I have owned mine for several years and use it for Cowboy Action Shooting almost every week. In short, I give it a lot of use and abuse and it is holding up fine.
Don't confuse this with saying it is the equal of an original in excellent condition. It is not. But try to find an original in excellent condition. If you are real lucky and do find one, it will be much more expensive.
The Norinco is a great value and you get more than what you pay for. It is sturdy and, well, just plain works. The only real negative I can think of is that, after shooting a few hundred rounds through it, you should tighten any loose screws with Lock Tite.
Another good choice, maybe better, is a clone from either TTN or TNN, I forget which.
talk about a home defence gun just pull the trigger and pump