“Our most common sellers are usually home defense shotguns, semi automatic .22s, and .380 pistols,” cheaperthandirt.com‘s Rob reports. “I pulled our sales data from the last six months and made an interesting discovery. A relatively obscure shotgun is outselling the rest of the guns we sell by a large margin. The Interstate Arms Hawk Model 982 literally flies off the shelves and we have a hard time keeping them in stock. It is currently our number one selling firearm. This is due in no small part to its very low price tag—but how does it measure up in quality and performance?” No points for guessing what CTD has to say about their best seller . . .
The short answer is that it is brilliant. It does a great job of doing exactly what the manufacturer intended it to do, which is to be a rugged home defense gun. This shotgun is simply a Chinese made Remington 870 clone manufactured by Norinco and imported by Interstate Arms.
NOW how much would you pay? How about $177.08 (plus transfer fee)? (I know: dirt costs about $150 for 12 cubic yards. So sue me.)
I don’t know about you but I have a real aversion to cheap guns. Cabela’s will sell you a Remington 870 Express Tactical for $350. Sure, the Hawk Model 982 probably works as well as the 870. But probably doesn’t cut it for me. Why would I risk my life for a couple of hundred bucks?
I know money’s too tight to mention, but economizing on firearms is like shopping for Jenna Pietersen at LL Bean. You get bang for your buck, but not nearly enough. Or reliably enough. Or something.
Come to think of it, why would you buy Chinese when you can buy American? Or Belgian? Or Italian? Enquiring minds want to know.
I don’t understand the thought process behind the author ‘Why would I risk my life for a couple of hundred bucks?” thought process. So if they sell the same gun to you for $400, would he be okay with the shotgun then?
Base your gun choices on other factors. Especially at that price level. Is the shotgun reliable, does it do what is intended, weight consideration, sighting system and so on.
I understand his ‘secondary’ thought of not purchasing Chinese
It entirely possible to clone an 870 and sell it cheap, all the design and testing is worked out already. This is not a complicated gun after all.
A couple of hundred bucks is a LOT of money to some people. Not everyone can afford to spend 350 on a shotgun.
If you can’t afford a measly three hundred bucks for something to save you life and not put others in danger, you have no business owning a firearm.
Really? That’s pretty elitist. What if you’re a poor family in the Appalachians?
So poor people don’t have a right to own a firearm? Really? Shame on you.
Owning a firearm comes with responsibilities, first and foremost is not endangering others.
How about doing what generations have done in the past, save up money to purchase the item. Before Americans believed they had a god given right to be able to purchase something without saving money first, we believed in fiscal responsibilities not inconspicuous consumption of cheap Chinese goods. Maybe a return to that way of thinking is not a bad idea.
Because we American’s are in love with the idea of instant gratification. Plus, not everyone out there is staking their lives on this Chinese clone. 12 gauge after all, is right up there with .22lr when it comes to plinking fun.
I bet this $180 beast tears up beer cans hehe
Lets do one on BudsGunShop.com and see what their cheapest most popular buy is.
If it goes bang when I need it to, then the cheaper the better. I completely understand your argument if the the cheap gun is proven to be unreliable and dangerous even for recreational shooting, much less self defense, and the more expensive gun is proven to 100% reliable. However, everything I see online touts this Interstate Arms piece as completely reliable. If I had the choice between paying $177 for a shotgun that works or $300+ for a shotgun that only costs that much because of the brand, I will take the $177 every day…and I can afford them both. In fact, I am considering selling my tactically modified 870 express to buy this Interstate Arms. I would net $200 on the exchange at least.
Reminds me of Brian Regan’s bit on refrigerator salesmen.
“This one keeps your food cold for $600… This one keeps your food cold for $800… and this one keeps your food cold for $1200.00…. ”
Mossbergs Maverick is around the same price point… $160.00 on SG. and it’s US made.. and reliable. I don’t see the problem.
And I always shake my head at people who are supposedly in favor of gun rights but say stuff like
“… have no business owning a gun”. Way to go on our god given rights, and freedoms, and lets start ushering in restrictions, and qualifications, and appointing those who will determine such things. Sounds great to me. 🙂
Mossbergs are made in Mexico.
I’m not in favor of placing additional restrictions on firearms. I am merely commenting on the sad state of our modern world, much in the same way some people deserve society’s consternation for having kids they can’t properly take care of or afford. Be a responsible citizen.
@RF “Mossbergs are made in Mexico”….I get confused these days about whether Mexico is part of the US or the US is part of Mexico. LOL …
@ RF My Mossberg 500 is stamped “New Haven, CT” and came with a sticker that said made in America. I bought it 3 years ago.
Are they no longer made in America or did Mossberg lie to me or does something else explain that?
Delete my comment, Farago?
I’LL SAY IT AGAIN.
MOSSBERGS ARE NOT MADE IN MEXICO.
Stop spouting unsubstantiated lies, your credibility shrinks rapidly as you do so.
This is the dumbest comment I have ever seen in a gun article. I have owned firearms all my life. Hunted since I was 7 or 8, I have had extensive professional training with firearms, and countless hundreds of hrs in recreational shooting, as well as non recreational. But because I’m now going back to school and a full time collage student at 30. I can’t afford to spend 300 dollars on a new gun so I have no buisness owning one… Sir your logic is infallible.
Who but a fool pays more for anything when you can get the same quality, performance, and reliability at less cost? I buy American when I can in most other markets where the Chinese products are shoddy and don’t perform as well as American products.
if you cant afford a shotgun for 200-300 bucks, then perhaps you need a second job, a better existing job, or find a less expensive hobby.
This is what irks me about many in the gun culture. Constant bitching about prices.
Self protection is not a “hobby”. In many areas of the country a person is lucky to have one job, much less a second or being able to trade up. For a lot of American’s $200 is a lot of money.
My contention stands. Thats why you have to shop smarter, not easier. if you cannot afford to maintain a firearm for self protection, practice regularly with it, take care of it, and safely store it, then you need to invest in a baseball bat. Be a adult for f–ks sake!
If you look hard enough, you can negotiate a 870 or mossberg for a inexpensive price used.
200 dollars is a lot of money, but I assume they dont have cable, video games, movies, entertainment systems, cell phones, alcohol, cigarettes, and other things people that bitch about money seem to be able to spend on.
Sounds like TTAG needs to do a stress test review. If someone provides the shotgun, I’m your Huckleberry.
For just above the price of a barrel for my mossberg, I can get a whole gun?
Yes, please. I think you just finished my Christmas shopping for me.
Yup buy American… and get the Mossberg Maverick for the same price. Actually, according to Academy.com, same price (177 doesn’t include shipping) less the transfer fee. Mine is 100% reliable, almost a copy of the Mossy 500 except the safety and forearm.
Of course, the Maverick 88 is manufactured from Mexican and other foreign parts.
Not slamming the Maverick, however. I have one and love it. Cheap, durable, dependable. Never has given me one problem.
I can’t believe all the silly statements people are making about the 982, though, without evidence to back up their statements.
I mean, people are upset about the fact that the Chinese clone a successful, proven design, manufacture it for dirt cheap, and export it to an America through an importer and sell it for pennies on the dollar?
Guess I should get rid my Norinco SKS Paratrooper then. Never mind that it has never given me a minute’s trouble and I’ve beaten the ever-lovin’ crap out of it. Who am I going to believe, internet gun “experts”, or my own lyin’ eyes? Clearly, it’s from China, therefore, dangerously unreliable. How scary that I would trust my life to that gun, after putting 10’s of 1000’s of rounds through it and finding no problems! Its a ticking time bomb, for sure. I need to pay at least $4-500 more and get a gun with which I can trust my life.
If people want to avoid the 982 because they don’t like the idea of paying Chinese workers/companies, so be it. I understand, and to an extent, agree. But, I’d wait for some buzz to build about the long-term reliability of the weapon before making judgments about how it will hold up. If I had to guess, based on my experience with Chinese weaponry, I’d say it will end up being just as reliable as the 870 from which it is derived.
Yep. I paid $250 for my Norinco MAK-90 back in the early 90s, and it’s been unfailingly reliable. It’s combat accurate, feeds anything I give it, and has never had a failure to fire. Ever. I’ve put 10,000 rounds through it over the years(rough estimate), and the damn thing just works.
Chinese doesn’t equal shoddy or unsafe.
Maybe not unsafe but certainly shoddy. Of course the SKS/AK-47 is designed to operate safely and reliably and still be shoddy. Shoddy is what makes an AK reliable.
You got a MAK-90 for $250?
I do now hate you, sir 😉
My Norinco SKSs were $88.00 each in 1990 off a pallet at a gunshow. I guess I’m hated now, too?
I don’t like buying Chinese clones. That said, if it were a unique Chinese firearm such as the QBU-88 or QBZ-95, I’d have to think about it.
I’ve handled a few of the $199 Rock Island pumps, and I wouldn’t hesitate to trust one in a fight. It’s a freaking pump shotgun, not the space shuttle. If anything Remington is grossly overcharging for 870’s, not the other way around.
Very good point. Seeing as Remington and Mossberg pretty much have the entry level pump shotgun market cornered, they could probably charge just about w/e they wanted.
I doubt they are overcharging. THe value of the dollar has gone down but remington 870’s are still inexpensive.
“I know money is tight, but….” That is knowledge of tight money, not experience. When your only chance to have a little home protection is this gun or one similar to it, you don’t care if it’s made on the moon. What you do care for is how much ammunition you can afford. Certainly not enough to get really “practiced up”, but enough to put into the brisket of anyone who threatens your home. No case, no fancy sights, no accessories, just a cheap gun and some ammo and call it good enough.
Made in China still means that importer/distributor/wholesaler/retailer in the US created jobs and made money. Many “made in US” products contain substantial foreign components.
Could be that remington has some room in the 870 price. A little competition can be good for the customer.
I’m not super interested in arguments that it is too cheap. Poor quality? I will listen to that. Maybe someone writing for ttag will test it. Then we can make informed decisions.
If the gun goes bang every time it’s supposed to, I really don’t care where it was made.
Some cheap guns are very reliable (many aren’t). Some expensive guns aren’t reliable (most are). Find something that fits your comfort, budget, and needs, and ignore the elitists who try and tell you that you can’t possibly have a good gun unless you pay more. I don’t own one of these, and I don’t plan to get one. But I won’t criticize anyone who decides its right for them.
Buying fast and cheap is what is killing this country. Manufacturing is at an all time low. If you want to keep increasing China’s economic boom and contributing to our economic downfall – and can still sleep well at night – do it. But remember, you’re now part of the problem.
There are American alternatives in the same price range. Do your homework.
Americans these days are a hypocritical bunch. They purchase tons of cheap Chinese crap, and then complain about it when it fails or doesn’t meet their needs. And yet when poled, Americana express an interest in buying quality items that may be made here.
Here’s an solution, cut down on the quantity of cheap, often unnecessary items, and buy fewer, absolutely necessary quality items. Its really not that hard.
They buy cheap Chinese crap and then complain that there are no decent paying jobs. If you’re willing to outsource your neighbor’s job to China to save a buck, you can be sure he’s willing to outsource yours.
ben and jason, you guys know whats going on.
It amazes me how americans in general are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary or take responsibility (such as making a budget) to protect our country…which includes menial things like shopping.
LOAD OF CRAP. I tire of always having to correct this lie.
Prior to the recession, the United States produced more manufacturing goods than ever before.
http://mercatus.org/publication/us-manufacturing-output-vs-jobs-1975
We produce more goods with fewer people, just like in the early 1900s we began producing more food with fewer people working in agriculture. And, guess what? Despite the cries in the early 1900s that no one would ever be able to afford food because no one could find jobs in the agricultural sector, EVERYONE ended up with cheaper food and better lives. Wow, amazing how that worked out.
We have experienced massive increases in productivity. You can’t “find” American made goods because Americans don’t make cheap stuff. Most of what you purchase in your life is going to be cheap stuff, you only make expensive purchases rarely. Thus, you think “Americans don’t make anything anymore!!111!1!1!” No, we don’t make T-Shirts or little toasters or socks or any number of other things because they are very easy to make. You don’t hire a nuclear physicist and then put him to work on the cash register. You also don’t hire a productive American worker and have him run a machine where he pushes a button and watches the machine do all the work (unless he’s in a union.) You hire an American worker to build the machine.
You want to buy American made products? You’ll have to buy lots of expensive things like cars, tractors, industrial machinery, airplanes, boats, etc… Personally, I’d rather Americans build large, expensive, complex items and get paid accordingly than pay an American like an illiterate worker with no skills.
+1
+100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Amen and very well said. I’m perfectly content with my iPad, designed in California by engineers, made in China by peasants.
absolutely correct and you saved me a ton of writing.
The US has entered the information age, meaning developed, industrialized countries don’t generally pride their manufacturing in low-tech things like clothing, furniture, etc, etc, instead producing high tech things like airplanes, military technology, and heavy machinery.
There are a few american companies that make clothing, furniture and other things, though you have to do some homework.
Eventually technology develops at a pace which outstrips human labor. In fact, the inefficiencies of our current system continue to be the reason why we have waitresses and other jobs that could easily be replaced by automation. Indeed, the 21st century information age will yield many unintended consequences on our job market.
This is all possible because of the concept of infinite energy, which is a entirely different subject. Well see changes that are more radically different than you think.
er no. According to the Federal Reserve statistics the percentage of the US economy devoted to manufacturing is about the same as it was in 1950.
http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/trends/2007/0307/02ecoact_021507-3.gif
We still produce 20% of the world’s industrial output.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/02/06/made_in_the_usa/
It is manufacturing employment that has declined. If you went to an oil refinery in 1970 you would find it teaming with people. Today an operating refinery looks like a ghost town. Valve turners have be replaced by scada systems. This has happened across the manufacturing sector.
I would be careful about trusting the Federal Reserve figures on anything. That is not to say they are wrong, I would just be cautious.
and why is that?
They are a government entity that has political incentives in manipulating data to show a different picture. I am not saying they did or did not do that, I am just weary of any study, findings or research any government entity publishes.
Actually, the Federal Reserve banks are not part of the government. They are owned by the member banks. The reason that Ron Paul claims that the Fed is unconstituitional is that they aren’t part of government and therefore they have no constitutional authority to regulate the currency. That is same argument that Andrew Jackson had against the Second Bank of the United States and we all know how that ended when Jackson got his way on the charter. Well you probably don’t.
You are correct. But if you think for one second that the FED is untainted by government corruption and influence, then I have a horse you might be interested in buying.
Charles, the numbers were good right up to at least 2009. The we don’t make anything anymore crowd gets their impressions that manufacturing is gone is from shopping at Walmart and Target. Most of the goods consumers buy aren’t made here anymore but there is a whole world of high value manufacturing out there that consumers never see. That’s we make these days.
In addition many people don’t count foreign owned manufacturing as US which is silly. Did you know that the Toyota Camry is the most American made automobile in the US?
absolutely correct. US manufacturing is as high as it ever was (21% of the global market), though it is making this possible with less workers due to the information age.
http://www.nam.org/Statistics-And-Data/Facts-About-Manufacturing/~/media/0F91A0FBEA1847D087E719EAAB4D4AD8.ashx (warning PDF)
In response to Shelly Haffly:
“Buying fast and cheap is what is killing this country.” That is only partially true. One of the biggest things that has put our economy in a precarious position is people buying so much stuff on credit (in part due to the “I have to have it now” mentality, as you allude to). The use of credit has become so widespread that it has artificially increased the money supply (I believe this has led to a marginal increase in prices as well) and increased demand since people can buy stuff now without waiting, regardless of the price point. U.S. manufacturing answered the call and expanded to meet the new demand. Suddenly, when the credit market dries up, the “money supply” shrinks drastically and there is no longer enough spending to support ramped up levels of production because businesses had been basing sales expectations on spending that was not with real dollars (i.e. credit cards, car loans, etc.). Businesses were also depending on loans to support operations because rather than wait themselves, they saw an opportunity to expand but did not have enough ready cash to make it happen. Then, their inability to get a loan coupled with less sales from consumers restricting their spending leads to lay offs, just so the company can stay alive. These laid off employees are themselves consumers and their loss of income takes away their spending power as well, in turn impacting other business. It really is a vicious cycle.
Also, buying oversees is not the problem. That is merely a symptom of the problem? Why do companies outsource? Why do people buy oversees? The short answer, American labor costs too much. For decades now, the attitude of entitlement has been growing in the population. I hear on the news all the time about Unions demanding higher wages or employees wanting “living wages.” I’m here to tell you that the so called “living wage” is a load of crap. I am the oldest of ten children and only my father worked, as a postman (not in a Union, either). His highest yearly pay without excessive overtime was $45,000. He has no debt except a few remaining payments on the house. How? He never saw new cars, high speed internet, extended cable packages, big screen TV’s, smart phones, eating out, expensive vacations, and designer clothing (to name a few) as things he was “supposed to have” simply because he fogged a mirror. There are too many people out there whining and crying because they can’t afford to have all those things…pathetic. You would be shocked on how little you can live on if you only buy what you need. But people aren’t satisfied with that. They want their cake and to eat it too. In order to have it, they want to be paid more, regardless of whether their actual work is worth that much. Think of it this way. If you make $50,000 a year with a benefits package worth $5,000, then your compensation is $55,000. In order for any sane company to continue to employ you, your work has to account for more than $55,000 in annual revenue for the company, either by actual sales or by filling a role that prevents higher costs. If you are getting paid more than you work is worth, why would the company continue to employ you?
Of course, there are other factors at play in the economy that I could write whole essays on. That being said, I do not reward bad behavior, so I buy where the quality I desire is the cheapest, regardless of where it was made.
Before everyone rips me apart for not knowing what I am talking about, just so you know where I am coming from, I have a degree in finance and accounting from a nationally recognized business school. I have worked in the field, not just studied it. I’m not some “old guy” that is “out of touch.” I am 26 years old, I do not have cable or a smartphone and I am 100% debt free.
You are absolutely correct. Nice post!
I dont agree with buying something just because it is cheaper, though i can understand the justification for doing so.
The Hawk isnt exactly a cheap POS gun. Its rugged, and reliable. Sure its not as refined as other brands, but it does the job. Like alot of people, I dont have alot of money to spend and an bargin gun is better then no gun at all.
I don’t give a damn about price. If I can not afford it, I don’t buy it. PERIOD. I was taught to save my money until I could afford it.
You folks that insist on buying thios cheap shit are a major reason this Nation and that illegal alien in the Oval Office are sending our manufacturing jobs to China.
Then you people who buy all this cheap shit, are the FIRST to bitch about all these jobs going over seas. First to bitch about all these products at your Wal-Mart store coming from Muslim nations and China…… YOU are the #1 reason.
In the same breath you’re bitching about the other shotguns being so expensive, BUT! I’ll be willing to bet that you have PLENTY OF MONEY for chew, smokes, titty bars, beer, porn, etc. But God forbid you stop buying this Chinese crap and support your own damned Country.
Amen! (Minus the birther stuff :))
Amen, and amen.
If you’re so excited to “support your country”, Tom, join the Army or something.
I did.
And I still buy things from Wal Mart.
I supported my country for 15 years, and I don’t shop at Wally World. With that said, Shame on you. You talk about “If you can’t afford it you don’t deserve it.” Let me throw a few thoughts at you.
1. In some states a 800 square foot home sells for $500,000!!!!!!!
2. How can you expect a person to pay $15,000 for a 6 year old car with over 100,000 miles on it.
3. The last price hike in gas cause food prices in the stores to increase, the price of gas went back down but the price of a gallon of milk stayed the same. WTF
4. Don’t even get me started on the value of the US dollar. (Because “We haven’t had any inflation in the last 3 years.”)
You talk about saving your money and pinching penny’s, most of us are already doing that just to put food on the table and gas in our 11 year old cars.
I say again Shame on you!!!!!
That might in fact be the best headline yet at this here website. I lol’d
it works and fires lead, whats the big deal? buy it…. i mean we have been enamored by ak variants for years now… and thats pretty much all those do as well.
Same argument here as the Hi-points (and those are made here). If the following occurs (load + trigger + bang) consistently, then what is the deal? Stress test or any perceived issues are anecdotal at best. I always take my all of my 9mm guns to the range at the same time Beretta pistol and carbine and Hipoint pistol and carbine. While I love the fit and finish, trigger pull of the Berettas (well, maybe the Cx4 Storm trigger needs some serious work), both go bang every time and eat all of the ammo I give them. I haven’t tried any super-crappy ammo yet, but why try and sabotage myself?
Meh. I’m not seeing a problem. Like others have said; it’s a pump shotgun. There’s not a whole lot that you can screw up. My Maverick 88 that I bought used for $115 is the exact same performer as my buddies 500. Stone cold reliable, eats anything and everything I feed it, sights are aligned right, it’s reasonably accurate. The action isn’t as smooth and the trigger isn’t as crisp, but JC it’s a close quarter pump shotgun.
I don’t caught up very much in the whole ‘Buy American’ thing. I can understand, to an extent, the desire to support American industry and the sentimental value of it. However, I’m not about to buy a crap product over a good product just because one has MADE IN AMERICA stamped on it and the other one says MADE IN AUSTRIA. A healthy dose of competition makes everyone better. On the other hand… Fvck China.
I say TTAG puts an end to the argument and does a T&E of this and a couple other El Cheapo Blasters.
From an economic perspective it makes more sense to exploit cheap Chinese labor to provide inexpensive products…if they are willing to shortchange their citizens then Ricardo’s theory of competitive advantage works in our favor.
This allows American workers the opportunity to focus on their strengths and work doing things that they are good at. Not making cheap shotguns that can’t compete with other foreign offerings. Argue all you want, but that shotgun will perform every bit as good as a Remington model.
…You folks bellyaching about Chinese stuff need an economics lesson.
Regardless of whether buying Chinese helps our country or not, you’re doing you and your family no favors buying poorly made self defense tools.
It doesn’t make any sense economically to import from china (and yet you preach about lessons in economics?)
That is the current globalist economic paradigm we have now. It actually has people brainwashed that it is conducive for our economic growth (it isn’t). The only people that benefit are shareholders in a company’s stock.
Many companies are returning production to the US because it is less expensive (due to energy costs and the poor quality of foreign made goods).
I say TTAG puts an end to the argument and does a T&E of this and a couple other El Cheapo Blasters.</i
Dude, take a number. I'm still waiting for the results of that AR Mag torture test HINT HINT!
I wont buy, sell, trade, shoot or allow them in my shop for repairs. Screw Norinco, the ASEAN free trade agreements, hazardous work environments and employee exploitation.
i don’t see this screaming “buy american” on the entry about the new fn shotgun. it’s made in belgium. or when we talk of berettas or glocks i don’t recall too many “buy american” chants. am i missing some hidden sub text here?
did you miss the reason why many are switching to the M&P from Glock?
FYI FN manufactures many guns in the US (Military SCAR L and H and FNP/FNX/FNS to name a few). Glock assembles handguns in Georgia from components from Austria. Hell, even HK opened a plant that manufactures the MR556 and HK 45 in the US.
I reviewed another inexpensive Remmy clone a while back, also manufactured by Hawk and sold under the H&R name as the “Pardner Pump.” It’s a rugged as a tank and has never failed to go bang, with all types of ammo. It was also cheaper than Cheaper than Dirt’s cheaper than dirt 870 clone.
People who deride Chinese goods need a reality check. You can’t say that all Chinese goods are crap while you drool over your Chinese-made iPads and iPhones. Some Chinese goods sure are crap — just like some US goods. Some Chinese goods are outstanding, just like some US goods. As for the quality of labor, I have to be frank — I trust Chinese labor far more that I trust US union labor.
The bottom line for me is value. If I want a five-figure trap gun, I’ll buy one. If I want an inexpensive home defense shotgun, I’ll buy one. In either case, I don’t give a rat’s hat where it’s made, as long as it’s good and the value is there.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/12/ralph/gun-review-hr-1871-pardner-pump-protector-12-gauge/
I bought 2 based on this review. Best Chinese products I own! Never failed on me once and they eat EVERYTHING I throw at it.
The Hawk is the same gun as the H&R Pardner Pump. Both are Norinco Chinese. I have a Parner 12 and it eats all the ammo I can feed it without hiccups. So does my Wingmaster. ‘cept the Wingmaster was triple the price. The most important thing for a gun to do is work reliably. I dont care where a gun is made. My SKB is from Japan, my CZ is Czech, half of my AR is ‘Merican… All serve a purpose. Price and quality factor in before national origin for me. All things being equal I would choose American. But things are not equal. The Hawk and Pardner are great reliable guns for under $200. Americans aren’t offering a gun this nice for anywhere near that price. Decision made.
There is only fair objection to buying anything produced by NORINCO. NORINCO is owned by the People’s Liberation Army. By buying their products you are helping the PLA become stronger. All other reasons for objecting to the origin of the HAWK 982 are BS.
Lots of things are made more efficiently elsewhere than they are here, and many ‘furriner’ guns are actually made here quite efficiently. I don’t see much distinction between buying milsurp com-bloc guns from kleptocracies in Easten Europe and buying Chinese or Philipino or Brazilian. Or British, for that matter.
If a cheap Chinese gun works reliably, I say go for it. I picked up a Norinco 1911 years and years ago for $250. That was an obscenely good price back then (before RIA) and I couldn’t pass it up. It’s proven to be extremely reliable and not terribly accurate. I’d trust my life to it if I didn’t have better options now.
I wouldn’t buy a chinese POS shotgun, even if it went bang as reliably as those made here in the ole’ US of A. I’ll pay extra for a Mossberg or Remington (and support our country’s firearm manufacturers), thank you. I try not to buy chinese whenever I have a choice. They own enough of our money/country already.
ETA – even my FN tactical shotty is based off a Winchester action. Part American! 😉
The least reliable guns I have ever owned are a SIG Mosquito and a Kimber 4″ .45. Even well after 1000 rounds, the Kimber still will not eat aluminum cased ammo, and still needs to be cleaned every 100 to 150 rounds to avoid feeding issues. My most reliable gun of all time is a 9mm Croation designed and manufactured XD that has never had a failure, clean or dirty, from day one. Some of the world’s worst guns are American made (e.g. Phoenix Arms). Kel-Techs are US made, and the number of complaints I read about them (plus there lousy triggers) are legion. It’s a world economy now; buy what’s reliable, not what is “Made in the US” just because, or expect that your 1200 dollar 1911 will be more reliable if yo spend 3500. Those numbers are more reflective of the cost of production and profit rations than they are about intrinsic quality.
If Norinco can manufacture something as difficult as a 1911 or Hi-Power, they can certainly slap together a pump gun. I had a Norinco Hi-Power clone that ran 100% flawlessly.
I think I’m going to buy a Hawk just for shits and giggles.
The article is even sillier than others have pointed out. If the choice is between a Norinco, which seems to get good reviews, and an 870 Express which is becoming famous for FTEs, I’m choosing Norinco.
When Remington figures out how to consistently make 870s that don’t need to be reamed out with a steel wool tampon in a drill let me know, okay?
My Mossberg 500 Persuader and Mossberg 500 are weapons I trust to work when needed and continue to work for the duration. I am fortunate I have the money to spend on quality firearms. I own no weapon that is considered cheap be it quality or price although I have bought quality weapons on the cheap.
for the so-called Americans who would buy these Chinese shotguns.
They are beyond hypocrisy and are nothing but traitors in my eyes.
I own a Mossberg 590, and if you can’t pony up for a Maverick or used Rem/Moss/Ithaca/Win etc., you better take a look in the mirror to see what a low-down cheap arse America-back-stabbing sell-out looks like.
LOL +1
iPads are one thing. Firearms are another. BUY AMERICAN! (Ok, I’ll admit I also like and own a few HK’s too…and a couple German cars. I’m part German so I’m allowed). 😉
Germany is an actual ally and an ethically run nation, not a ruthless state bent on destroying us from the inside and the outside economically and physically (the physical part is in China’s dreams though, as they can take pot shots potentially in the event of an escalation, but any serious effort on their part in a war will not go well for them (hypothetically speaking)) … Stay ready.
That’s great-just go ahead and send more US $$ to the copy-cat Chinese who pay their people chicken-crap wages. Screw the Imports…
Read the reviews. Apparently they have kept a tight grip on quality control in the PRC. I am sold, buying one this week.
http://www.gunfolks.com/Shotguns/norinco-iac-hawk-982.html
So how much do you have to spend for quality. Does a $200 hi point work better than a $500 Glock, or a $800 Sig, or $100 H&K?
How about optics? How much do we need to spend for a reasonable red dot?
I’d trust an American made hi point over a Chinese made shotgun
Has anyone produced data or proof this gun will endanger others versus a Remington? If so argument is useless and pointless regarding price.
Hi all I make +2 magazine extension tubes for the IAC Hawk and the H&R Pardner Pump.
http://www.blunderbusstech.com
I’m happy to buy the Chinese model of the 870. It works great, and I won’t be supporting one of the loathsome US gun manufacturers who have sold their soul for profit.
I get both sides of the argument. However, I’m a small business based here in Atlanta, GA, and I make money manufacturing a +2 mag extension tube for the IAC hawk and the H&R pardner pump. Both are 870 clones and very good guns.
http://www.blunderbusstech.com
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