QBZ-95
The Type 95 automatic rifle or QBZ-95 is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by Norinco, and issued since 1995 as the service rifle for the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police, and various law enforcement agencies in the People's Republic of China.
Development
The Chinese military started to develop small-caliber weapons in 1971. The Type 87, a modification based on the Type 81 assault rifle, was developed in the 1980s and entered limited service in 1987.The Chinese military continued to search for a new small-caliber design after Type 87. Bullpup configurations were also experimented with in the early 1980s, resulting in the WTC-1 and WTC-2 bullpup prototypes in 1983 and the Type 86 bullpup rifle in 1986.
In 1989, the People's Liberation Army requested that Norinco develop a new family of small-caliber firearms with improved reliability and accuracy, adaptability to different roles, and configurability to different tactical applications. The rifle was subcontracted to Norinco's Arsenal 266 and Jianshe Corporation's Arsenal 296.
Duo Yingxian, who is credited for the design of QBZ-95, was recruited to serve as the project head in 1991. He was given four years for the development. Two years were spent on the design, alongside two years of field tests. Initial production started in 1995.
The QBZ-95 was first observed in public on 1 July 1997, when the United Kingdom returned sovereignty of Hong Kong to China. It is a modern weapon system in a bullpup configuration, where the weapon's action and magazine are located behind the grip and trigger assembly. The weapon was designed to replace the standard-issue Type 81 assault rifle. The QBZ-95 had replaced the Type 81 in frontline units by 2006, and is gradually replacing it in second-line units and the People's Armed Police. In 2007 the Royal Cambodian Army became the first confirmed foreign user of the QBZ-95 rifle.
An improved version called the "QBZ-95-1" was first seen undergoing trials in early 2010. The first formal public display of the improved version was with the Hong Kong Garrison, the first unit to receive the original QBZ-95, in a military parade in July 2012. Some improvements were ergonomic, with the safety switch moved to above the pistol grip and the right-sided ejection port moved forward with ejection of cartridges at an angle to allow left-handed firing. Unlike previous DBP87 and DBP85 5.8×42mm rounds, it fires better-quality DBP10 ammunition with non-corrosive primers, clean-burning propellant, and copper-coated steel casings with copper-alloy-jacketed hardened steel-cored bullets.
The QBZ-95-1 has a longer, heavier barrel and redesigned muzzle brake, a diamond-shaped cross-section on the handguard to disperse heat, a stronger buttstock and a redesigned trigger guard. The carrying handle was lowered to better position optics on the quick-releasable modified dovetail rail, and a pair of short rails at the sight's base allows for tactical accessories to be mounted. Some Chinese special forces have been seen equipped with customized QBZ-95-1 rifle variants.
Design details
The QBZ-95 features a short-stroke gas operated rotating-bolt system and uses polymer materials in its construction, chambered in 5.8×42mm caliber,, and employs a bullpup configuration similar to the British SA80, French FAMAS, Austrian Steyr AUG, South African Vektor CR-21, Israeli Tavor and the Singaporean SAR-21.The selector switch on the QBZ-95 has four settings. The selector settings are as follows: "0" for safe, "1" for semi-automatic, "2" for fully automatic and, on selected models, "3" for a three-round burst setting.
The Chinese Army says it has tested its 5.8×42mm cartridge extensively against NATO's 5.56×45mm and its counterpart, the 5.45×39mm from Russia. The PLA claims their cartridge outperforms both with flatter trajectories, and higher retention of velocities and energy downrange. It is also claimed to have a penetration superior to the 5.56×45mm NATO.
Ammunition
The QBZ-95 fires the 5.8×42mm DBP87, an indigenous intermediate cartridge.The design of the QBZ-95 is completely new with little resemblance to any of the previous Chinese designs. Thanks to the low recoil impulse of the small caliber ammunition and a recoil buffer system, the rifle is claimed to be more controllable in automatic fire. The aim was to develop an assault rifle based around the 5.8×42mm round, with specifications of being accurate and reliable.
Magazine
Magazines are inserted into the magazine well, which is located to the rear of the pistol grip. The magazine is inserted front-first into the well so that the notch on the front of the magazine is retained in the well. The magazine is then "rocked" into place by rotating the rear of the magazine upwards into the well until the magazine latch to the rear of the well is engaged. To release the magazine, the magazine release is pressed rearward, and the magazine pivoted forward and disengaged from the front recess.Firing mechanism
The QBZ-95 uses a linear striker-firing mechanism, where a spring-loaded firing pin and linear hammer fires the chambered cartridge; most post-World War II military rifles use a rotating hammer firing mechanism. The firing mechanism and trigger are inspired by the vz. 58, but with noticeable differences. The QBZ-95's striker piece has a more complex shape. Furthermore, the QBZ-95 uses in-line main and striker springs using the same spring guide rod, instead of two parallel springs.The charging handle is located under the integral carrying handle, similar to early versions of the AR-10. To chamber a round and charge the weapon, the handle is pulled fully to the rear and then released forward to bring a round into the chamber. It is then ready to fire. On the later variants, if the bolt is held open, the charging handle will be locked in the rear position under the carrying handle. One can either use the finger to pull the charging handle to the rear fully or press the bolt release button located behind the magazine latch to release the bolt, one feature the previous design lacks.
Ergonomics
Some experts are concerned over the awkward position of the safety lever near the end of the rifle away from the shooter's hand. This position makes it difficult to quickly select "fire" when it is in "safe" mode. This is resolved on the "G" variant where the fire selector switch is repositioned above the pistol grip, giving it a thumb fire selector switch for easy firing mode transition.The QBZ-95-1 has a redesigned recoil buffer and reportedly feels gentler when fired.
Grenade launchers
The QBZ-95 can launch rifle grenades from the barrel using blank ammunition. It can also mount the QLG-91B under-barrel grenade launcher. This 35 mm launcher weighs and is long. It loads from the breech and fires grenades at. Various lethal and non-lethal rounds are available including high explosive, tear gas, and illumination.Other options include the QLG-10 and QLG-10A 35 mm grenade launchers, which both can be mounted on the QBZ-95-1, QBZ-95-1, and QBZ-95B-1. The QLG-10/A is the same length and weighs the same as the QLG91B, but differs in that it fires caseless ammunition. It is modeled after the Russian GP-25 and fires DFS-10 grenades. The DFS-10 has the same caseless design as the Russian VOG-25 where the base of the round is the propellant and nothing is left in the barrel after firing. The QLG10A launcher is loaded from its muzzle and the shell has pre-engraved rifling for added stabilization. It is aimed with iron sights mounted to the left above the barrel, but a red dot sight can be installed over the sight base.
The DFS-10 round weighs, has a velocity of, and has an effective range of. Warheads include high explosive fragmentation, high explosive dual-purpose, inert practice, and less-lethal riot control versions.
Bayonet
The QBZ-95 can be mounted with the QNL-95 bayonet, which is based on the M9 bayonet.Sights
The QBZ-95 can mount various optical sights due to a dovetail rail built into the carrying handle. It can also use YMA95 and YMA95-1 scopes.QBZ-95 and QBZ-95–1 series rifles can also be fitted with improved QMK-171 3x scopes. The QMK-171 shares the same design as the QMK-152 scope fitted with the QBZ-191, though the QMK-152 only fits on picatinny rails, whereas the QMK-171 has quick-lock lever for dovetail rails.
Picatinny rail
The carrying handle can be mounted with a short picatinny rail, as well as be swapped to new upper receiver with customization capabilities.Most of the picatinny rail modifications for the Type 95 were designed by Wang Jie and Hong Kong weapon designer Lee Ka Ho.
The ACP Peak series by Lee has a flat-top rail system while "Long Bow" modifications from Wang Jie retain the shape of the carrying handle. Both modifications are fielded within the Chinese police force and People's Liberation Army.
Variants
The QBZ-95 is the flagship of the Type 95 gun family, a family of firearms sharing a common receiver design, which includes a standard rifle, a carbine and squad automatic weapon variants.Military variants
QBZ-95
This is the Chinese standard-issue version of the rifle, chambered for the 5.8×42mm DBP87 round.Due to issues associated with the original design, the PLA began a program to improve the Type 95.
Lead designer Duo Yingxian, now retired, stated that the project was currently in progress by some of his students.
The goals for the Type 95 upgrade program include the following:
- To improve the rifle's ergonomics and fire controls
- To chamber the rifle for a new type of ammunition with double the effective range
- To add a quick-firing, domestically produced grenade launcher
QBZ-95B
The QBZ-95B is a shorter and lighter carbine version of the standard rifle. The QBZ-95B is seen issued to members of the Chinese navy, as its compact size is better suited for the confined spaces aboard ships. Its shorter barrel prevents a grenade launcher or bayonet from being attached, and it has an AKS-74U style muzzle booster.The carbine may also be in use with special forces. It lacks a forend and instead has a foregrip, with the front iron sight built into the carrying handle.