Originally Posted By: billt460
I'm sure this is an OK pistol. That said, I've never personally gotten into clones. The only reason many of these are purchased is based on cost, nothing more. This one appears to run around $400.00 less than a Sig P-226. ($600 vs. $1,000+ for the Sig). While many guns have been very successfully cloned, I would stick with the original. Hi-Power vs. FEG. Beretta M-9 vs. Taurus PT-92 . And various other cloned models, overall do not live up to the same quality and reliability standard many of the originals do.
Yes, this was a fair test, and the gun performed well. But if you look at overall performance of many clones involving hundreds of guns over hundreds of thousands of rounds, reliability problems tend to surface more with most all of the clones. About the biggest exception to this rule is the 1911. There are simply so many of them produced by so many manufacturers, it's all but impossible to pass judgment on them as a whole. But even with them, the Colt's pretty much set the quality and performance standard for 1911's in it's price range. Same with AR's.
It's no different with generic drugs. They cost less for a reason. Many of them are manufactured overseas, and are not up to the same quality standards the brand name pharmaceuticals are, which are made here. People tend to have issues with them because of that. And many doctors refuse to prescribe them because of those issues. A pistol purchased for defensive purposes can be just as important to your health as a prescription drug. With that in mind, I'll save money somewhere else. If it's just a range toy, that's another story.
There's a lot of misinformation here.
First, generic drugs can cost less for a BUNCH of reasons that employ a lot more than a perception that they are made overseas. There are just too many variables to make blanket statement about their effectiveness.
Second, just about every major firearms platform has been cloned at some point and cloned well. I can think of examples of the Beretta, Several Walthers, CZ, 870, H&K and the list goes on. The entire XD line was built on a clone, and they aren't made here. Again, too many variables to consider and the notion of being made overseas automatically compromises quality isn't close to being true.
Third, Specifically with 1911s, only until it was cloned did the 1911 become more reliable as many older colt barrels and ignition sets weren't good for 50K rounds to say the least. Also within it's price range, Colt isn't the standard any more. There are just too many good 1911s out there in the $800-1000 range. Apples to apples, even the old $350 Norinco 1911s back in the day were better built than a Colt. Tool steel parts, tough as nails frame and slide, and a chrome lined barrel. Which is why certain semi-custom companies, when they stated out, would built on Norinco frame but not a Colt, due to inconsistencies. But the pony on the side makes people feel good.