NORMA pistol ammo

[sceva]

I just bought some Norma 9mm 124 Grain hardball (Range and Training ammo).

I expected to find the box marked made in Hungary (GECO) and I expected 1181 FPS and FMJ listed on the box like the illustration the on-line seller used.

Instead; is lists 1200 FPS and Totally metal jacketed and the box says assembled in USA with US and foreign components.



I am not concerned with the 19 fps difference, likely the plated jacket is thinner? but I was wondering if the assembled in USA with US and foreign components means this ammo is from their new plant in Georgia?

 

[alwslate]

Sounds like maybe a bait and switch to sell newly manufactured handloads.

 

[sjmjax]

I use to work for the parent company.
They have being assembling ammo in the US from mixed sources for many years.

 

[sceva]

From what I can find; RUAG - the former owner of the Norma name also owned GECO and other ammo companies. Their NORMA ammo was made in Hungary, (GECO facility) Germany and Switzerland with most here in the states being made by GECO and this was the commonly found 1181 FPS 9mm 124 gr FMJ load. Beretta bought them out and built a ammo facility in Savanna Georgia. Norma 9mm and probably other calibers are being loaded there using both US and foreign components, This latest Norma 9mm 124 Gr TMJ (Total metal jacket) is the loaded here 1200 fps load.
I believe very little NORMA ammo is the old Swedish Norma ammo any longer. That said the consensus is that it's darn good stuff.

 

[Greyman50]

Have shot some of their 10 mm and it is considerable better than standard US loads. However IMHO PSA’s ammo is the best factory rounds.

 

[Erich]

I've shot a lot of the RUAG/Norma 9x19, in 115- and 124-gr flavors, in several guns of barrel lengths from 3 to 4.5". Reliable and decently accurate. Despite what I've read, my chrono doesn't say it's very fast - and I'm at high altitude where velocities run high.

 

[RMFnLA]

FWIW, Norma brass has undersized flash holes so if you want to reload them you might experience issues with standard recapping pins.

 

[lkabug]

Haven't had any problems with Norma 9mm ammo.
Or any other for that matter. Their rifle ammo is pretty darn good.

 

[sceva]

FWIW, Norma brass has undersized flash holes so if you want to reload them you might experience issues with standard recapping pins.

I have hear that; RUAG; the company that owned the NORMA name until about July 2022 owned RWS, GECO, Swiss P, Rottweil, and Norma. The Norma ammo was made by either the German, swiss or Hugarian companies. From what I understand the Norma ammo with the small holes were loaded by Swiss P while the German ( RWS) and Hugarian (GECO) made NORMA ammo had normal ones. With Beretta buying the AMMOTEK section of RUAG, and building the facility in Georgia we'll get a more consistent product. I don't know for sure but I think that RWS, GECO, Swiss P, and Rottweil will go back to producing ammo under their own name and the Norma will be made in Georgia although I expect they will still source components from elsewhere. After all it does say assemble using US and foreign components.

I no longer re-load ( I don't shoot a lot any more ) so it does not matter to me. AS long as the price is right, it's consistent and it shoots clean. The consistency and clean shooting is something that has been sadly lacking from the ( mainly lower end) ammo from the likes of Winchester and Remington.

 

[brucev]

Been using Norma ammo for rifle and pistol ammo for over 40 years. Uniformly excellent in every respect. Ga. plant production ... noticed no difference at all in quality, performance. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[chief38]

Norma ammo has been around for a long long time and believe it or not I have never ever had the opportunity to try it. Not for any particular reason though, as I have always stuck to Federal, CCI, Winchester and my own home rolled for Range work. Over the last few years of the ammo crunch crises, Norma seems to have gained marked share.