The Chinese Norinco Model 77B. It has come peccadillos for sure. The highlights:
- You might need to utilize the “two handed crack” to unlock these pistols. Not 100% on that. But at least it’s true on this example.
- It has a magazine disconnect.
- The action activated trigger guard is basically a useless gimmick. At least on a 9×19 pistol. The spring is essentially too strong, and the frame is too long for this to ergonomically make sense. It would probably work on the much smaller Type 77 pistols in PLA inventory.
- As a bonus, it appears to us the magazines for the Model 77B are not only serialized to the gun, but sequentially numbered as well. We suspect each gun came with two mags from the factory, only to be broken up during the import-export process.
This final thing, while crappy isn’t unheard of in the arms trade. Especially during the 1980’s. More than a few of the early US retailers of Glock used to do the exact same thing. That is until Glock got wind of it and threatened their dealers over the practice.
Maybe a Chinese exporter did it? Maybe a US importer did it? Maybe a US retailer did it? Nobody knows, and Norinco doesn’t care. This makes mags for the gun very difficult to find.
Summation: Cool gun for a reference collection. Fixed barrel. Unique mechanics. Limited availability. But for the commercial, American user? The gun is functionally trash when put up against modern service pistols.
Only gun nerds need buy these things. If that doesn’t describe you, we recommend a hard pass. Or…if one fell in your lap because of your late, strange uncle. Sell it to a private library or museum for all the money.
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
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