EM-332 Review (Updated Feb 22, 09)

Gasanwu

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
111   0   2
Location
Kingston
Ok, so since nobody has any experience with it, and the curiosity is killing me. And the fact that the words "Norinco" and "Target" are in the same title intrigues me. I took the plunge and bought a EM-332.

I haven't got the chance to shoot it yet, just got it today.

The action is a bit griddy, trigger is a bit heavy, for now, but much like the 452 varmint when i first got it.
The wood is pretty good, not soft at all, finish on the outside looks pretty good too. But NO CHECKERING... o well...
Bluing is nicely done.

Bolt turns about 75 degrees, and when opened the handle is parallel to the ground, which is good when you have a scope mounted, lots of room to work the bolt handle.
Magazines are of decent quality, all metal exterior construction, follower is plastic. The action is grooved so that magazines are easily removed.

When safety is on, bolt can't be turned/lifted.

First off, some pictures.

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A little update.

Went out to Poco today. No where near perfect condition, raining, and mild wind.

Here's some groups. For both targets, top row is shot with American eagle, 2nd row Rem Thunderbolt, 3rd row Eley target. Targets have 1" squares. Everything shot with cheapo Leaper 3-9X40 scope, and the gun on support. First target is shot at 25m and 2nd at 50m. Seems to me the gun likes American eagle better than it did Thunderbolt.

One problem I noticed was that it had some ejection problems. I think the action is designed to eject the spent casing up and to the right, but since I have a one piece scope mount, it prevented the casing from ejecting properly. So I had to tilt the gun to get rid of the casing, which probably contributed to the size of the groups.

Interior of the action is a bit rough, after all the shooting, there were shavings of metal in the action, but it sure smoothed out quite a bit.

Nothing impressive or surprising, but since the conditions are bad, I will try more groups when it's sunny out. But from the what I see so far, it will more than suffice for the job of hunting small critters. Target rifle, I very much doubt it is though.

25m
IMG_3951-1.jpg

50m
IMG_3952-1.jpg
 
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They are a good looking rifle, but I'm not sure why they are called a target rifle. It looks like a cute version of a decent european style centerfire sporting rifle.
But it lacks target sights, target stock, target barrel, target trigger.....it will make a nice partridge gun, but a target gun it ain't :)
 
I was going to buy one but then I thought about it a little more...

...How is availability of spare parts.

I would have had to do what I did for my AIA Enfield - buy two rifles and also buy as many extra bolt pieces as I could coax out of Marstar.

I have a feeling that that Norinco rifle will be just like the AIA, when they are sold out you had better be someone who owns 2 or 3 rifles or chance being the owner of an expensive paperweight if something in it breaks - well, unless you are a machinist with access to a CNC machine (or got the bucks to shell out for custom designed and made parts.)

That's why I gave it a pass and bought a CZ, 10/22 and a Goldenboy.
 
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Regarding spare parts:

Nothing Norinco makes seems to be a proprietary design, their rimfires being CZ clones IIRC. Therefore, spare for the cloned item could probably be used or modified in a repair. Case in point being the reworked 1911s that seem to be all over CGN
 
Well I certainly do not recognize the bolt/action on this Norinco... Definitely not a CZ, dunno what it is...

As for parts... It's a .22lr... how often do these things break?


Regarding spare parts:

Nothing Norinco makes seems to be a proprietary design, their rimfires being CZ clones IIRC. Therefore, spare for the cloned item could probably be used or modified in a repair. Case in point being the reworked 1911s that seem to be all over CGN
 
Well I certainly do not recognize the bolt/action on this Norinco... Definitely not a CZ, dunno what it is...

As for parts... It's a .22lr... how often do these things break?

I've had my EM-332 for a couple of months now.
Not alot of info on this model but I did find out a bit searching the web.

You're correct the bolt action is not a CZ copy. It might be based on an older Suhl-Anschutz but not a direct copy.
The action is apparently the same action that is on the Kengs NS-522 which has a heavy barrel and more of a target rifle, There was also an EM-722 which is a competition grade .22 rifle.


Not sure why Marstar calls it a target rifle. The instruction booklet calls it a hunting rifle.

Let me know what you do to lighten the trigger. Mine has a two stage trigger.

Thanks.
 
Nice looking rig, I've been curious about these for a long time too. Keep us up today, and thanks for the review so far.

Vrex... how does it shoot?

MailleMas,

It shoots very well for my purposes (general plinking and offhand fun shoots)
Today, off sand bags, outside in the cold and a little breeze I had few sub 3/4 inch groups (5 shots at 50 yards and scoped). I tried to attach a pic but I can't yet.

Winchester DynaPoints seem to be the most accurate of the bulk ammo.
Federal Gold and CCI Standard Vel better yet.
Will shoot just about anything though.
Had some misfires with Remington Targets and Subsonics but my pistol doesn't like them either.

The two stage trigger takes a bit of getting use to. I might like to lighten it up in the future if possible.
 
A little update.

Went out to Poco today. No where near perfect condition, raining, and mild wind.

Here's some groups. For both targets, top row is shot with American eagle, 2nd row Rem Thunderbolt, 3rd row Eley target. Targets have 1" squares. Everything shot with cheapo Leaper 3-9X40 scope, and the gun on support. First target is shot at 25m and 2nd at 50m. Seems to me the gun likes American eagle better than it did Thunderbolt.

One problem I noticed was that it had some ejection problems. I think the action is designed to eject the spent casing up and to the right, but since I have a one piece scope mount, it prevented the casing from ejecting properly. So I had to tilt the gun to get rid of the casing, which probably contributed to the size of the groups.

Interior of the action is a bit rough, after all the shooting, there were shavings of metal in the action, but it sure smoothed out quite a bit.

Nothing impressive or surprising, but since the conditions are bad, I will try more groups when it's sunny out. But from the what I see so far, it will more than suffice for the job of hunting small critters. Target rifle, I very much doubt it is though.

25m
IMG_3951-1.jpg

50m
IMG_3952-1.jpg
 
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Regarding spare parts:

Nothing Norinco makes seems to be a proprietary design, their rimfires being CZ clones IIRC. Therefore, spare for the cloned item could probably be used or modified in a repair. Case in point being the reworked 1911s that seem to be all over CGN

I think it's one of their other models, the JW15A, that is a CZ clone. This one is supposedly patterned after a Norinco designed Olympic match rifle.
 
I think it's one of their other models, the JW15A, that is a CZ clone. This one is supposedly patterned after a Norinco designed Olympic match rifle.

That's pretty surprising seeing that Norinco has an original design. I wonder when can we get some of their Olympic match rifles.
 
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