Bought a shorty Norc JW15A on a whim last year with a 12in barrel. Original plan was a backpack gun but I really don't need one. Maybe a truck gun?? Haven't shot it and undecided if I should sell or keep it. Seems well made. What is the reputation of these rifles, good or not so good?
Norinco JW15A worth keeping?
- Thread starter jethunter
- Start date
Mine shoots surprisingly well. After I got it, I had to clean a LOT of grease out of it, with a total disassembly, to make it work, but apart from that it is great. I've got a cheap 4X scope on it and it's still nice and light. The bolt is probably smoother than my BRNO #1, and the trigger is fine.
For what you have into it which i'm guessing is less than 250 I'd say it's worth keeping. There's lots of good information on this thread that Hitzy started and if it wasn't for the that thread I wouldn't have one.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1276181-JW15A-13-quot-Not-a-raging-pile-of
I did install the yodave striker spring for $13.00 because I had a lot of light primer strikes the first time I took it out but now that I look back on it I think those light strikes had more to do with me not fully disassembling the bolt to remove all the grease that it came packed in.
I run mine with the CZ452 polymer 10 round magazines without any issue. Only other thing I want to mention is if you plan to scope it you might have to use medium height rings I found if I used low rings the bolt knob wouldn't clear the scope.
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1276181-JW15A-13-quot-Not-a-raging-pile-of
I did install the yodave striker spring for $13.00 because I had a lot of light primer strikes the first time I took it out but now that I look back on it I think those light strikes had more to do with me not fully disassembling the bolt to remove all the grease that it came packed in.
I run mine with the CZ452 polymer 10 round magazines without any issue. Only other thing I want to mention is if you plan to scope it you might have to use medium height rings I found if I used low rings the bolt knob wouldn't clear the scope.
Fun gun, more accurate than I expected it would be. Also heavier than the size of it would make you think it should be. I have a Little Badger and a Papoose, both of which break down smaller and are a LOT lighter, for backpacking purposes.
I put a cheap Chinese scope on it with cheap Chinese rings and a cheap Chinese bipod... I'd bought the gun on sale so, all in, I barely cracked $200 for the whole setup. And you know, considering everything about it (the gun, scope, rings, bipod) are cheap garbage... Somehow it ended up becoming more than the sum of its parts. It shoots decently out to 50 yards with subsonic ammo. I abuse the crap out of it (it spends a lot of time in the passenger footwell of the Kubota getting kicked around), because I don't care if it gets wrecked, but it seems to refuse to get wrecked.
I considered selling it at one point, but then decided against it. How the heck am I going to put together a decent little crap kicker for that kind of money again? And the supply seems to have dried up. You don't see them listed hardly ever anymore at the usual online retailers.
If you sell it, and want to replace it down the road, you'll probably end up kicking yourself. Something comparable will cost a lot more, if you can find it.
I put a cheap Chinese scope on it with cheap Chinese rings and a cheap Chinese bipod... I'd bought the gun on sale so, all in, I barely cracked $200 for the whole setup. And you know, considering everything about it (the gun, scope, rings, bipod) are cheap garbage... Somehow it ended up becoming more than the sum of its parts. It shoots decently out to 50 yards with subsonic ammo. I abuse the crap out of it (it spends a lot of time in the passenger footwell of the Kubota getting kicked around), because I don't care if it gets wrecked, but it seems to refuse to get wrecked.
I considered selling it at one point, but then decided against it. How the heck am I going to put together a decent little crap kicker for that kind of money again? And the supply seems to have dried up. You don't see them listed hardly ever anymore at the usual online retailers.
If you sell it, and want to replace it down the road, you'll probably end up kicking yourself. Something comparable will cost a lot more, if you can find it.
They're fun plinkers, decently accurate, convenient size, etc. Nothing special but on the other hand, pretty unique too. I had one for several years but for whatever reason, sold it a year or so ago...and kind of regret it a bit now. I'm contemplating another if I can get it for a good enough price. It was the least-used 22 at the time I sold it and would probably stay that way, BUT, even yesterday...I was out for a hike wondering if I should bring a 22 with me. Because of the high probability of rain, I didn't bring any of my "nicer" 22s...but I would have brought the backpacker if I had it.
That's the truth, I've never seen a commercially made gun packed in that much grease.
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I have a JW25A that cost me $235 new a few years ago.... originally it ticked me off with Marstar stuffing me with a mangled front sight refusing to take the rifle back after I missed the mangling until cleaning the gun (due to it being covered in goop) they only sent me a new front sight blade which I had to gunsmith install myself. However the JW25A is one heck of an accurate bolt gun. With a scope it will shoot within an inch at 100m with bulk ammo. I considered selling it but like the others said above its not worth selling for what the gun is. It takes CZ msgs so is comparable with other gear plus it's not replaceable for what I'd get out of it. As such it is a keeper gun for me.
Plus I have no qualms leaning it out or bringing up for guests to use as a trainer/learning rifle.
It's really fun with the large cap CZ mag installed
If you want a superlight backpacking bolt gun so long as single shot isn't an issue I bought my daughter a Henry Mini Bolt which is very accurate and weighs about 2lbs. They are very well made and can be had for as little as $150. I got the pink camo version as a learning trainer but shooting it 5x myself it's very accurate even my 6yr old shot bullseyes
Plus I have no qualms leaning it out or bringing up for guests to use as a trainer/learning rifle.
It's really fun with the large cap CZ mag installed
If you want a superlight backpacking bolt gun so long as single shot isn't an issue I bought my daughter a Henry Mini Bolt which is very accurate and weighs about 2lbs. They are very well made and can be had for as little as $150. I got the pink camo version as a learning trainer but shooting it 5x myself it's very accurate even my 6yr old shot bullseyes
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That's a pretty solid summary... it's a weird rimfire-firearm to shoehorn, because:
- it's not overly compact (aside from the barrel) for transport considerations;
- despite its weight & size it's not a semi-automatic;
- the magazine-capacity (5-rounder standard and IIRC aftermarket 10-rounders) are nothing out of the ordinary;
- the provision for mounting a scope is a bit odd (higher rings to clear that bolt-throw); and
- there's no real "gimmick" (i.e. like floating, take-down, lightweight) to it.
That said, what is it? As with anything, it'll fill a different niche for different users, but here are some thoughts:
- it's a "complete" rifle (and takes up less room than a "full size" rimfire rifle that might be more awkward to tuck into a vehicle);
- it has a surprisingly reliable and smooth bolt-throw;
- it's actually one of the few "out of the box" magazine-fed "backpack" bolt-actions out there (and the detachable magazine may also be a consideration for ATV'ers);
- the 5-round magazine sits pleasantly "flush";
- its dovetail groove allows for surprisingly aligned scope-mounting (a consideration when quick-detach rings are being used); and
- it puts up nice short-range accuracy when scoped.
Anyhow, just my $0.02 ...
It is a poorly finished CZ clone, perhaps slightly less accurate but well made. I prefer it to the .22 LR stevens 300f bolt action version. So to me its the best of a group of 2. That synthetic stock is where the weight resides, it seems the chinese always make them beefy. Maybe a good thing for a beater, not so good for light weight. I'd keep it, just because they shoot pretty well.
Adding a tactical bolt knob improves the feel of the gun alot. The one I tried is a sticky rubber similar to hogue overmolded stocks.
To get one, Search ebay.ca for Tourbon rifle tactical bolt knob rubber handle etc., Make an offer of 4.25 U$ shipped each (that's the lowest they'll go), its the tourbon HA00057. takes about a month to arrive by snail mail. The knob, btw improves the other CZ's, Marlin bolt action rimfires, and especially the Norinco Scorpio bolt action rimfires (with the too short bolt handle).
Note that there are two sizes of the tourbon knob, and you want the smaller one for these applications.
Adding a tactical bolt knob improves the feel of the gun alot. The one I tried is a sticky rubber similar to hogue overmolded stocks.
To get one, Search ebay.ca for Tourbon rifle tactical bolt knob rubber handle etc., Make an offer of 4.25 U$ shipped each (that's the lowest they'll go), its the tourbon HA00057. takes about a month to arrive by snail mail. The knob, btw improves the other CZ's, Marlin bolt action rimfires, and especially the Norinco Scorpio bolt action rimfires (with the too short bolt handle).
Note that there are two sizes of the tourbon knob, and you want the smaller one for these applications.
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Collector?...long range target shooter? .never was or will be....but about the best grouse gun you could have in your truck or quad.utilitarian,functional ,compact ,accurate and just about indestructible.never leave home without it...the only thing you can’t do is brag about owning a nornico...but other than that it’s just fine for the purpose intended- a shooter...
I had a JW 15 with the short barrel, for what it cost, construction was decent a little rough but for what i paid for it i was satisfied. Accuracy was decent with a compact scope. I really dont like iron sights on such a short rifle. At 25 yards its ok but beyond that i found the short sight distance didnt make for very good accuracy for me. I sort of bought it on a whim too thinking how cool is this and would make for a great handy rifle. I found due to the short barrel it was very loud compared to a rifle with an 18"+ barrel. Also carrying it around was easier but a lot more care should be taken when creeping around the bush as it could be easy to cross yourself with such a short barrel. Another thing perhaps its me being paranoid but something i really concern myself with now in guns i own are when things break. Where are you with customer service and parts support with Norinco?
I also had a few stevens 305/300F with the short barrel, again they were cool looking with awesome customer service/parts supply but found myself wanting the longer barrel as well. I sort of wheel and deal if you haven't guessed. There is a lot of love for the SBR rifles just not from me also im not really into the backpack gun thing although i do have a Savage Rascal for my boys.
I also had a few stevens 305/300F with the short barrel, again they were cool looking with awesome customer service/parts supply but found myself wanting the longer barrel as well. I sort of wheel and deal if you haven't guessed. There is a lot of love for the SBR rifles just not from me also im not really into the backpack gun thing although i do have a Savage Rascal for my boys.
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Norinco is strictly utilitarian and not as finely finished as the BRNO but moving parts can be smoothed out by applying toothpaste( polishing compound) and working the action.I vastly prefer the plastic stocks to their clunky softwood wood stocks .Open sights are not an option for me anymore so I have to use a scope anyway,and a 4x Bushnell rimfire is a good match for the JW15a.The short barrels are louder,but I use ‘quiet’22 shells anyway ,which possibly more accurate than hyper velocity shells.Makes no difernce to a grouse hit in the head.
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