Picked up a repro trench gun today

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SainthoodDenied

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I went by a couple gun shops today not really planning on buying anything but one of the shops is moving into a new building and having a big sale on all their used stock and they had a Norinco 97 that looks brand new on the used rack at a great price so I ended up leaving with it.
I've seen and read all the supporting chi-comm communist rants on all the gun boards over the years everytime someone mentions Norinco or IAC so no need to spend time retyping them again on your chinese made computer followed by the excuse "I'd buy an American computer if they were available"
Just thought I'd post a pic for the shooters that do like them, The finish looks great and the fit and function is excellent but she does have a good kick to her.
I live pretty close to Atlanta Cutlery and they make the repro 1917 bayonet and scabbard for the 97 that I'm gonna pick up next week.((it's made in India))

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The local gunshop had one that sat on the shelf for MONTHS. Its action was stiff and gritty, but over time, I noticed that it smoothed out somewhat. It might get even better with actual use. I guess everybody who saw it just HAD to pick it up and rack the slide (I know I sure did, every time I went in).
I don't blame Norinco for making the repro 1897's a little rough. If they put in the hand-fitting done to the old Winchesters, the price would be astronomical, even at Chinese sweatshop ricebowl-a-day labor prices. My main concern is how they hold up over time. Oh, yeah, the new Norinco cost just as much as a couple of well-used plain-vanilla Winchesters in the store around the same time (condition of the Win. versions was good mechanically, with hardly any finish left on the metal and not much on the wood. They were both the later take-down version with, IIRC, a 30" and a 28" barrel).
SainthoodDenied, I hope you'll post updates on how well the Chinese 1897 performs.
 
You're gonna love it. I have the standard model and other than the cheesy wood it's great. The later models and the trench guns have walnut. If the action is a lil rough you can fill it with white lithium grease and work it for awhile and it will slick right up. You can also clip three coils off the mag spring and it will hold six in the tube.

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S&W I picked it up for 225 plus the 7% sales tax, I tried to get them to knock off the price of the tax but they said it was already cheap enough, I actually left it the first time and went to to other gun shop in town and they had a used norinco sporting model with the long barrel and it was 375 there and had a good size chip in the bottom of the stock at the butt plate but they are always a little higher so I went back and picked up the cheaper,cooler trench model.

Thanks Hawg, I'll pick up some lithium grease tomorrow and put on the action cause it could use some help till it gets broke in good. I actually like the look of the rounded tip of the pistol grip part of the stock on yours better.

The other shop with the higher prices is actually one of the bigger,busier stores here in GA and they had 3 original 97's on the racks today. Two were the long barreled sporting versions, one was 399 and looked pretty wore out, the other was 450 and a little less worn and the 3rd was the brush gun version with the short barrel but still looked in pretty good shape but it was 600.

The repro bayonet for the trench gun is 80 bucks with the sheath but a local walk in customer gets a 10% discount but you also get stuck with the 7% sales tax, good thing is they have a once a year warehouse sale and give 15% off and it is always in May and just happens to be this coming Saturday so it will cost me about $73 and Pacific Canvas sells WW 2 dated repro shell pouches for $24.

I'll post more pics when I get it set up with all the extra goodies.
 
OP:

Boy (pun intended), you sure have a big mouth being a FNG here, demanding this and that re: how someone responds. Like those 'ChiCom rants' of which you speak.

Just because you don't get it, that doesn't mean others who DO get it don't have a valid point. You shouldn't speak poorly of them, most of whom are probably veterans and probably have valid reasons.

Enjoy your POC, though, and the bayonet POC included.

-- John D.
 
Cloudcroft, I'm sure he will enjoy it. It's not a POC as you say. It's very well made and the Norinco's are made from better steel than real Winchesters. Now the bayo prolly is a POC but I don't think he'll be doing any hand to hand fighting with it. So just calm down and ease up.
 
Well cloudcroft boy you're the exact reason I put that stuff in, just for the hollier than thou types like you typing on your comp bursting with china parts smoldering over the post tomorrow while driving to work in your car filled with fuel from terriost supporting countries. Don't like it, don't look or comment, you might wear out your made in china keyboard and have to replace it sooner supporting the communist.
You're not the only veteran here, I just don't let it define my whole life, I try to live up to even more than that as I grow older.
As far as new and boy go I first signed up here over 5 years ago but changed email and account name when I moved back to Georgia awhile ago.
I was wondering who would be the first idiot to pipe in with someting not relevant to the conversation and now atleast we know.
Enjoy our common hobby and try not to put a wedge inbetween the happy gun owners,we got enough problems working against us as it is.
 
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Boy (pun intended), you sure have a big mouth being a FNG here, demanding this and that re: how someone responds. Like those 'ChiCom rants' of which you speak.
Click to expand...
I think there was only one thing missing from this rant:
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There ya go, FTFY :p

Got to fiddle around with one for a bit and thought it was just a peach:D
 
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