JW15A-13"... Not a raging pile of ####

Hitzy

Hitzy

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I have a love hate relationship with Nork products..... I've owned a dozen or more pistols rifles and shotguns over the years, and 95% of them were disappointments in either fit/finish or function (yes even at the low prices I'm not happy with milling that looks like it was done with a rock and chisel).
Currently all that remains are a DA 12" 870, Nork 22" M1A, and 2 NS522.
The last disappointment was a JW25A....looked OK on the outside, but everything was so roughly machined inside.... Could barely cycle the action it would bind so bad, safety didn't work at all, and trigger pull was about 15lbs. Pile-o-crap.
So then I see one of these and think it would make a handy grouse gun...I got a soft spot for short barrel rifles too.
It's the same action as the 25A that was brutal, so what's different? Well they have started to investment cast a bunch of parts for these...mag housing, trigger parts, some bolt parts, and they look pretty good because they have not been dull tool milled. Also the interior mill work is much better...bolt will slide back and forth just with gravity, relatively smooth action. Even the mag is much better made then the 25A I had recently. Trigger pull is not bad either....and the safety works.
Now the stock is not fantastic, but on a .22 the flex won't matter much. It's pretty much the texture and consistency of a rubber tire. Rear sight has no tension on the elevation ramp so it needs a bend when I get some time, and other then the inside of the stamped trigger guard you won't cut yourself on any of the milled edges. If it shoots good I'll be pleased with it and might even keep it lol. For $189...

 
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I picked up one of these last fall at the Crappy Tire in Cold Lake while I was up there deer hunting. Just something cheap to plink around with while I was killing time when we weren't in our morning/evening hides, or actively shaking the brush looking for grouse.

And I pretty much have the same impression. Not a great gun, by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad either. Accuracy is so-so, but reasonable for the cost of the gun and length of the barrel.

It's a clone of the Brno 2E/CZ 452 action, even takes the same mags (I have a 452 Lux, so that's kinda nice).

I threw a cheap scope and bipod on it, kinda just because I wanted to. Keeping it as a fun little plinker, might pass it on to my daughter when she graduates from her air rifle - should make a decent starter bolt .22 for a small person.
 
jjohnwm said:
"...Not a raging pile of ####."

With an endorsement like that...how can you go wrong? :)
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I'm a pretty harsh (and I like to think) honest critic when it comes to gun reviews on CGN....there is a lot of bad information on here, not necessarily intentionally, but possibily just due to newbs getting excited over new toys, or not having enough gun/shooting experience to really compare guns from other makers.
If you just skimmed over CGN reviews you would think Norks are the best guns ever made, 5" groups shot with a scoped NEA at 25m is "really good shooting", FTF is normal in a $1200 black rifle, cheap Chinese scopes/optics are better then anything made in the US or Japan....etc etc lol.
 
I've owned several Norcs over the years (and currently have three.) All of them have been well made, accurate and functioned very well. I'm sure there are lemons, but that's true of most makers. My two best revolvers are S&W, but I also bought one that was so severely defective it had to be returned for warranty service right out of the box. So you never know.

Anyway, I really like the J15A 13. Fun and handy little gun. Too bad the bolt lift is so high. It tends to get in the way of a scope. I put a Skinner peep sight on mine. Looks and works great and makes the whole package very rugged.
 
I own one aswel and it's a fun little plinker handy seize and not to bad on accuracy ... I picked mine up for under $150 so really how bad can it get
 
I have a fixed 4x Simmons on mine. Fun little plinker and 10rnd CZ polymer mags work great….

DSCN1715_zpsejtkhmlf.jpg
 
Agreed. Allot of .22s have come and gone over the last few years..but my own Backpacker stays. Worth more than I could ever get for it used, and it's pretty accurate when you feed it decent ammo. The Norinco mag that came with mine was a steaming pile of s_ _t, but I run mine with 5 round, steel CZ452 mags and the gun runs like a top. Not CZ quality by any means, but definitely worth what I paid for it about 4-5 years ago~$170.
 
Red dot was a fail....I have a pretty low dovetail to weaver rail, but still way too high to use. Ended up mounting a nice old made in Japan 1.5-4x22 Banner...Tradex had them NOS a while back for $50, bought a few of them.....really decent glass for the price.
I'll probably get it out on Sunday and will report back. I have a variety of .22 ammo from target to garbage so we will see what it likes. Sure does shoulder nice and fast lol
 
good to hear, I also had a 25a and it was horrid as you state. I spent a fair amount of time smoothing mine and it was better, but it didn't shoot to point of aim, no matter what I did.

can you do some clear well lit close up shots of the action, bolt, sights etc?

I wonder if anyone will make a decent wood stock for it?

hows the accuracy?
 
For sure. I'll get some pics tonight, won't be shooting until Sunday though.
Boyds makes wood for the JW15 that should work
 
I can't buy one from Canadian Tire since they don't sell firearms on the Wet Coast and they don't sell them online. Does anyone know of any stores that are selling these?
 
North Pro Sports....
Noticed a new version available from Milarm with a thumbhole stock....ignore the winners in the video lol only pic I could find of it.
[YouTube]A6uosUAV-PU[/YouTube]
 
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The one i had shot much better then i could shot it but then its harder to hold it steady compared to a longer gun. Overal i liked it but it was to loud and i couldnt shot it as accurately as id like.
 
I've owned a smattering of .22s including a jw-25 and Savage mkII and this little Norinco is my favorite. It's a gem to shoot and groups 1.5" consistently offhand at 50m with cheap and dirty Remington thunderbolt bulk. I tossed a cheap rimfire 3-9x32 scope on it and couldn't be happier.

The stock is cheap as hell, though. I was wondering if a Boyd's custom job for a CZ 452 would fit, since the Norinco is essentially a short-barelled clone.
 
marmot said:
I've owned a smattering of .22s including a jw-25 and Savage mkII and this little Norinco is my favorite. It's a gem to shoot and groups 1.5" consistently offhand at 50m with cheap and dirty Remington thunderbolt bulk. I tossed a cheap rimfire 3-9x32 scope on it and couldn't be happier.

The stock is cheap as hell, though. I was wondering if a Boyd's custom job for a CZ 452 would fit, since the Norinco is essentially a short-barelled clone.
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Boyds makes stocks for these...couple different stock types too.
http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindAStock?Make=3G&Model=B13&Action=25&Shape=1A&Finish=1

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindAStock?Make=3G&Model=B13&Action=25&Shape=22

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindAStock?Make=3G&Model=B13&Action=25&Shape=1E
 
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