Stumbled on a box of Norma 357 mag, 158gr sopt point, flat nose. I can't find any info about this ammo. Anyone help out? No dates on the box

As always, dazed and confused.

I remember Norma 357 mag back in the late 1960's and 1970's as being fairly popular. At the time they also produced probably the hottest 38 spl ammo available. It was all loaded hot and was high quality stuff.

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S&W Armorer
Lost in the 50s

First rate ammo.

Norma Precision - ammunition
They have quite a web site with a ballistics section . I have used Norma product , brass and factory loads for 308 Norma Mag and 6.5 Swede and have been happy with it , but I am happy anytime I don't get totally ripped off these days .

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Idaho , Elmer and Milt

thanks for the Norma site. They only had info on rifle ammo. I didn't see anything on pistol. Any other ideas?

Semper Fi

Norma still markets rifle ammo but I'm not sure about pistol.I've bought a lot of rifle brass made by them and it's all first rate quality.Don't remember if I've used any of their pistol factory ammo but I'd expect it to be good quality.Only way to know about the velocity specs is to chrono it from your gun.From years ago,it always had the reputation for being good high performance ammo.

I found this on the net.

Just looking at a 1967 Shooters Bible.
(Velocities from 8 3/8" barrels)
Remington offered only three .357 Mag loads.
158 Hi-Speed Lead SWC @ 1,410 FPS.
158 Hi-Speed Lead Metal Piercing @ 1,410 FPS.
158 Hi-Speed JSP @ 1,550 FPS.
Winchester offered two.
158 lead SWC @ 1,410 FPS.
158 lead Metal Piercing @ 1,410 FPS.
Norma only had one load.
158 JSP @ 1,520 FPS.

From "Ammo and Ballistics II"

Norma 158 gr. soft point flat nose (product code 19107) from 4" barrel.
1214fps muzzle vel.
515 ft. lbs.
BC- 0.181

They also made FMJ and JHP loads with 158 gr. bullets listing identical muzzle velocities.

My Dad was Newark PD, and they carried .38 Norma hollow points as duty ammunition in the 60’s.

Thanks jellybean. The product code matches. I will use this as carry ammo in my 19-3, 4". Always good info here.

Semper Fi

Norma's heyday of revolver ammo was back in the 60's and 70's but has since become mostly rifle ammo. They were[4-6 years ago] working with Black Hills Ammo but I think that is no longer the case.
I have some of their 44mag which is marked for carbines only!
It was hot ammo.

A few years ago I ran across three fifty round boxes of 357MAG brass. Really nice stuff, drilled flash holes, uniform size and weight. I wish I could buy more. I loaded some up with Nosler 158JHPs.

Norma ammunition is made by Norma Åmotfors in Sweden less than 200 miles from my home. This is top notch quality ammunition, I used their 357 ammo a lot in the 70s-90s basically it was all that was commonly available over here, they were 158 gr only in JSP, JHP and FMJ. Unfortunately they don't make the 357s any longer belive that they just make handgun ammo in 9 mm and 32 S&W Long WC. Still got a few boxes stashed away. My impression is that it was pretty hot in the 70s but then later somewhat tuned down. Right they made a super speed 38 Special 110 gr JHP I even think that the box said 38 Special Magnum. Hottest 38s on the market but still claimed to be within 38 Special pressure specification. Norma also had a very good fast and clean burning pistol powder designated R1, faster than Bullseye and a good slow burning revolver magnum powder R123, unfortunately non of these are to be found any longer, had a few kilos of R1 but all used up last year. BTW their 44 Mags were the best I ever tried, still got a full box, they even used to make a 44 Carbine load that we used to shoot in our Model 29s (pretty nasty fired from a 4" tube). Most of my brass in 32, 9 mm, 38, 357 and 44 is still Norma, it appears that I can reload it forever.

Svante

Not a .357 Magnum but.... 1961 brochure.

Back in the early 70's I loaded a lot of .357 ammo and Norma components were very inexpensive at that time. We had a big wholesale/retailer nearby who carried a lot of Norma components and he had very good prices. Norma components and ammo are top notch - at least the equal of anything made in the U.S. but their stuff is quite expensive now. The "carbine only" ammo was introduced by Norma specifically for the then-new Ruger .44 carbine.

I had and long since have fired one or two boxes of Norma .357 ammunition, probably late 60s. At the same time I bought 100 Norma .357 cases. I know that I have a box of .357 Jacketed Bullets somewhere. Somehow I developed the urge to load the hottest .357 rounds known to man, probably saw an article, I have an unopened # of 2400 all part of the same project.
These cases are still in use, very high quality.
I have a box of 9 MM 115 gr which is mostly intact.
I am sure (I Think?) that I had and used 10mm ammunition from Norma as well, but I cannot find any 10mm Norma Brass in my brass pile.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

During this ammo shortage, was lucky to find 357mag in stock at Velocity Ammo on line ... no longer in stock, at last visit.

This Norma ammo was new to me and these/other OLD but grand reviews discovered much later.
Range experiences included
Ruger 357mag LCR 17.1oz and
S&W327 357mag 21oz

• Boxes arrive old/shop worn
• Recoil was firm, ala Fiocchi
• Accuracy was OK at 22ft or less but not a tackhammer
• Not as clean as Fiocchi, not as dirty as Armscor/Magtech/others
• THE LAST 1 OR 2 BULLETS WOULD PROJECT OUT OF BRASS enough to lock cylinders from turning UGH

Not buying this again and need advice
WHAT TO DO with this elongated ammo supply created?
I do not have a reloading device anymore
No carbine to load
Am 95% positive they will shoot
Reluctant to hammer, even with a thick washer protecting primer

OBVIOUS comments "trash them" really not needed nor less than safe suggestions "toss them in fire"

Your last post leaves me a bit unclear....you have or have not actually fired this ammo and had 2 rounds with bullet creep? Or, all of the ammo is over length?

If all are over length I would try to find a reloader friend and have them seated to the proper length.

If you are getting bullet creep with only 2 rounds, tells me that the crimp is not enough to hold the bullet securely and would need another trip through a crimp die.

My Norma experience has been 100 % satisfaction so I am surprised that yours is causing problems.

Norma ammo is usually quite stout, so the crimp should also be very stout as well.

Any chance that what you bought were reloads in Norma casings and put back into a Norma box?

Randy

I have been using Norma 9mm i obtained from Midway. It is fairly hot but very manageable in my 9mm pistols. I like the way the hollow point nose is shaped and it feeds in all of my guns with no issues. I like it and will buy it again

Recently purchased 500 rounds of Norma 9mm 115 grain FMJ for my security team.

10 plus years ... impressive. LOL

I use Norma Precision ammo in my SW 19-3. Both .357 and .38 Special (both in 158 ) and am very pleased. If Federal gets back up I'll compare again. Best to go online and simply look up Norma Ammo for complete history and rundown. I currently get my ammo from Ammoseek.com , or often direct thru mfgr website.

Norma bras is the best you will ever get in my opinion. I've been shooting my small hoard since the 70's with very few cases lost in that time.

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

First center fire revolver I bought was a six inch model 28 from Mashburn Arms in Oklahoma City in 1972. Still have the gun and all the cases. Not sure how many times I have reloaded them with healthy doses of 2400 but it is a bunch.

Back when Colt first came out with a 10mm 1911 I bought one along with a couple cases of Norma 10mm ammo. That Colt has since had to be replaced after it hit roughly 72k rounds when the frame cracked. I still have quite a bit of that Norma 10mm ammo though. Great stuff.

Norma 200 grain FMJ Truncated Cone
Ballistics Information: 10mm Auto
Muzzle Velocity: 1200 fps tested @ 1171 fps
Muzzle Energy: 639 ft. lbs
Brass Make/Headstamp: Norma – Brass (case weight w/primer 77.2 gr. / 79.2 gr)
Bullet Make/Weight/Construction/Info; Length 0.6780”/Dia. 0.4000”: 200gr Norma FMJ

Funny you should mention Norma ammo , local shop just started carrying it, at $19.98 for a box of 50, 9mm. Great deal in this economy.

I can finally report results as fired from Ruger LCR 357, S&W 327NG 357mag 8-shot, then with Wolff trigger main spring.

S&W Wolff had a handful on no fires with only a very few that would fire later in the Ruger or S&W sans Wolff

Huge problem that sooner and especially later, one round would back out, else negate and this prevent cylinder rotation and opening for ejection of these many inferior rounds

Norma definitely makes and I recently bought:

.22LR Norma Ecospeed, 1,706 fps, 24 grain, 155 ft- lbs
.22LR TAC-22, 40 grain, lead round nose, 1,100 fps
9 mm, Norma, 108 grain, 1,312 fps

The current production Norma Range & Training ammo, 124 gr, shoots fine. Be aware the flash hole is on the small side, such that a typical decapper pin isn't going to be able to get at the fired primer to punch it out.

I ordered some ammo from the Norma website a couple of weeks ago when it was on sale and it finally shipped and should arrive Monday. They got backed up due to strong demand.

The weird thing is they still haven't charged my credit card. I am guessing they will correct that shortly. First time I have seen a company so busy they don't have time to take my money.

Used to shoot Norma's factory version of their loadings for the Argentine mausers. Their 150 grain loading is clocked at 2900 feet per second and the old 1891 rifle had a 29" barrel. Someone decided that maybe they should reduce the pressures as it went down to about 2500 FPS. Funny thing they never made any distinctions between the 1891 rifle and the later 1909 version which was made on a 1909 action 98 mauser style. Frank

I have never seen any handgun ammo for norma but their rifle ammo is available in Austria. They are quite popular among hunters and also surplus rifle users because they sell same rare military calibers.

My personal experience with them is very limited. I just had the chance once to try out a 7.7mm arisaka rifle of a shooting buddy and it was loaded with 174 grain softpoint ammo from norma. It shot well but I do not know how it holds up against other 7.7mm loads from other companies or the original surplus stuff.

What brand of sizing die will decap Norma fired cases. Has anyone chronoed any of the .38spl Norma rounds? They are all loaded with 158gr jacketed bullets and they are listed on the website at 965fps which would be very hot..............

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

I have RCBS, Redding, C&H, Lyman, Ideal 310, and a Lee Loader that I have used to de prime and load Norma .38/.357 brass with , not sure I understand your question .

I have not had any of the newer Norma 158 grain .38 Special so have not chronoed any , actually never bothered to check any of the older stuff either. You can bet in a 4"-6" barrel that it will be pretty close if not right on their claim. I don't think 965fps would be very hot , maybe warm or +P range. My .38 S&W load is just over 1000fps, that's Hot .

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

You don't believe in recycling ?

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

I tried some Norma .45ACP recently. I had no issues.