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Anyone heard of the IAC Norinco Regent 1911?

34K views 39 replies 24 participants last post by  BeNotAfraid 
#1 ·
#6 ·
I'm waiting on more feedback from members of this forum and others, but so far what few I've seen are positive. I see the company has other handguns so perhaps the quaility will be even better than Norinco? I hope so for the sake of others looking for a good 1911 at a good price. If the quaility is as equal to my Norinco then it will be worth the money they are listed for on GunBroker. I hope they begin to offer the Regent with better sights and safties.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Update picked up the pistol yesterday... gun shop actually received it monday, I called to find out what was up...got around to telling the Mrs. today. :biglaugh:

It a nice looking piece, definitely a cast frame...some very very slight casting imperfections only on one place.

Steel seems well heat treated.

Barrel appears to be STAINLESS...it makes easy wear marks just like stainless, and looks like stainless /Inox . I cannot detect a chrome lining.

Rifling is a shallow 6 grove affair.

Bushing seems tight. Not too much slop with the rails, but it's not tight either...some rattle when you shake it gripped as if you were to shoot.

Comes with ONE mec-gar mag in bright blue, the gun itself is Blackened.

Can't wait to actually SHOOT it. :) Hopefully this sunday.
 
#15 ·
Range report:

100 230 grain WWB. Zero malfunctions. Used the mec-gar mag supplied and 2 7 round metalforms.

at 25 yards gun shot high and to the left, could use some rear sight adjustment, all shots hit the target even in rapid fire, using a 50 yard rifle target supplied by the range. Trigger was a bit mushy...grouped OK.



Not bad for a budget .45. keep in mind FN casts all their 900 dollar high powers...

I can recommend it to those who don't care if it's not 100% G.I. Spec. ( stainless vs. chromed barrel etc.)
 
#16 ·
UNCLE IZZY,

Thank you very much for your report. I'm kinda' disappointed since I was hoping for a 5100 series forged steel 1911 (like the original Norinco's). Not saying anything negative at all about your Regent.

Nothing wrong with a cast frame, I'm just partial to forged in a 1911, that's all.
 
#17 · (Edited)
When the scammers came out with that " Norinco" line I think it let all of us down....it's a poor introduction to a decent pistol.

I searched for a week and got contradictory information...so I plunged into it expecting 80% chance it will be cast and 100% sure it's not a norc.

Hopefully others using dogpile, yahoo, google etc. will find this thread and make an informed purchase. :)
 
#19 ·
one other thing to add.

the front rails seem to have some metal that was not cut off just right ( you can feel it with your finger nail) and so it left skid marks on the top of the frame rails. a needle file set might come in handy...or a stone sized for this... ( but I don't feel like dumping money into this so a cheapie needle file will do..)


that and the STAINLESS barrel is all I have against this gun. SOG , RRArms, IAC should correct the ad which everyone copies saying its a chrome barrel ( unless they "really meant" the chromium in the stainless steel:barf:)

"These new Regent 1911-A1 pistols have a hammer forged 5" Barrel, chrome, mil-spec with black finish, and 7rd capacity. "

https://www.southernohiogun.com/index.php/regent-1911-a1-45acp-pistol.html

( they sell them for 400 to a dealer BTW)

If I had to do it over again I might go with a IMBEL ( outsourced-field) " G.I." and also be ready to do some work on it...
 
#20 ·
Uncle Izzy,

I just wanted to say I am very impressed and very grateful for your honest, unbiased, appraisal. I don't think many folks would have been as up front as you were.

Hey, if it's a good shooter, that makes it OK. You answered "the" question many of us had, and I really appreciate it:rock:
 
#22 ·
would not surprise me if either the islamists or the secularists wanted to control the population in turkey.

I've been to turkey twice now...one time for 3 weeks...drooled at the gunshops because at the time I was in Israel where private guns are even more tightly restricted.

If you live in the USA and have a gunshop that let's you order, just go on SOG's site and put it in your shopping cart...I used a credit card and shipping together was 422 + my ffl for 25 = a grand total of 447 USD.
 
#23 ·
New Toy

I am new to this site. I just bought a new IAC Regent 1911. Cost was $465 out the door. From what you all have said about it it seems to be a pretty nice .45. Have not been able to shoot it yet but will in the next couple days. Anyone have any good mod's to there's?
 
#24 ·
Turkish Pistols

I recently purchased a Tisas made pistol 9 mm from American Tactical Imports, and it is the finest 9 mm I have shot. Better, than glock, s & w, and the ruger that I own. It comes with a ported barrel and is" glock like" over a steel frame. They make great guns.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Guys,

It's been a REAAAALLLLLLLY long time since I have logged in, let alone found something to post about but I thought I would give you guys a very interesting internal rundown of the Regent 1911 that my brother in law just bought.

First off, I am a Colt snob. I always have been. I have tried other brands and have been sorely disappointed every time. I've been playing with 1911s since I was twelve years old and hav loved them since long before that. I just want you guys to know where I am coming from as I write this.

M brother in law has wanted a 1911 for a long time but he just didn't have the cash for a Colt. I tried to make him wait but he was really dying for a 1911. I gave him every explanation as to why he should save up for a Colt but he was more interested in playing with the design than anything.

Okay, I guess I could see that.

Well, he did a lot of research and discovered that the most liked 1911s out there are either the top tier guns, like Colt.....OR, the bottom tier guns that are made by the Flippies or the Chinese. I found it interesting that the guns with the most malfunctions are the middle of the road guns or the guns that are "semi custom". In other words, the more it deviates from GI or Series 70 spec, the more trouble you are likely to have with it.

Oddly, I have read a lot of good things about Turkish gun makers as of late.

Well, long story short, my brother in law took me to a place to look at a Regent which is made by the Turks.

My first impression were that the parked finish was excellent and, for a cast gun, it was nicely tooled, except for the casting lines in the hammer and the fact that the rear extractor is VERY sub flush with the back of the slide. VERY SUB SUB flush. Clocking, however was right on the money and that is more important if the rest of the internal dimension are properly adhered to.

Well, as far as I could see, the gun felt smooth, the chamber and the feed ramp looked nice and he didn't mind the fact that the cast frame with it's long long long frontstrap made it feel like a 2 X 6 in the hand...so he bought it.

We brought it to my house and I was just going to do a normal cleaning on it. When I pulled the slid eoff the frame the very first thing I noticed was "WOW! This is a series 80!!!!!!!

Well, I like series 80 guns but they do have to be done right so the first thing I decided was to do a FULL tear down.

I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The machine work on this gun, was AMAZINGLY WELL DONE. I mean, I have seen Colts and Springfields that have looked worse in my time.

Casting marks on the hammer aside there was only one minor issue that I am not too fond of, but I think it will be okay until we get a replacement someday. The casting of the grip safety was dimensionally shy outside of the thumb safety pivot hole and, in the middle, thinnest section around the pin hole, there was a structural flaw in the casting that caused the pin hole to break through the casting. Now, mind you, that to the left and the right of this flaw, the grip safety is much thicker and there was plenty of support to allow the safeties to both function correctly.

My worry is that stress risers will eventually start to crack and cause the grip safety to fail at the pin hole. Again, this was a casting error, not actually a machining error. By the way this flaw is located on the grip safety at a point that is INSIDE the weapon, opposite of the backstrap, so it is not visible.

This part will be replaced, as will the hammer some time in the future. The hammer is strctly for cosmetic reasons....at least at this time.

Other than that flaw, the gun is very mechanically sound. The series 80 safety was fitted rather quickly and there was no subsequent finishing to the dog legs BUT they work smoothly and correct. The firing pin system was 100 percent correct.

Amazingly, the sear appears to be made of bar stock. The disconnector is a casting but a very good one, though the disconnect interface is shaped rather oddly....but it is not a flaw, that is how it was made. I can't explain it other than it looks like a ball bearing in the middle. The slide interface section ( the top ) look normal and works normally. The thumb safety, MSH and the grip safety are castings. Except the grip safety issue that I noted previously and the lines on the hammer, the other parts are "well cast". Take that for what it is worth. I, personally, remove EVERY single MIM or cast part from any gun that I won, if it is possible.

Too, interestly, the recoil spring feels to be a very nice 18 to 19 pounds, not the stock weak crap that other makers ( including my precious Colt ) use. You know, the ones that you have to change out immediately after purchasing the gun in order that you don't crack the frame within 500 rounds.

Another plus ACT mags seem to be very well made. This gun comes with one ACT mag. Hand cycling was excellent. We'll see how live fire performs.

The park finish was VERY well done, as was the surface treatment prior to finishing. The finish is a dark, dark charcoal grey with a nice velvety feel. Almost NO park black came off during cleaning. The finish was very well done.

Trigger is fair. I have felt better....I have felt MUCH MUCH worse.

There was no machining debrish found during cleaning and though there are some very minor casting variations in the surface ( which is hard to avoid ) the gun is damn smooth. No nasty end cutter marks, no jagged edges.

Barrel, link, lugs and hood are a GI fit and the slide has just a barely perceptable rattle.

Sights are WWI / WWII style.

To finish, though I, personally, would NEVER in a million years own a cast gun, you could do a LOT worse than a Regent if you only have 400 bucks or so.



My main complaint: the BIG, FAT, UGLY, UNCOMFORTABLE, SLAB SIDED GRIP PROFILE.

How anyone can stand grip that is beyond me. I am gonna help my brother in law get that remedied as soon as I can.

Seriously, I was very impressed with the gun as far as it being what it is.

You could do a lot worse.

You could buy a Llama!!! :barf:


I say, if you have little money and big hands.....then give the Regent a try.

Oh...but remember....big hands + GI hammer = HAMMER BITE!!!
 
#28 ·
Nice review/write up!! Much appreciated! I think you did it VERY FAIR. Most others who read this will get a true understanding of the IAC Regent 1911 and what kind of VALUE is there.

I agree with your overall thoughts that the IAC Regent 1911 is VERY well made for the money. In fact, I recently got a BRAND NEW IN THE BOX IAC Regent 1911 off GunBroker for $316 + shipping to FFL dealer. Now, for this money, it was the "deal of deals" for a brand new 1911.

Fit/Finish is excellent overall, nice park finish (done really well), very little "rattle" and acceptable for a $400 gun.......hey, I shook a BRAND NEW $1,000 COLT in the store and it rattled MORE than the Regent!

The gun is a BASIC GI MODEL, and it looks cool. The cheese-ball plastic grips are going.........some nice cocobolo or hardwood checkered grips are going on ASAP.
 
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