Noinco Model 213 9mm

**stringplucker** · April 20th, 2013, 08:01 PM

I remembered dad picking one of these up in the early 1990's, and then it disappeared and was forgotten about. Mom finally brought herself to start digging around in dad's closet, and found a few handguns none of us knew about. Basically, she found 3 J-frames (NIB), a Colt 1911, and the Norinco 213 9mm.

Does anyone know much about these? What's the going price on them? The only reason I am curious about it is that mom is splitting the handguns between my older brother and I, and she wants to keep the value of the pieces equal between the two of us.

****EDIT****
I found the pricing...are these decent handguns? Anyone know much about them

**mpoppel41** · April 21st, 2013, 01:37 AM

I have a few norinco's, fun to shoot, banned from import other than that nothing special about them if you don't want it I will take it off your hands for you. two of them are 9mm and the other two are 7.62, price the last one I bought I paid 200 for it.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

**stringplucker** · April 21st, 2013, 09:12 AM

Mom's still in the stage of separating them into two piles...one for my brother and one for me, she's just wanting the rough value of it. There's no import marks on this one, if that makes a difference.

I'd say the bluing on the Norinco 213 is about 99%, and the internals have old oil that seems to have varnished a bit. Like I said, dad got it in the early 1990's, possibly late 1980's, from one of the Bill Goodman's Gun and Knife Shows in Dayton, Ohio.

My job right now is to clean these guns, make sure they are in good working order, and get them back to her with the values...they aren't mine to trade or sell yet.

The J-frames are brand new, still in the box, and never fired. While I was at her house this past week, I cleaned and oiled one of them, checked it out, and took her to the range with it...that's one that won't be coming to us for awhile. She loved how it felt in her hand, and was a damned good shot with it too! I pity anyone that tries to break in her house...if the two German Shepards don't get them, she will!

We learned long ago that mom is good with a handgun, when it feels right in her hands...the J frame is perfect for her!

**Brian Ahearn** · April 21st, 2013, 09:34 AM

In really nice condition they go for $325 to $390 I have one they are nice shooters.

**em2b96p** · April 21st, 2013, 09:50 AM

The Chinese 213 in 9mm is a Tokarev copy converted from 7.62x25 to 9mm. As stated earlier, they were banned from importation (chinese guns) by Klinton. IIRC the instruction manual for the 213 stated the pistol's life expectancy is something like 2,000 rounds. Can anyone verify this?

**Zet70** · April 21st, 2013, 10:10 AM

Side note, these accept tokarev fire control groups, grips, controls, mags, and barrels. In fact, everything is interchangable with tokarevs, barrel determines the caliber. There are some 213's with a shorter ejection port though. I picked up a 75% 213 in 9mm for $120 and bought a 7.62 barrel. You can shoot both rounds from the same gun. 9mm rounds will fit and fire from the 7.62 mags. The reverse is not possible.

**stringplucker** · April 21st, 2013, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by em2b96p

The Chinese 213 in 9mm is a Tokarev copy converted from 7.62x25 to 9mm. As stated earlier, they were banned from importation (chinese guns) by Klinton. IIRC the instruction manual for the 213 stated the pistol's life expectancy is something like 2,000 rounds. Can anyone verify this?

I've been reading on gunboards that this may be a misprint or a misinterpretation of the actual Chinese document...I remember the same being said about the Makarov.

I just got off the phone with mom, told her some of the pricing I saw, then explained the safety switch to her, and how it's assbackwards from what she's used to. She called it Chicom junk, and told me to keep it, that it wont be counted in the rest of the firearms she found that were dad's. She wants me to clean the J-frames and get them back to her.

This is an educational experience for me...I've never handled one of these prior to now. When dad couldn't rack the slide, he tossed it back in the bag and I never saw it again.

Are you supposed to be able to rack the slide without having to cock the hammer first? This one wont...I have to pull the hammer back prior to pulling the slide.

**Zet70** · April 21st, 2013, 02:49 PM

Ill check mine when I get home tonight. Have you tried racking with a mag inserted? I'd personally pickup a 7.62x25 barrel for $35 and a case of armor piercing 7.62 and store it in the closet. You never know when a jmb designed armor piercing semi auto will come in handy.

**stringplucker** · April 21st, 2013, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Zet70

Ill check mine when I get home tonight. Have you tried racking with a mag inserted? I'd personally pickup a 7.62x25 barrel for $35 and a case of armor piercing 7.62 and store it in the closet. You never know when a jmb designed armor piercing semi auto will come in handy.

Mag in or out, same thing...full mag or empty, same as well.

Please let me know your results...

**Ecclectic Collector** · April 21st, 2013, 06:56 PM

I bought a Model 213 back in 1989. I think I kept it for about 3-4 years. Put a few hundred rounds through it during the time I had it. What I hated most was the backwards safety. I guess back then Chinese simply didn't get how a safety was supposed to work, and later on didn't care.

By the way mine could be cocked with hammer down by simply pulling the slide. My Russian original also can have the slide racked with hammer down. I've heard the many of the Romanian Tokarevs have the issue where the hammer can't be cocked by racking the slide. This seems to be a quality control issue and has been discussed on this forum before too.

Its resale value isn't much unless you find somebody who somehow has bought into the myth that the name Norinco equals quality (IT IS NOT). I remember all the problems that many Chinese guns had before the whole lot was banned from importation in 1994.