[danf_fl]

Throughout our times that have been handguns "Made Under License"
The Manhurin PPK/s to the Walther.
The FM-90 of Argentina to the Browning HiPower.
The Sistema 1911 to the Colt 1911.

These are just some examples.

In your opinion, are they really just as good as the originals?

[hiwall]

Each example would be a answer by itself. You could in no way make a blanket statement(unless you said to Always buy the original).

[SSGN_Doc]

It would definitey be a case by case, but there seems to be some level of qaulity that is expected when a company liscenses another to make something with their name on it. But there have been exceptions.

Norwegian and Argentine versions of the 1911 are both considered to be great examples. But the Colt liscensed .22lr AR that was made by a German airgun company had some serious mixed reviews.

Some of the Manhurin PP/PPKs pistols also had mixed reviews.

The nice thing about prolific designs like the 1911, the Hi-power and the PP is that they have been around for so long and is such quantity, and are such proven designs. If you got a flawed one, it is possible to make it run right and find gunsmiths that would be familiar with working on the design.

[JonM]

in the case of the manhurin ppk's those are actually all built on the original walther ppk machines. walther moved his entire plant to france shortly after the war and set up shop there. the ones then later stamped "made in Germany" were all actually made in manhurin france as there wasnt a real plant in germany post war until 1986 as the allies prevented any gun manufacturing to occur after the war. so all post war guns that walther produced stamped "made in germany" are actually manuhirin guns that were sent to germany then stamped with a serial number and the made in germany stampings.

there is no difference between manhurin ppk and a post war ppk since they were made on the same exact assembly line. anyone that says a post war manhurin is inferior to a post war made in germany ppk doesnt know anything about the ppk. they are the same gun. the manuhirn production guns are actually better than the pre war and ww2 production ppk's. quality did not decline until production started in the usa under ranger manufacturing and then later under S&W. the crappy quality of the interarms stamped Ranger guns and the later crappy S&W versions is what made the bersa thunder so polpular and also tainted the rep of the manuhrin made guns still being imported at the time of the interarms/Ranger fiasco.

so if you find a nice manhurin ppk snap it up give it a new recoil spring and enjoy a very fine sample of the walther ppk made by walther himself at the height of the ppk qaulity production. just remember the ppk works best with round nose fmj 95 grains and little else. the ppk gets a bad rap from people trying to run hollow point ammo through it and its just not designed to do that.

[danf_fl]

Thanks!
I do have two Manhurins and a FM-90.

Playing around with the FM-90, I replaced hammer, sear, sear spring, trigger spring, removed mag safety plunger, the trigger transfer bar (or the little finger that pushes on the bar) with Browning parts. The sear needed a little work, but everything else went right in.

The test made me appreciate Hi-Power smiths a lot more.

[c3shooter]

Case in point- perhaps the MOST manufactured make/model in the world.

Sgt Kalashnikov's baby. How many nations have made the AK- under license, pirated, or sitting on a rock out behind the wall with a hand operated drill and a file. Is there a quality difference?

How about the SKS- you can have any one you like. So what will it be- Russian, Albanian, Chinese or Yugo?

With some guns, it would be hard to find real differences (the Enfield No4 Mk1 from England or Long Branch) (Browing Hi-Power- Belgium or Canada) with others, it is VERY apparent

[Chase127]

In my opinion it depends on who had the liscence and for what purpose.the most propogated is probably the russian Makarov because any nation with fascism or communism had a liscence to produce them for military and police purposes....the russian and east german versions of this pistol shoot really good ....the chinese,brazillian,vietnamese versions....not so much it just depends on the quality controll of the nation and/or company who was producing them