Norinco Catalog [ iPhone ]
When enthusiasts, collectors, and defense analysts hear the name Norinco (China North Industries Group Corporation), a specific image often comes to mind: robust, workhorse firearms like the SKS, the MAK-90, or the infamous Type 69 RPG. However, the official Norinco catalog represents something far more vast than just a few imported sporting rifles. It is a master document of global defense manufacturing, spanning from infantry small arms to intercontinental ballistic missile systems, armored vehicles, and civilian industrial machinery.
For decades, the "Norinco catalog" has served as a tantalizing, albeit often restricted, window into the technological capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China's export-driven military-industrial complex. This article breaks down the history, the product lines, the civilian vs. military divide, and how to access (or understand) this elusive catalog in the modern era. norinco catalog
Model: NP-34 (Export designation)
Caliber: 9x19mm
Capacity: 15 rounds
Operation: Short recoil, DA/SA
Length: 180mm
Weight: 780g
Catalog #: NOR-P-34-9
Notes: Based on SIG P228 design; includes two magazines and hard case.
Export status: Subject to end-user certificate. Not for sale to embargoed nations.
Norinco is a world leader in tube artillery and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). When enthusiasts, collectors, and defense analysts hear the
| System | Type | Range | Highlights |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| SH-15 | 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer | 40-120 km | Wheeled, high mobility, compatible with NATO shells. |
| AR-3 (PhL-03) | MLRS | 70-280 km | Modular pods: 300mm, 370mm, or 750mm (Tactical missile). |
| PGZ-09 | SPAAG | 4,000 m (altitude) | Dual 35mm radar-guided anti-aircraft gun. |
| HQ-17AE | Mobile SAM | 15-20 km | Vertical launch, active radar seeker, all-weather. | Norinco is a world leader in tube artillery
Note: The AR-3 system is considered a strategic asset, capable of fire-and-forget precision strikes against hardened targets.
Today, finding a physical or complete Norinco catalog is challenging. There are three primary reasons for this scarcity:
Today, owning an original 1980s Norinco catalog is like owning a map to a buried treasure—it lists models you will likely never see for sale again.