boo radley Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Kinda in the market for a second single-stack, after selling my Kimber in a brief period of insanity a few months ago. My Les Baer is very nice, but it's like feeding a very spoiled cat; ammo has to be *just* so. Spartan looks interesting, but let's not go down that road, at the moment. Saw an interesting pistol for sale the other day. It's a Norinco 1911 that someone's had a lot of work done to: trigger job, BoMar sights, and Wilson barrel (looks like Wilson Combat, Inc., installed the barrel and tightened the slide to frame fit). Blueing is in good shape, and seems reasonably tight, though I can push down on the barrel hood when it's in battery and get some wiggle in the barrel. Not sure what this means, beyond knowing one is supposed to do this test. It does have a serious "parts-gun" vibe, but the work is documented. Price is firm @ $600, which is starting to get into real money, for sure, so I'm on the fence. My big fear is I'm buying someone else's nightmare. Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 It sounds like an OK gun, have you asked yourself why is it better than an STI Spartan? Parts guns can be OK, I have one that shoots well and I'm happy with it, but I had a chance to shoot it before I bought it. I think $600 is too much for a mystery gun based on a Norinco frame. I'd consider getting the Baer reworked to gobble more diverse ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 (edited) I have a Norinco based gun that is as good as any .45 ever built...IMHO. Very good steel in the frame and slide. Edited December 28, 2006 by Merlin Orr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boo radley Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 It sounds like an OK gun, have you asked yourself why is it better than an STI Spartan? Parts guns can be OK, I have one that shoots well and I'm happy with it, but I had a chance to shoot it before I bought it.I think $600 is too much for a mystery gun based on a Norinco frame. I'd consider getting the Baer reworked to gobble more diverse ammo. Good points. I guess it's a perceived value thing. I know in the past I've certainly sold things (not thinking so much of firearms) that have had a great many customized features, or work done, and *never* reclaimed any of that cost, so it was great for the buyer. In my case the work done matches exactly what I'd want: good (non-FO) sights, a new barrel professionally fit, etc. The seller has paperwork documenting the work, and seems honest. Still -- I'm certainly no gunsmith, and beyond something extremely obvious, I have no idea what potential problems might lurk. Spartan sounds reasonable, but I'd like the gun soon, before the Christmas bills sober me, and ~$630 (from a dealer who has one in stock) + shipping + FFL xfer, and we're close to $700, and I'd still need to change the sights. For that, another new Kimber looks tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jody Waring Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I don't really pay much attention to US prices, but in Canada, the Norinco's are popular for that person who wants a cheap gun to get started in shooting. In your case, for $600 I would look at what I could get in the same price range for a Springfield, Rock Island Arm. etc... maybe you might find a Colt at a reasonable price, if indeed it's another single stack you are looking for. Up north I believe $325 is what a Norc single stack can be had for. Lots of shooters are building them up into beautiful guns, and not too long after they have a Norinco that's valued at a grand or nearly that much. The beauty of them is the forged parts, even the M14 Norinco makes has a forged reciever as some manufacturers are cast. A good gun can be made from a Norc., I guess it just boils down to what you want, and how much you want to spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck-IL Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 seems reasonably tight, though I can push down on the barrel hood when it's in battery and get some wiggle in the barrel What is documented in the work order? I'd be surprised if Wilson hard fit a barrel and tightened the slide/frame and you still had perceptible wiggle at the hood...did they perhaps just install a "drop-in" barrel? I'd say $600 should be the starting point of negotiations based on the 'wiggle.' /Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Watson Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Don't buy somebody's problems. Get an extensive test fire session or no sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boo radley Posted December 30, 2006 Author Share Posted December 30, 2006 (edited) Don't buy somebody's problems.Get an extensive test fire session or no sale. Jim, that's basically the conclusion I reached. It could be a great gun, but I'm not experienced enough to identify issues, and enough things didn't look "right" that I passed. Ended up spending $80 more, and picked up a Kimber CustomII, yesterday. The irony is, this is the same gun I sold on the forum (except mine was stainless) six months ago. I probably should have been drowned at birth. <sigh> I'll put a couple hundred into it -- new sights, magwell, ambi and possibly a trigger job -- and if it's anything close to as reliable as the last one I owned, and accurate, I'll be happy, indeed. Edited December 30, 2006 by boo radley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 +1 for Canuck and Jim. No reflection on Norinco's. Their advice should be followed no matter what brand gun you are looking at. Check out the "wiggle". Slide to frame fit (side to side, up and down). Can you press the barrel hood down at all when the gun is in battery? Any "wiggle" at the muzzle? If these criteria are good ask to take the gun for a "test drive". If the seller balks at this then walk away. Not just a few rounds but a bunch. Slow fire accuracy, fast firing feeding. Same accuracy after a couple hundred rounds? Do the safeties work as they should? Six hundred bucks is not a huge amount of $$$ for a gun like this but it is still six hundred bucks! What is it they say? "Let the buyer beware". CYa, Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokarev Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Just to give you a Norinco fix: Virgil Tripp workover with Storm Lake barrel and Greider trigger. Most other parts are factory Chicom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Nice pics Tokarev! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Just to give you a Norinco fix:Virgil Tripp workover with Storm Lake barrel and Greider trigger. Most other parts are factory Chicom. Andy, WOLF ammo will break your gun and give Chuck Norris cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokarev Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 Just to give you a Norinco fix: Virgil Tripp workover with Storm Lake barrel and Greider trigger. Most other parts are factory Chicom. Andy, WOLF ammo will break your gun and give Chuck Norris cancer. Somebody needs to put that one about Chuck Norris on the "facts" website! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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