Norma Precision
| Former type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | firearms |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Predecessor(s) | Norma Projektilfabrik A/S |
| Founded | 1895 in Oslo |
| Founder(s) | Enger brothers |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Åmotfors, Värmland, Sweden |
| Key people | Nils Kvale, Roy Weatherby |
| Products | Ammunition |
| Parent | RUAG |
| Website | www.norma.cc |
Norma Precision is a Swedish manufacturer of ammunition located in Åmotfors, in the province of Värmland, just 20 km off the Norwegian border. It is commonly referred to as simply Norma.
History
Norma was started in 1902 by the Enger brothers from Oslo, who a few years earlier started "Norma Projektilfabrik A/S". The name "Norma" has, contrary to what someone would think, nothing to do with Norwegian or Normandy. The name was chosen because one of the Enger brothers was very fond of the opera Norma by Bellini.
The Swedish shooting movement needed a Swedish supplier and "Norma Projektilfabrik A/S" was asked to establish in Sweden. At this time, Sweden and Norway were united. The Enger brothers took the train to Sweden and simply got off at the first stop on the other side of the border, Charlottenberg, and made inquiries about a suitable factory building. However they found the town council took no interest in their plans and therefore decided to try their luck further into Sweden. Next stop was Åmotfors, where the brothers were better welcomed and decided to establish their company.
From the start until the middle of the century, the production was dominated by military ammunition standards. After a while though, hunting ammunition seemed to be more interesting. Norma began to make international connections by this time. This, combined with military interest, forced more modern thinking and new products, which the company pursued with impressive precision.
Nils Kvale and Roy Weatherby were invaluable for Norma's success in the latter half of the 20th century. Nils Kvale was a visionary and competent product developer. In the 1960s a couple of new calibers, like the .308 Norma Magnum and .358 Norma Magnum, were introduced on the market. Nils Kvale's cooperation with American colleagues made Norma well known as a producer of high quality rifle ammunition.
Today, Norma has a yearly production of about 23 million rounds in 90 calibers. As such, Norma has one of the largest assortments of rifle ammunition in the world.