QBZ-95

The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police (para-military police) and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a newly-developed ammunition type of Chinese origin, the 5.8x42mm DBP87. The QBZ-95 consists of a system of firearms using a common design. This family includes a carbine variant, a standard rifle, and a light support weapon.

Overview
The QBZ-95 was first observed outside China in 1997, when the United Kingdom returned control of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. The QBZ-95 is a modern weapons system in a bullpup configuration, where the weapon's action and magazine are located behind the grip and trigger assembly. It was designed to replace the standard-issue Type 81 rifle that was similar in design to the AK-47 series.

The QBZ-95 is comparable to many modern western assault rifles in several respects. It uses modern synthetic materials in its construction, it fires a 5.8x42mm small-caliber high-velocity bullet (in a class with the NATO standard 5.56x45mm SS109 and the Russian 5.45x39mm), and it employs a bullpup configuration like the British SA80 and the Steyr AUG.

Technical aspects


The QBZ-95 is in all respects a modern infantry weapon. It has not been used in major conflict, thus little can be said about its effectiveness. Detailed information about the new 5.8 mm ammunition was published in Guns & Ammo magazine's special Combat Arms issue and June 2006 issue of Small Arms Review. What is known is that the QBZ-95 operates using a short-stroke gas operated rotating-bolt system, similar to most modern military rifles.

The selector switch on the rifle has three settings. The selector settings are as follows: "0" for safe, "2" for fully automatic, "1" for "semi-automatic" and "3" for "Three round burst setting.

The Chinese have tested their new cartridge extensively against both the 5.56x45mm SS109 and the Russian 5.45x39mm 7N6. They claim their 5.8x42mm outperforms both cartridges with penetration superior to the SS109, a flatter trajectory, and a higher retained velocity and energy downrange.

Design features
The design of the QBZ-95 is completely new with little resemblance to any of the previous Chinese designs. The QBZ-95's basic design incorporated many features from various other assault rifle designs; those include the Czech Vz. 58, Russian Kalashnikov and Dragunov, Belgian FNC, American M16, and French FAMAS. Thanks to the low recoil impulse of the small caliber ammunition and a very complex recoil buffer system, the rifle is claimed to be more controllable in automatic fire.

Operation
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 (in a manner similar to the AK-47 series) until the magazine release 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.

The charging handle is located under the integral carrying handle. To chamber a round and charge the weapon, this handle is pulled fully to the rear and then released forward to bring a round into battery. It is then ready to fire.

Design criticisms and other issues
The main criticism of this design is the perceived lack of hitting power. This is a trait shared by all small-caliber, high-velocity cartridges. The 5.8x42mm DBP87 round is much smaller (5.8 vs 7.62 mm) and lighter (64 vs. 123 grain; 4.15 vs 8.4 g) than the 7.62x39mm. The 5.8 mm round is designed to approximate the wounding effects of the Russian and NATO cartridges.

Common to many bullpup rifles is inability to shoot from the left shoulder. Due to the bullpup configuration of the QBZ-95, the action of the weapon is much closer to the user's face than in a conventional-layout weapon. Spent casings would eject into the face of an operator firing the weapon from the left shoulder. There is also no separate rear assembly for the QBZ-95 to cater for left-hand ejection of the spent casings, thus PLA soldiers are only taught how to fire right-handed in basic training. A similar issue was solved with the Singapore-made SAR-21 by moving the ejection port forward and using an effective brass deflector to permit left-handed shooters to use the weapon.

Some experts are also 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.

Variants
There are seven specialised variants of the QBZ-95.

QBZ-95 (Rifle)
This is the standard version of the rifle used domestically, chambered for the 5.8x42mm DBP87 round.

QBZ-95B (Carbine)
This is a shorter and lighter version of the standard rifle.

QBB-95 LSW (Light Support Weapon)
The light support weapon would fullfil the same role as the Squad Automatic Weapon in the US Armed Forces. It has a longer heavier barrel, higher rate of fire, and is equipped with a drum magazine.

QBZ-97 (5.56 mm Assault Rifle)
The Chinese have constructed an export version, the QBZ-97, which is similar to the QBZ-95 in all respects except that it is chambered in 5.56 mm NATO instead of the original Chinese 5.8 mm cartridge and has a deep magazine well designed to accept STANAG 4179 M16 style magazines. This design helps the gunner reload the magazine more quickly and more comfortably, having been spotted in Cambodia within Special Operations personnel.

QBZ-97A (5.56 mm Assault Rifle)
This improved 5.56 mm export model with added 3-round burst mode and bolt hold-open device. This weapon is the only QBZ-95 variant to have seen commercial success and military use outside of China, some have been spotted with the QBZ-97 in Cambodia within Special Operations personnel.

QBZ-97B (5.56 mm Carbine)
This is the carbine version of the QBZ-97.

QBB-97 LSW (5.56 mm Light Support Weapon)
The light support weapon model of the QBZ-97.

Civilian Variants
Two sporterized weapons based upon the QBZ-97A assault rifle and the QBZ-97B assault carbine have been developed for the civilian market, and are being distributed in North America, more specifically in Canada as for early 2008. The two weapons are called respectively the Type 97 rifle and the Type 97A Shorty carbine. They fire only in semi-automatic mode, chamber the .223 Remington cartridge and feed by STANAG magazines (see the external links for details).