Recent social media activity has indicated at least one Chinese 7.62x39mm Type 74 for sale through the online gun markets of Baghdad. At a casual first glance the light machine gun appears to be an RPK. But upon closer inspection one will notice the oddly shaped carry [Read More…]
I like to think of myself as one learned in many things guns. In my “day job” role I get to interact with many designs, both new and old. Occasionally, one drops a knowledge bomb on a platform I know little about, but rarely does one drop the equivalent of a [Read More…]
DDI is an interesting company. They are at the forefront of on-shoring production of the AK platform, bringing manufacturing of the weapons system to the US including the forgings for the bolt carrier group, trunion, and other critical components. On the flip side, DDI [Read More…]
NORINCO and Chongqing Jianshe Industry Group have unveiled a brand new modern 5.56mm and 7.62mm rifle platforms. We do not know much about these new guns other than the photos included here, not even the source of these photos which were passed to us anonymously. What [Read More…]
In the mid-1950s, the People’s Republic of China followed the Soviet Union’s example and adopted the intermediate 7.62x39mm round. This decision substantially helped to promote that cartridge’s ubiquity throughout the world, as millions of cheap [Read More…]
During my trip to Big 3 East, my friend Jim took me to a local gun store. They have a somewhat rare Chinese made clone of the Mauser C96. It is called the Shanxi. The pistol was made in Shanxi province of China. The Chinese were making copies of the Thompson sub machine [Read More…]
The latest country to seek an upgrade to their aging fleet of small arms is Pakistan, according to statements made last week by military officials from that country. The current Pakistani rifle suite consists of license-produced Heckler & Koch G3 rifles, and Chinese [Read More…]
I am partnering with C&Rsenal’s Othais to bring you companion articles to his Primer series of videos looking at some of the most important firearms in history. First, Othais tackles the iconic Mauser C96 pistol, used by diverse characters from Chinese [Read More…]
The Taiwanese small arms industry has been showing off its most recent developments at press events and expos recently, including the new XT104 9mm submachine gun. From Two Birds Flying: The state-owned 205th Arsenal of the Material Production Centre (MPC) unveiled its [Read More…]
Andrew wrote … Your recent posting about PLA weaponry reminded me of all the pictures i took at the Chinese National Airshow in Zhuhai, China last November. Norinco, the largest arms manufacturer in China (Canadians know them well) makes everything from handguns [Read More…]
Brendan sent us photos he took of China’s People’s Liberation Army troops. Rifles and machine guns pictured include the QBZ-03 (conventional layout rifle alternative to the better known Chinese bullpup QBZ-95), Type 81-1 (China’s 1981 version of the [Read More…]
I was shopping on Amazon the other day when I noticed this muzzle brake that looked awfully familiar. Yeup, it’s a clone of the LANTAC Dragon muzzle brake. They even have the .308 version too. They could have at least taken better product pictures, I’m [Read More…]
A TFB reader sent this into us about the Chinese Type 05 Police revolver in their new 9mm round. China adopting a 9mm revolver for their police forces is old news from last year, however the particular round they’ve adopted has apparently been featured on the [Read More…]
The QLZ-87 Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) is a fascinating weapon. Unlike the much larger AGLs used elsewhere in the world the QLZ-87, in its lightweight/bipod configuration, is on par with a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun with respect to size and weight, and is [Read More…]
A new Chinese rifle called the CS/LR14 7.62x51mm Automatic Rifle has been on display at a law enforcement expo in Beijing. This rifle looks like it is a modernized version of the old Type 81 rifle but chambered in 7.62x51mm rather than 7.62x39mm (note, the Type 81 [Read More…]
Last month China’s Ministry of Public Security began allowing beat-cops on patrol to carry guns. The gun approved by the Ministry is the obscure Type 05 Police Revolver, first published online by Max Popenker. Max wrote at World.Guns.Ru … The ammunition, [Read More…]
A reader spotted an AK-style rifle chambered in 12 Gauge at the Norinco booth at IWA ’14. Stamped on the side, underneath “Jianshe Industry, Made in China” is “USSG COCOA, FL”. This is an import mark that means this particular gun is [Read More…]
Despite a previous ban, the Norinco T97 is quickly becoming one of the most popular black rifles in Canada. It is a .223 bullpup with a 19” barrel that uses a short stroke gas piston and a rotating bolt, along with a reciprocating charging handle. At its core, the [Read More…]
This video about a Chinese artist who “paints” with gunpowder (blackpowder) is worth watching. As usual, when linking to a Vice.com video, I have to point out that a lot of what is said in the video is total nonsense. Gunpowder is not natural, unless [Read More…]
A Chinese TV station has broadcasted footage of Chinese PLA Navy drivers with their clone of Russia’s APS Underwater Assault Rifle. The existence of this gun was confirmed only three years ago and until now I have not seen clear above water photos of the gun. [Read More…]
Last year the PLA sent in a flamethrower after a Chinese villager was killed, and dozens injured, by Asian Giant Hornets living in a giant hive five feet in diameter. Interesting technique used to control the flame thrower. I feel for the soldier whose face was inches [Read More…]
One time when I was off training duty, while my friend took over teaching for an hour, I was walking the area scoping out any and all firearms I came across when this beauty caught my eye as it was the only "American type" weapon we had seen other than a few M1 [Read More…]
After three decades of executive orders and trade sanctions from three different presidents it is hard to work out exactly what firearms can be exported from China. Certain shotguns, which lack “evil” features and which are not made in either of the two [Read More…]
We recently blogged about an elite Chinese counter-terrorism force armed with China-made AR-15 rifles. It turns out that Chinese Special Forces are also using the AR-15. These photos were taken at the 5th annual Warrior Competition held in Jordan where Special Forces [Read More…]
These images were taken from a Chinese TV program about the Snow Leopard Commando Unit (SLCU, 雪豹突击队) training program. The Snow Leopards are a special police unit officially known as 3rd Group, 13th Detachment, People’s Armed Police Beijing General [Read More…]
C.J. Chivers encountered one a .50 cal Chinese M99 anti-material rifle in Syria and took some excellent photos of it … The rifle in question, however, is not British. It’s a Chinese M99. Just a few days ago, with Ahfad al-Rasul (the “Grandsons of the [Read More…]
These photos are were purportedly taken by a Chinese Private Military Contractor of other Chinese PMCs protecting Chinese interests in Burma. Chinese businesses own a lot of farm land and many quarries on the Burmese side of the border which are used to fuel the [Read More…]
A reader emailed me a scan of a photograph in a recent issue of the Economist. He asked if I could identify the rifle being held by an Indonesian soldier. I quite certain that the rifle is a 5.56mm chambered Norinco Type 84, but the Type 84 is supposed to be a civilian [Read More…]
Copies of the FN Minimi have been photographed in use by Chinese police. The existance of this clone was first reported by Max Popenker & Tony Williams, both well known to TFB readers, in their book Machine Gun: The Development of the Machine Gun from the Nineteenth [Read More…]
A reader asked for help identifying an interesting Chinese gun I have never come across before. This gun looks remarkably futuristic for a gun that has been around since at least during WWII. I am sure someone here can identify it for us. The gun has a very long [Read More…]
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