Norinco M14

S

SR420

New member
I recently traded for a lightly used Norinco M14, I have owned a few Norinco clones in the past but this one is different... This is one of the very first Chinese M14s to hit our shores. The word Norinco is nowhere to be found on this rifle.

The only markings on the receiver are the hard to see 4 digit serial number stamped lightly on the side, and a matching 4 digit code below the stock line. M14 S/A SPORTER 308 CHINA is stamped on the barrel along with the importers stamp CAI ST ALB VT. The importer double struck their stamp making it hard to read.

I'm not sure if I have Smith Enterprise domesticate this one or not, I also picked up a well used Scout Squad M1A, it's at home in a nice E2 stock.
 
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Not all Chinese SKS rifles are marked Norinco, but they come from the same factory system. Not familiar with the Chinese M14 series of rifles. I know they were popular in Canada. Post some pics!
 
Years ago I knew a fellow who got one of the Chinese M14s. He was quite happy with his, but it lived in his closet, and got fired about 20rnds per year, if that.

Read a magazine test, back in the day, testing the Chinese gun against a Springfield Armory M1A. The Chinese gun's springs "packed it up" (failed) around the 500 round mark.

The "word" on the early Chinese M14s was that, while the action and bolt were correctly heat treated, the rest of the parts (trigger group) were "soft" and wore rapidly.

No idea if this was true, or not.

CAI ST ALB VT. would be Century Arms, located in St Albans Vermont.
 
All of the Chinese M14s that I shoot had been domesticated by Smith Enterprise before I fired the first round, and I put thousands of rounds through each of those rifles without any problem.

What I have been able to determine over the years is that the "word" was greatly exaggerated in an effort to dissuade people from buying the low priced import rifles when they first hit our market.

I'll see about posting pictures of this Norinco soon, until then here are some of the Poly Tech M14/S that I have owned.
 
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