| Feature | Norinco | Lockheed Martin | Rosoboronexport | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Low-cost, high-volume | Premium, high-tech | Mid-range, rugged | | Small Arms Variety | Massive (100+ types) | Minimal | Moderate | | Ballistic Missiles | Yes (Short/Medium range) | Yes (Trident, ATACMS) | Yes (Iskander) | | Civilian Industrial | Yes (Tractors, tools) | No (Pure defense) | Limited | | Export Restrictions | Heavy ITAR controls in West | Heavy ITAR controls | Loose to "friendly" states |
Whether you are a collector searching for a 1990s PDF of the Norinco Model 320 shotgun, or a procurement officer evaluating the VT-4 tank for your national army, the catalog remains a symbol of pragmatic engineering. It is not pretty; there are no carbon-fiber stocks or holographic sights. But when you need a 7.62x39mm rifle that fires in sandstorms or a rocket launcher that costs $800 instead of $8,000— norinco catalog
However, in 2003, the Bush administration renewed a Clinton-era ban on "non-sporting" Chinese firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) effectively barred Norinco (and its sister company, Polytech) from exporting most rifles and pistols to the US. While shotguns and air guns technically remained legal, the "golden era" of the Norinco catalog in America ended. | Feature | Norinco | Lockheed Martin |