Norinco NP-34, 9mm Review.

I purchased a Norinco NP-34 (Sig-Sauer P228 Clone) several months back.  Before I took the time to write a brief review, I wanted to ensure that I had adequate time on the range so I could provide the most reliable and accurate information possible.  The pistol was purchased from the “Gun Dealer” in McAdam, NB for $374 + applicable taxes, although a quick verification of their website shows that as of 20 Aug 2013, their price is $399 + applicable taxes. 

            As with most Norinco firearms, the NP-34 came in a cheaply made plastic case.  In accordance with Canadian Law, to transport the firearm home it was required to have a trigger lock installed.  Unfortunately I was not able to get the plastic case closed and secured with a trigger lock on the firearm, so I was required to purchase a gun box just to transport the firearm home.  Once home, I opened the case up and removed the NP-34 and went about the task of wiping down and removing the excessive oil coating and verifying that everything was in proper working condition.  The NP-34 came with an extra set of springs, 2 X Pistol Mags and a user manual.  The finish on firearm was very nice and clean, the slide moved back and forth smoothly and the de-cock lever action was smooth as well.  I did however; find that the double action trigger was a little stiff requiring approx 13 to 14 lbs of pressure to initiate the first stage of the firing sequence.  The second stage only required 2 to 3 lbs for each shot.

 My Norinco NP-34, 9mm

 

I had initially wanted to purchase the Norinco NP-22 which is a clone of the Sig-Sauer P226. This was not due to any functional differences or operational reason, simply because having large hands the pistol grip on the NP-22 felt better in my grip and the pistol grip extended the full length of my hand.  Sadly, they only had one NP-22 left in stock and my friend was fortunate enough to have been the first to lay hands on it.  So I opted to take the NP-34.  I was not completely satisfied with the way the pistol felt in my grip due to the smaller size and the pistol grip stopping short of the bottom of my hand.  So that evening I went on-line to “Grips 4 Guns.com” and purchased the Hogue, Finger Groove Rubber grip for the Sig-Sauer P228 for $24.99 + applicable taxes/shipping and handling.  It took just short of three weeks for the grips to arrive.  They easily installed on the NP-34 and to my delight, the little bit of extra girth provided by the Hogue grips combined with the finger grooves made for an exceptionally comfortable fit.

Firing my NP-34 at the Range, Spring 2013 

 

Once I had the NP-34 on the range, it fit perfectly in my Blackhawk Level 2 Serpa Holster and was both comfortable and easy to draw from the hip on my battle belt.  I was extremely pleased with the ease of operability and how smooth and precise the shots were.  I had no issues performing quick tactical or speed reloads as the spent Mags fell easily from the magwell with a quick flick of the wrist. The fresh Mags easily slid into the magwell and had no issues seating into place to begin firing.  Regarding accuracy, I was very pleased with how accurate the NP-34 was when shooting at the 10, 15, 20 and 25 yard line.  There were always a few stray rounds but I’ll chalk that up to operator error rather then the actual firearm.  I did unfortunately encounter some types of ammunition that the NP-34 does not like.  Federal Hydrashock, Winchester Silvertip, Winchester Personal Protection and Remington Golden Saber to name a few.  Just so we’re clear, the NP-34 has no issues firing these types of ammo, when it fires them it does so very accurately.  The issue is that each of these types of ammo has a very blunted almost square head/tip and this sometimes causes the ammo to jam on the feed leading into the breach prior to firing.  The NP-34 eats standard ball ammo like a fat guy at an all you can eat buffet.  I’ve fired in access of 1500 rounds of ball ammo through my NP-34 without a single hiccup.  I have not been so fortunate with the other types of ammo I listed.  As I mentioned earlier, no safety issues using the other types of ammo, it just became a little frustrating when trying to improve on tactical and speed reloads to have the firearm jam due to the ammo.

 

Full Side View of the NP-34 with the aftermarket Hogue, Finger Groove Rubber grip

Would I recommend the NP-34? Absolutely!  I have spent considerable time on the range using the actual Sig-Sauer P225, P226, P228 and P229.  The Norinco versions work exceptionally well and are completely inter-operable with their Sig-Sauer counterparts.  If I had $1000 to go spend on a Sig….I wouldn’t.  I’d buy two more of these.  If potential customers can move past the fact that they are Norinco, they would find a side by side comparison between the P228 and the NP-34 difficult to distinguish.  The NP-34 certainly holds its own in my opinion and I’m glad I made this purchase and look forward to the opportunity to purchase the NP-22.

J. MacLEOD