here are some pictures of it:

List of modifications:

Lower, flare, forward cut ejection port

Chamfer slide stop hole on RH side of frame

Tuned Extractor

Throat Barrel

Polish Feed Ramp

Polish Breech Face

Bevel Magwell

Polished Disconnect

Recut and Polished Sear for cleaner trigger break

Polished area on slide where the disconnect rides

Contoured Mainspring housing to fit the frame better

Installed Items:

Flat Checkered Mainspring Housing, polished plunger and inside Mainspring Housing

Commander Hammer, recut engagement angle for cleaner trigger break

Custom Fit and Contoured ¼†radius Beavertail Safety

Aluminum Trigger with Polished Bow, adjusted for near zero takeup and overtravel

Oversized Magazine Release, polished engagement surface

Extended Slide Stop

Fitted Extended Thumb Safety

18.5 # Recoil Spring for reliability and reduce possible frame damage

20 # Mainspring for reduced trigger pull

Gun colored in Gunkote Satin Black and Matte Stainless after sandblasting with Medium grit Aluminum Oxide from Northern tool. I soaked it in near boiling Simple Green Industrial for about 30 minutes then rinsed with near boiling water before applying the Gunkote. Baked at 300 degrees for a little over an hour then let the oven cool with it in it.

Dolomite

[Il Duce]

wow im gonna have to look for one of these

[LngRngShtr]

They were good enough for Bill Wilson to build up into IPSC race guns back in the day.

graycrait, the great thing about the 1911 pattern is that anyone can do almost anything to them

the bad thing about a 1911 pattern is that anyone can do almost anything to them

Since yours appears untouched by someone that shouldn't have done something to a great design ... it is a blank canvas make it do what you want it to... I have 5 and they all do what they do well but in different configurations. welcome to the "Clan of the 1911"

[graycrait]

I have had 7 or 8 1911s, the most interesting was a Dan Wesson Pointman 9mm and another "half" of a 9mm 1911 that I got in a box of completely disassembled parts. I traded a G17 for the box, assembled 1&1/2 9mm 1911s, both long gone. Other than that I have SA Loades, Operators and a few others, including a .38 Super converted to 9mm. I have this friend who is a great shooter, who claims I could also be quite good if I practice more, but I am "adeaquate" for my purposes. He brought me back to 1911s, knowing that I am an inveterate tinkerer and kitchen table gunsmith. He has challenged me to learn everything I can about "short" barrelled 1911s and how to keep them running. I currently have two I am messing with.

I recently took an old friend's NIB Armscor 1911 and took the trigger from 12lbs to 4.75lbs through the normal combination of small tweaks that add up but don't make the gun unreliable or unsafe. I need to learn more about barrel lug lockup, the link and the legs so that if I want to fit a Kart barrel to the Norinco I can do that.

I knew that when I saw the Norinco I couldn't pass it up knowing what I know about them, and for the possibilities when I learn a bit more.

Here are a couple of links that highlight Norinco steel and some issues they may have. I'll find out if mine is a shooter in a couple of days or if I am going to have to tinker.

Steel composition

The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - Norinco Metal Question

Some have barrel slide frame fit issues.

The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site - Norinco!!!?