The Norinco Sporter Hunter, or Hunter, or Sporter, or Hunter Sporter. Yeah, it was known by a lot of names depending on when it was imported and by whom. But it’s an interesting AK pattern rifle by any name. Mine is marked as the Sporter Hunter.

These are real oddball Chinese AK rifles made specifically for the post 1989 Bush “sporting purpose” import ban. The Sporter Hunter is about as demilitarized as you can get.

The receiver is unlike most other AK receivers. Norinco copied the Valmet receiver, taking a solid chunk of steel and making what is considered about the best pattern out there. The same one used for the Galil.

Unlike the later imported Russian Saiga rifles, it uses bog standard AK magazines right out of the box. No need to modify the thing, though the magazine catch is a bit wonky. It’s more like a SKS magazine catch.

Then again, this rifle shipped from China with only two five-rounders. It was never intended to be a gun for quick magazine changes. It was intended to be a semi-automatic hunting rifle.

Internally the Norinco Sporter Hunter is every bit a normal Chinese AK design with a standard AK bolt carrier group, safety, hammer, and sear.

The rifle came with a standard Chinese pattern front sight, too. But since it was imported after 1989, the muzzle is left bare. No threading for any muzzle device like a canted brake.

The right sight is completely different though. It is a simply a two position express style leaf sight.

The three threaded holes in the receiver are for a scope mount that, strangely, Norinco sold separately and no one imported into the country. So most folks used an aftermarket B-West mount.

As I said, depending on who imported them, they were stamped and marked differently.

Customizing is a problem with this gun. You can get a Galil parts kit and build a 7.62x39mm Galil, but that involves cutting into the receiver, chopping the barrel, etc. Any aftermarket customization without cutting into it isn’t really an option. It makes a square cut receiver MAK-90 look like a dream since you can get a Type 56 stock set and drop it right in without a problem.

While the Sporter Hunter isn’t exactly the best AK out there, they’re rare birds since they were only imported between 1990 to 1993 and even then, in very limited numbers. This rifle shoots well, but the length of pull is too long in my opinion.

My wife also found it too long.

In the end, if you like oddball guns and you’re an AK fan, then this Norinco is something that would be right up your alley. Or you can always have it built into a Galil clone by folks like CW Gunwerks which isn’t a bad way to go. Here’s one of their builds . . .

Courtesy – CW Gunwerks

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18 COMMENTS

    • We liquidated a boatload of AK Mags and 7.62×39 ammo and puchased other firearms. Had one Russian SKS and a Norinco AK detachable mag SKS and a 7.62×39 Mini 14 and a Maidi.
      Too many guns and too many gun mouths to feed. The 7.62x39s were fun to shoot.

    • I dont get it, all firestix named uses the same partridge?
      Oh stupid me, ” liquidated,,,boatload.”

  2. I have a Mak-90, with couple banana clips & a 50 round drum mag,,,, never had a problem with this gun, it gets used a lot between my son, my nephews, grandkids & myself,,, quite accurate also. I’m actually a big fan of most AK weapons.
    They might look cheep but they always work. My Mak has a thumb hole stock also & does NOT seem too long.

      • Actually I found it on the bargain table at my local gun shop. It was a little spendy at the time but I had just got the Mak & it was my first drum. Looks like a old alarm clock with a big windup key on the front side.

        • Yes, windup key, are you sure it doesn’t hold 75 instead of 50. Have too ,in1995 cost $49. +tax

        • Not 100% sure at the moment, I’d have to dig through my safes to locate it, been a while since I’ve used it. The date you talk about sounds right though. But I do know I paid around $70.00 for it. They had only 1 of them. It was the first drum I bought.

  3. I have one of the Saiga imported hunting rifles you mention from the early 90s. Came with one 5 round mag and the feed ramp had been cut out. 922r and I became well acquainted. Also had the standard side scope mount on it and I bought a period correct scope to go with it. It’s a safe queen these days as I moved to the ARAK 7.62 platform.

    Nice write-up! It was a weird time, but better than now I think.

  5. I’ve got two of these.

    Fun fact, there’s three separate “generations” or types of Hunters. The one in the article is a type 3.

    Type 1 has a galil type top cover with latch and a better sight system.

  10. There is a lot of people here knocking the AK’s ,
    They might not be competition typ material, but there is a reason why most of our enemies in the 20th century use them, they always work,
    I’ve been in combat where our own people would rather carry AK’s , the only reason my unit put the kibosh on that was because of the sound, very distinctive, & confusing at dark when you’re adversaries can be in your midst.
    Myself I have 3 different AK’s & don’t have a problem with any of them. Another good rifle that can be modeled is the SKS, very accurate & easy to modify.

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