Does anyone own A Norinco JW-15?

I have several (8) Jw-15 guns that I purchased back in the 90's. They were cheap then, about 70 bucks dealer price. Recently,while trying to search the web for info, I found that a lot of people complain about the same things that I noticed. I was concerned that there was no information out to correct the problems.

The biggest problem with them was the rough manufacture. This caused the bolt to be rough, and have a loud click. The trigger was rough, and the safety was so hard that it hurt the finger to use it.

Sooon after I got them, worked out where to smooth and alter things in each of the areas, trigger, bolt, safety, and magazine, and now all my JW-15's have no real issues.

Is anyone interested in what mods I did so they can modify their guns? It will require small files and stones. Heat treatment of the safety afterwards is recommended.


BTW, If you have one, and are looking for a replacement stock, Then look at the link below. They have them. You have to do the final fitting and finish. I justordered a couple.

http://www.gunstocks.com/

http://www.gunstocks.com/gallery2/ma...serialNumber=3


Bion.

I bought 4 for the local Air Cadet Flight some years back. They were rough, but a few slabs of ammo and eager teenagers soon had that sorted. The wobbly sights were the only drawback I found apart from the roughness.

They are on special at the local gunshop with a synthetic stock and a 4-12x Nikko Sterling scope fitted. They also have the threaded barrel (to protect the crown :D ) for $AU325 which is real cheap for Australia.

Ahh, so lucky to still be able to get these rifles there and in Canada.

I have been wondering if it is possible to get stocks imported through Canada. If so, I could get the synthetic that norinco makes.

Here's a link to MarStar: http://www.marstar.ca/index.shtm

They have the Norinco M-14 (.308) for sale, except, they're out of stock. Would be nice to get a few of these at that price.

RRR

Red River Rick. I hope the quality of the knock off m-14`s is better than the 2 I bought about 12 years ago or so. The quality and fit and finish were about on a par with a cinder block. About that same time an article was published about how these rifles were dangerous after only firing 100 rounds due to little or no heat treating the actions. Even the clips were pitiful, came with 3 I believe 20 rounders. I put them in a gun shop on commision and sold both the next day to a guy that actually knew about them and still wanted them. The only Norinco rifle that I now own is the copy of a German M-98 .22 training rifle. I`d like another clip for it, but can`t find any. Robert :(

Check this out, an Aussie guy with one who has a good sense of humour (the triggers so bad it is actually fun to use :) )

I'll check out my mate's gunshop for a clip hardcast. He posts stuff overseas all of the time. I like that Mauser style trainer, I was a bit strapped for cash every time I saw one and they always fell into the like not need category (not that falling into that category ever stopped me much).

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Originally Posted by housedad

I have several (8) Jw-15 guns that I purchased back in the 90's. They were cheap then, about 70 bucks dealer price. Recently,while trying to search the web for info, I found that a lot of people complain about the same things that I noticed. I was concerned that there was no information out to correct the problems.

The biggest problem with them was the rough manufacture. This caused the bolt to be rough, and have a loud click. The trigger was rough, and the safety was so hard that it hurt the finger to use it.

Sooon after I got them, worked out where to smooth and alter things in each of the areas, trigger, bolt, safety, and magazine, and now all my JW-15's have no real issues.

Is anyone interested in what mods I did so they can modify their guns? It will require small files and stones. Heat treatment of the safety afterwards is recommended.


BTW, If you have one, and are looking for a replacement stock, Then look at the link below. They have them. You have to do the final fitting and finish. I justordered a couple.

http://www.gunstocks.com/

http://www.gunstocks.com/gallery2/ma...serialNumber=3


Bion.

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Housedad.

This is my first post. I am WVHunter129 and I just joined. I was doing some research on JW-15's and came across this site and your post. As you can see by my user ID I am from WV.

Thanks for the information you have shared about your JW-15. I bought one back in the early 90's before the ridiculous ban that was put on them. I love mine and it shoots accurate.

The saftey is awful stiff like you said it will hurt your fingers. Mine is topped off with a Bushnell 3-9x40 scope. I can drive tacks with it. I set on the back porch in the spring and summer shooting rats that try and come up and steal the dogs food in the evenings.

I have used mine squirrel hunting. I prefer it over my Remington 552 and my Ruger 10/22.

My son loves my rifle so much he has been desperately looking for one. Of course he knows that the only way to get one is from an individual or maybe at a gun show. He found one last year (2009) at a local gun show but at the time didn't have the money.

If you would ever decide to sell one of those please contact me. I would love to get him one for a present.

Here is a picture of mine JW-15 buttstock where I place a West Virginia belt buckle in the stock. I did this to customize my rifle to where I figured I would never get rid of it. OF course I haven't gotten rid of it, but have had many people want the rifle after they saw it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...9/ecae4df4.jpg

I have also put a bi-pod on the front. The mounts I use for my scope mount are not the see through kind. I had to remove the rear site to get the scope to mount. I wouldn't take a farm in Georgia for my JW-15. I do have two 5 round magazines for it.

I thought I had a picture of my whole rifle but I don't. So the buttstock is all I can show.

I am checking out the link you provided for the stocks. The JW-15 would really be a show piece with a real good quality stock on it. Thanks for that link.

If you have any tips for making the saftey a little less hard to work I would like to hear them.

Housedad

You have an extra http:// in your Gunstocks hyperlink.

Are there any other makes of rifles out there that have magazines that will work with the JW-15? I read somewhere that a CZ452 magazine would fit.

Can someone post a pic of the whole rifle?

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Originally Posted by WVHunter129

Are there any other makes of rifles out there that have magazines that will work with the JW-15? I read somewhere that a CZ452 magazine would fit.

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They do. I've owned several JW-15 rifles and all shot quite accurately. They are NOT a CZ or BRNO but they aren't priced like them either. I also purchased several additional Chinese magazines for use in my BRNO and CZ .22 rifles. They required a small amount of file work but work as well as factory mags.

It amuses me when I read the horror stories about Chinese guns and how awful they are. I sold and owned Polytech M-14 rifles. Not a single complaint from a customer and the one I owned worked perfectly. Wish I still owned it.

The same stories were told about the Norinco Model of the 1911 pistols. I was friends with one of the top 1911 gunsmiths in the country at the time and he was very impressed with the quality of the pistols. They were inexpensive but they weren't cheaply made and if you find a used one today, expect to pay $500 or more for it.

The Modelo 1927 Argentine .45's were also pilloried as soft and a ***. I'm glad I got mine before people found out the truth. Now they sell for a pretty penny when you can find one the owner is willing to let go.

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Originally Posted by WVHunter129

Are there any other makes of rifles out there that have magazines that will work with the JW-15? I read somewhere that a CZ452 magazine would fit.

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Yep, a little file work might be needed to get it to fit good but you can use the 5 rounders and 10 rounders.
Upside is they feed better than the stock mags.

They're a copy of the BRNO No1, but have a whole different trigger group.
The trigger is set pretty light and crisp from the factory, but a little polishing can have it going like snapping glass.

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Originally Posted by deltaenterprizes

Can someone post a pic of the whole rifle?

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I'm onto my 5th one now as I love customizing them as they're just such a cheap yet accurate starting point.
Original one, stock refinished:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...17880_full.jpg
Cut down for my Lil Sis to learn to shoot with:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/DSCF0201.jpg
Sniper model, this one is in bits again as I mod the stock further.
This one will have shots touching at 50m with the stock bedded, barrel floated and I haven't even crowned the barrel since the chop.
Ultimate plan for this one is to find and machine a Ruger 1022 barrel in .17HM2 to re barrel this rifle with.
Trigger has been polished but I'm gonna be looking at a solution to the extensive overtravel using a spring and metal stop.
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/PICT0527.jpg

I also have one of the JW23 in .22WMR which is a great goat and pig gun:
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/DSCF0167.jpg

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Sooon after I got them, worked out where to smooth and alter things in each of the areas, trigger, bolt, safety, and magazine, and now all my JW-15's have no real issues.

Is anyone interested in what mods I did so they can modify their guns? It will require small files and stones. Heat treatment of the safety afterwards is recommended.

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Definitely keen to see what you've done mate.
Post 'em up and I'll find some pics of things I have done to mine.

Also let us know how it goes with those stocks, I wouldn't mind getting a hold of one in the future.

I am also interested in the mods done. I love my JW-15. It shoots very accurate and I have used it to take many squirrels with. I shot rats in the backyard as I believe I have mentioned earlier.

I would really like to tweak my JW 15 up a little. Even thought about having the original stock glass bedded but didn't know anyone to do it. I probably could, but have never done it before.

I wish I would of bought two when I got mine. My son, who is 24 now, wants one so bad and since we can't buy them in the US new, we check Gun Brokers.com, Auction Arms and other sites as well as our local pawn shops.

So if you don't mind post those mods you have done.

Te Hopo, you guys are so lucky to be able to get those rifles. Finding one here in the states is like find a needle in a haystack. Since I bought mine back in the early 90's before the ban, I have only seen one locally, at a gun show, and about 4 on the internet gun auction sites. Of course all used. We can't buy them new, unless some gun shop or pawn shop has one they never sold before the ban.

Nice looking rifles. Your first picture is what mine looks like except I put the West Virginia belt buckel in the stock and I have a bi-pod mounted on the front sling stud.

I never regret buying my JW-15, I just regret not getting one for my son back when I bought mine.

Hmmm, yea I like the idea of the belt buckle, I might have to find a suitable buckle for one of my rifles.

The Norinco's are everywhere here, all the stores have them as they sell so well to new shooters looking for something cheap with a good reputation.

WVHunter, I'd like to suggest that you have a look at the Remington .22 bolt rifles made by Zastava in Bosnia. I've seen them new for under $200 and they are head and shoulders above the JW-15 in every way. I have two - consecutive serial numbers - and they are very accurate. The quality is much better than the price would suggest.

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Originally Posted by housedad

I have several (8) Jw-15 guns that I purchased back in the 90's.
Is anyone interested in what mods I did so they can modify their guns? It will require small files and stones. Heat treatment of the safety afterwards is recommended.

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I'm SUPER interested in those Mod's.
Can you please share them with me?
I Just bought a Rifle last year, and I will love to fix those issues.

Thanks,
R. Pozos

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Originally Posted by Te Hopo

Hmmm, yea I like the idea of the belt buckle, I might have to find a suitable buckle for one of my rifles.

The Norinco's are everywhere here, all the stores have them as they sell so well to new shooters looking for something cheap with a good reputation.

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That has given me a great idea. I am a member of the Cowboy Action Shooting Society of Australia (CASS) and we have a great looking big brass belt buckle. Unfortunately, mine broke and as they were only $20 I bought another, The brass is pretty ordinary and is poured by hand on a beach in Bali where our President spends his holidays, so I didn't fancy my chances of soldering it without doing damage to it. It will look great mounted on the stock of my cowboy rifle! Thanks.

PS, I have a Cinese wife and her son in law is a charming guy who loves guns, knives, swords, etc, but is unable to own them in China. I saw a mint 1911 Norinco 9mm cheap and bought it for him. I sent him an email with pictures saying 'Congratulations! You are now a gun owner!' He is wrapped and stuck pictures of it all over his office! He is the hero of the office amongst the men there. It is rapidly becoming my fav auto, it is a well made solid pistol.

I'm looking for a JW 15 owner's manual. Please contact me at larry@cpafirmsupport.com

I just found a pdf copy at: http://stevespages.com/pdf/norinco_jw15.pdf

I spoke to my friend at Western Firearms here and he said he probably would have one in stock and could order them in, but was not sure about exporting them because they were a firearm part.

He said that Norincos were about to be marketed in America under the Taurus brand. He was not sure if they were to be still produced in China or were to be made in South America. Check with the Taurus distributors. Good luck.

I have a JW 15 and am interested in the mods you have done. I also find my safety to be very stiff but the rifle is extremly accurate. I believe Boyds also made, or maybe still does make, stocks for them.

I also have a Poly Tech M14 that I love and it just keeps on shooting. The metal finish is OK but the wood leaves something to be desired. The serial number is only etched into the receiver with an electric engraving pin. I heard an interesting story as to why. It was told to me that the Chinese first produced these to arm the insurgents in the Phillipines with no serial numbers. When it appeared that there would not be a large uprising they sold them on the American sporting market.

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Originally Posted by psj12

I have a JW 15 and am interested in the mods you have done. I also find my safety to be very stiff but the rifle is extremly accurate. I believe Boyds als made, or maybe still does make, stocks for them.

I also have a Poly Tech M14 that I love and it just keeps on shooting. The metal finish is OK but the wood leaves something to be desired. The serial number is only etched into the receiver with an electric engraving pin. I heard an interesting story as to why. It told to me that the Chinese first produced these to arm the insurgents in the Phillipines with no serial numbers. When it appeared that there would not be a large uprising they sold them on the American sporting market.

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If it is any consolation, the BRNO which the JW15 is a clone of also had an impossibly stiff safety. I have had a model 2 BRNO since since 1980 or thereabouts and the safety is still as stiff as an old man in winter.

If you were going to equip Phillipino soldiers with a Chinese weapon, I would have thought that the M14 clone would have been a poor choice as they are invariably smallish people. AK47 would be the way to go.

I could never get the necessary expendible together when they were legal and on sale here.

I really like my JW 15, it was so so on the accuracy, nothing under an inch @ 50yds until my Buddy told me to try some of his CCI mini Mags. They don't usually group worth a #@% in anything I have but I tried them anyway. They shoot 3/8th of an inch all day long. Will wonders never cease? LOL. A new and nice stock is in it's future. If I ever find another I will buy it also. What I really want is the 22 mag version, the JW23 I believe.

Steve E............

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Originally Posted by doubs43

They do. I've owned several JW-15 rifles and all shot quite accurately. They are NOT a CZ or BRNO but they aren't priced like them either. I also purchased several additional Chinese magazines for use in my BRNO and CZ .22 rifles. They required a small amount of file work but work as well as factory mags.

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Do you (or anyone) know of a source of the Norinco mags? J&G Sales is long out.

The absurdity of some things. Most things purchased here are imported from China but no Chinese firearms..... makes not one bit of sense.

Did you try Taurus? They are being advertised here with a Puma logo attached (beside the Norinco).

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Originally Posted by Hardcast416taylor

Red River Rick. I hope the quality of the knock off m-14`s is better than the 2 I bought about 12 years ago or so. The quality and fit and finish were about on a par with a cinder block. About that same time an article was published about how these rifles were dangerous after only firing 100 rounds due to little or no heat treating the actions. Even the clips were pitiful, came with 3 I believe 20 rounders. I put them in a gun shop on commision and sold both the next day to a guy that actually knew about them and still wanted them. The only Norinco rifle that I now own is the copy of a German M-98 .22 training rifle. I`d like another clip for it, but can`t find any. Robert :(

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The quality of the Norinco M305 is very much better than reported by those who tried the early import polytech M-14 clones. I have 2 of the later version M-14 Norinco clones and they are durable and reliable. With Norinco products quality depends on the factory they are manufactured in. Norinco has possibly fifteen or twenty factories manufacturing various firearms. Some of their guns are great, some do not function that well.

I bought an early JW15 in the 1980s. The stock inletting was horrendous and the bolt holding the action to the stock put a gentle bend in the barrel as the stock bolt was tightened. Bedding with JB Weld (mixed with powdered glass wool) and green fibreglas release agent on the action and barrel trued up the bedding. The gun now holds under an inch at 50 metres with subsonic (target) ammo. It does not like any ammo that goes over the speed of sound and groups will open up. Later Norinco 22 rifles have not had that issue.

Marstar in Canada has magazines, as does Lever arms. Thanks to Mr. CLinton and the trade agreement he set up with China some chinese made firearms can not be imported into the U.S. I don't know if this applies to magazines for 22 rimfire. How could you guys elect putz's like Clinton and Obama? Mind you Canada had Chretien and Trudeau who were far worse....

I have at least 5 of the JW15 military trainer models, a browning semi auto clone, a couple of heavy barrel JW15s, and a couple of M-97 trench gun clones. All work well. Some have small faults that are easily put right. All have cost me very little.

Oh did I mention the Norinco SKS rifles - some are right nasty but the majority are the same fit finish and function as the Russian SKS rifles, and of the numerous SKS rifles there were a significant number that would group surplus chinese ammo under 1.5 inches at 100 metres. The Norinco ammo was marked "non Corrosive" - that was a lie, and it was also loaded so hot that the recoil from the bolt slamming back would destroy a scope in between 20 and 75 shots. The Bushnell warrantee works BTW.

Chezk ammo is still corrosive but is not loaded as hot.

Bottom line the Norinco 22 rimfire rifles are great value for the money. Some need a little tinkering and cleaning in order to get to shoot accurately. In fact ever norinco I ever purchased needed a thorough cleaning to get rid of the cosmoline that sometimes had bits of metal from the machined castings it it.

In fact the only gun I did not like was the Norinco NP-18, a copy of a FEG, which was a copy of the browning hi power. It was built for small hands and skinny fingers.

Maybe they meant non corrosive in that it wouldn't rot the brass around the primer before you shot it, 'Hah! you think this stuff is corrosive, you should have seen the old stuff!' Unless it is a well known brand I treat it as all corrosive.

I only have one Norinco now, a 1911 in 9mm, great gun.

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Originally Posted by Four Fingers of Death

Maybe they meant non corrosive in that it wouldn't rot the brass around the primer before you shot it, 'Hah! you think this stuff is corrosive, you should have seen the old stuff!' Unless it is a well known brand I treat it as all corrosive.

I only have one Norinco now, a 1911 in 9mm, great gun.

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Their "non corrosive" ammo certainly turned the bolt of my AKS56 a very nice fuzzy brown within about 24 hours. It was steel case ammo as well - and loaded to the nines putting out a 123 grain bullet at 2610 fps over the chronograph. A scope that lasted 50 shots was doing well. The chronograph and the slam bang of the action in my SKS told me the ammo was just a bit high pressure.
BUt it was very accurate ammo - shooting into under an inch at 100 metres until the lens elements in the scope shook loose.

I used to have a Russian SKS, real old beater, but shot like a dream. I forgot to clean it once and the gas piston siezed up. No amount of soaking would shift it, so I got a drift and progressively larger hammers. My smallest sledge hammer shifted it (after about 5 blows). I didn't think it would ver work again, but after I de rusted it all and oiled it, it was good to go! One tough rifle!