From: ames!asl.dl.nec.com![h--l] at [cs.UMD.EDU] (Mike Hejl)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: [REVIEW] Norinco M1911A1 (technical, long)
Date: 6 Jan 1994 12:30:14 -0500


First, A rather subjective summary (strictly IMO):

  Would I buy one of these myself for either customizing or being a 
  "beater"?  No.  IMHO, the additional $100 for a SA is worth it, 
  even for an unmodified beater.

  Would I recommend them to friends?  No.  In fact, I'd probably 
  discourage it.

  Will I work on another one?  Not willingly but I can be bribed :-)

This is a rather critical review of the internals of one Norinco
M1911 rather than a subjective "it shoots so-so" analysis. If you're 
not familiar with 1911 internals, you should probably hit "n" now.  
Keep in mind this is a sample size of only one so YMMV.  Also, 
remember that this gun cost $229 (before the frenzy) compared to, 
say, a SA at around $350.

This particular gun had perhaps the worst trigger I've ever seen on 
a 1911.  Original trigger pull was 10# with *lots* of gritty creep 
and a typical amount of takeup and overtravel.  Turns out the sear 
nose was too narrow (around .018") even after stoning.  I had to 
replace the sear and do considerable work on the hammer hooks.  

The sear, hammer, and disconnector are pretty crude castings which
probably wouldn't meet GI specs; casting flaws are evident on the
unmachined surfaces. The sear and hammer were sufficiently hardened
but the disconnector is relatively soft.  The lower portion of the 
disconnector was ground at imprecise angles.  If it were my gun, I'd
promptly replace the hammer and disconnector also.      

The barrel has a number of problems.  First, the ramp (throat) is cut 
unevenly and too deep - to around .090".  This is at the safety limit 
according to Jerry Kuhnhausen.  I most certainly wouldn't fire +P ammo
through this barrel.  Next, the rear hood has been cut too short and, 
consequently, the barrel face batters the slide.  Thirdly, there is a 
slight constriction at the end of the barrel from the cutoff process.  
In short, the barrel should probably be replaced or at least the rear 
face dressed (which may require chamber reaming to correct headspace).

Barrel/bushing/slide fit is loose.  I won't repeat the exact measurements 
but total clearance is .022" - about twice what an "average" 1911 runs.  
Tuned guns have around .001" clearance. A fitted bushing would certainly 
help here.  

There are heavy machining marks inside the slide.  The locking lug 
depth is right at minimum so the inside of the slide can't be dressed 
too aggressively to clean up the machining marks.  This would be a major 
problem if a match barrel were to be installed.

Slide/frame fit is "average" but not particularly good. The frame
rails are slightly uneven in height. However, the various pin holes
are located well. The rear of the frame is dressed very crudely (but
sharp!) and doesn't match the contours of the grip safety;  it
actually protrudes past the depressed grip safety. In other words,
it'll chew up your palm! Fortunately, this can be easily cleaned
up.  There were machining marks around the trigger guard but they 
wern't any worse than a typical SA frame.  The frame appears to be 
the only "keeper" but considering bare SA frames are under $200 (and 
Essex even cheaper), I'd stick with one of those alternatives.
  
There's been some concern about parts interchangeability.  The grip 
screws and bushings are rather strange.  The oroginal screws fit the 
bushings well.  However, standard grip screws are very loose.  
Excessive torque on standard screws in these bushings will most 
likely cause damage.  I couldn't tell if the frame was tapped for 
"normal" bushings.  All other pins, holes and dimensions appear 
to be within nominal (ok, sometimes loose) GI specs.  

Also, unlike the SA frames, the rear frame tangs appear to be 
"normal".  This implies that an Ed Brown grip safety will fit this 
frame better than they do SA frames.

Ok, I'm done, hope I didn't put you to sleep :-)

-- 
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|     Mike Hejl       |   IMPEACH CLINTON   | NEC America, Inc.  Advanced |  
| [h--l] at [asl.dl.nec.com] | and her husband too!|  Switching Lab. Irving, Tx  |
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