I Have This Old Gun: Chinese JW-9 Target Rifle

by
posted on May 2, 2023
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Chinese JW-9 Target Rifle

Rimfire bolt-action rifles are often used to teach marksmanship skills and encourage participation in competitive shooting. The rifle pictured is an example from a place we don’t often associate with civilian marksmanship: China. In the 1950s, the communist Chinese government initiated an effort to encourage fitness and competitive sports. This included developing competition rifles for activities such as biathlon and running target shooting. The series of rifles was designated “jianwei,” a shortened version of “jiànkang wèishì.” The two Chinese words translate literally as “healthy guard,” and the term is presumed to mean that the Chinese state would stay strong through encouraging sporting competitions like rifle shooting. To designate individual models, jianwei was shortened to “JW.”

When they needed a .22 rimfire, the Chinese looked to the Czech ZKM-452, itself derived from a training rifle produced for the occupying German forces during World War II. The Chinese had imported Czechoslovakian-made firearms for decades by the 1950s, and the little Eastern Bloc rimfire was ideal. The resulting rifle was designated JW-8, and it followed the lines of the CZ rifle very closely. Manufacture of the Chinese JW rimfire series of rifles began in the early 1960s: each rifle has the year of manufacture marked on the receiver, along with a logo of an arrow striking the center of a target.

Chinese JW-9 Target Rifle features

The rifle pictured is the target version of the JW series that was designated “JW-9.” It uses the CZ-based, magazine-fed bolt-action of the JW-8 and mates it to a heavy barrel and target-style stock with a full pistol grip, a raised cheekpiece, a wide, flat fore-end that houses a handstop rail and a hard-plastic buttplate with a spacer system to adjust length of pull. The rifle has a 22.8" barrel that has a slight taper, weighted muzzle and target crown. The front and rear sights are mounted into dovetails. Though they mimic the sights on the JW-8, the rear is also adjustable for windage. Also differing from the JW-8, the upper surface of the JW-9’s receiver is checkered to reduce glare. It has an overall length of 41.9", weighs 6 lbs., 14 ozs., and feeds from the same five-round magazine as the JW-8.

First manufactured for domestic competitive shooting, JW-9 rifles were later marketed internationally. They were produced between 1978 and 1983, with approximately 55,000 made; the rifle pictured was made in 1979. Both JW-8s and JW-9s were imported in surplus condition by Century Arms in the early 1990s.

Approximately 15 different rimfire models have been made in the JW series. Before the importation of Chinese-made rifles was banned in 1993, newly manufactured .22 JW sporting rifles were sold in the U.S. by Clayco, Interarms and Navy Arms. These included the JW-15 (sold by Clayco as the Model 4) and JW-27 bolt-actions, the JW-20 (a copy of the Browning SA-22, marketed by Interarms as the ATD), the JW-21 (a lever-action based on the Winchester 9422 that was listed in Interarms catalogs but possibly never imported), as well as the JW-25, a Mauser 98-style rifle (sold in two barrel lengths as the TU-KKW and TU-33/40). All are sturdy and serviceable rifles, though the JW-9 and JW-25 are the only models that have generated serious interest from collectors.

Following the U.S. ban, JW rifles have continued to be imported into Canada, Australia, New Zealand and western Europe, and they represent an important budget rimfire rifle for gun owners in those countries. It seems JW rifles are continuing to help shooters around the world keep their marksmanship skills “healthy.”

Gun: JW-9
Manufacturer: China North Industries Group Corp.(Norinco—State Factory 396)
Chambering: .22 Long Rifle
Serial No.: 91405
Manufactured: 1979
Condition: Fair (Modern Gun Standards)
Value: $350

Latest

Kimber 2K11
Kimber 2K11

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.