The Norinco M334 in detail. A bizarre Mauser variant! Now with range report.

I have to disagree there. 500 for something that crude is just not worth it. These are so far below the quality of a Zastava that there is no comparison.

You would be far better off buying a used Husqvarna 1600 , Zastava, parker hale, or just about any other budget hunting rifle out there, even if you have to spend a bit more.

You can't disagree that this is what it costs to make them. So its priced for what it is. Whether it's worth it to you is another matter, some people thought the Zastavas weren't worth it either.
Of course my opinion is that anything Husqvarna is better, but you can say that about lots of new guns. The used market is better for value, but some people just have to buy new. Why else would anyone buy an Axis?
 
I see that the OP mentioned that the stock was beginning to crack. From firing the gun while poorly fitted or the wood drying out improperly? If the stock broke on these, would another K98 type stock fit? Or would that long front ring make it a doorstop? I guess I mean, do these 334's have a unique or proprietary shape that wouldn't allow stock replacement?
 
I see that the OP mentioned that the stock was beginning to crack. From firing the gun while poorly fitted or the wood drying out improperly? If the stock broke on these, would another K98 type stock fit? Or would that long front ring make it a doorstop? I guess I mean, do these 334's have a unique or proprietary shape that wouldn't allow stock replacement?
. They are a short action and not shaped like any other Mauser. That being said, I'm sure with enough skill and time a better stock could be fit. I don't know why my example started to split but the wood seemed very poor and the inletting was beyond crude. Just look at the pictures posted by the various dealers and you will see how absolutely crudely done it is.
 
Zastava vs Norinco
Not even close IMO but let's compare designs. The pictures tell the whole story. It's not the first Zastava to be copied by China
The main difference is the pinned barrel
Which one is a short action again?

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Zastava vs Norinco
Not even close IMO but let's compare designs. The pictures tell the whole story. It's not the first Zastava to be copied by China
The main difference is the pinned barrel
Which one is a short action again?

Thanks for the pics. Pretty obvious which one is a short action. The extra length of the front ring has nothing to do with the bolt length or magazine spacing.

Can you address some of the other concerns I asked about previously?
 
Thanks for the pics. Pretty obvious which one is a short action. The extra length of the front ring has nothing to do with the bolt length or magazine spacing.

Can you address some of the other concerns I asked about previously?

I appreciate that you wanted to teach me about short actions, but you may have missed my point. It's a massive action for a 308, with lots of extra steel too.
As a seller of fine European guns I don't want to look like I'm defending a cheap Chinese copy of a cheap Serbian design, but I will still address factual questions when I have a few minutes. We still have dozens of Carcanos to ship today so all in due time. I'm glad you appreciated my contribution.
 
I appreciate that you wanted to teach me about short actions, but you may have missed my point. It's a massive action for a 308, with lots of extra steel too.
As a seller of fine European guns I don't want to look like I'm defending a cheap Chinese copy of a cheap Serbian design, but I will still address factual questions when I have a few minutes. We still have dozens of Carcanos to ship today so all in due time. I'm glad you appreciated my contribution.

Ok thanks. Not to nit pick but the "cheap Serbian design " is actually a copy of the FN action. Not nearly as nice obviously.
 
Interesting piece of Chinesium elementary school shop class junk lol. Wouldn't touch this one with a stolen d!ck for any money.



Props to GNG for showing them as they are.
 
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Ok thanks. Not to nit pick but the "cheap Serbian design " is actually a copy of the FN action. Not nearly as nice obviously.

With a completely different trigger and safety system though

So I'm basing my opinion on the example I owned, info from past dealers and importer and other owners. If these are indeed old stock, I don't see why they wouldn't have the same potential issues my example and previously imported batches had.

Have you read through this thread thoroughly? Can you address some of the concerns? Not trying to be confrontational or anything like that but I'm genuinely interested in seeing if these are any better and possibly saving people from buying potentially dangerous guns. Mine had some serious issues like a firing pin that pierced primers and a bolt that couldn't be fully closed into battery. Others reported of excessive headspace, which isn't necessarily that dangerous but definitely not a good thing.

Are they drilled and tapped for standard commonly available screws?
Are the firing pins smooth with proper protrusion?
Do the bolts fully close?
Do they feed and eject reliably?
Do they all headspace correctly?

The only issue I noticed out of those is that the threads are still not standard
Cycling is rough as expected, but not bad considering it was probably made by children with files holding the work between their toes
 
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Serious question here.

Did they use a longer front receiver ring because they pinned the barrel? Like more surface for friction fit, making chances of barrel walking less likely?

I bet they didnt have the resources for threading receiver/barrel. "New old stock" when were these manufactured?
 
Zastava's a fairy rough action, can't imagine what a Chinese clone would feel like lol.
Lot of steps to making a Mauser properly, the pinned barrel was likely done to meet the customers price point speeding things up.
 
They’re junk! That’s clear.

One can get as many very good quality used bolt action Mauser sporters for the same money, or less, from several of the dealerships on here.

Ted
 
The chu wood stock alone, which is inferior to the hardwood or walnut used by everyone else for very good reasons, should be a sign that the norinco is not a good choice. At a minimum the stock will need to bedded or replaced.
 
With a completely different trigger and safety system though



The only issue I noticed out of those is that the threads are still not standard
Cycling is rough as expected, but not bad considering it was probably made by children with files holding the work between their toes

Ok thanks for looking and providing the info on these.
 
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