#Chinese

In what has to be one of the more obvious Chinese reproductions of foreign products this year, we introduce the Shenzhen Bewin Video Electronic Co, Ltd’s “Digital Individual Combat System”. The helmet/body mounted camera system is a painfully obvious and direct copy of the MOHOC company that first introduced their system at SHOT 2016. In 2017 they made a number of upgrades and really remain the only alternative to commercial action cameras when it comes to using them in a Military/Law Enforcement environment.

The following is a brief history of the Chinese Type-70 Anti-tank Launcher, a weapon that was never effectively deployed in combat, falling in between other weapon platforms.

A recent promotional video released by the Chinese state television program CCTV highlights developments in the joint venture between  North China Industries and Chongqing Jianshe Industry Group to bring to market a Chinese copy of the SCAR. The 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm versions (NAR-556, and NAR-751) first started circulating in the public eye in November of 2016. There appears to have been a 7.62x39mm M43 version (NAR-739) that was also present at the same display booth of the other two calibers, but it doesn’t appear to have been photographed as much.

Although the Russian Kalashnikov assault rifle is the one that is most famous, it is arguably the Chinese Type 56 AK that made the bigger impression on the world in the 1960s and 70s. This rifle was initially developed with Russian technical assistance just before the Sino-Soviet split beginning in 1956, but subsequent development took place without Russian input, leading to an entire family of unique AK variants. The name “Type 56” actually refers to this entire family of Chinese AKs, which includes milled receiver variants derived from the Russian Type 2 AK, as well as stamped versions similar to (but distinct from) the AKM. These guns showed up all over the world, and for many they are THE iconic “AK-47”. They were the primary weapon of the North Vietnamese Army in the latter half of the Vietnam War, were exported by the Chinese to Africa, Asia, and South America. It was the most used AK variant by the mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War, up against Russian AK-74 rifles. Too this day remains one of the most common if not the most common AK variant, and it’s the Chinese Type 56 with its distinctive integral spike bayonet that is famously depicted as a symbol of liberation on the Flag of Mozambique.

Recently, I came across an interesting video, which shows the evolution of Chinese and Taiwanese (officially Republic of China) uniforms and firearms. It compares them side by side in chronological order. You can watch that video below or scroll down to see the screenshots for a quick reference. The screenshots cover only military uniforms and arms shown in the first half of the video. The second half is about dress uniforms. If the history of uniforms is interesting to you, it worths watching the video to the end.

Thanks to Miles for sharing this.

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 Chinese-made SKS and AK rifles were exported to every corner of the globe. However, at the very end of Chairman Mao Zedong’s regime, an effort was started to develop a new, modernized caliber that would improve performance and conserve materials versus the 7.62×39. That program resulted in the 5.8x42mm caliber, standardized in the late 1980s with the DBP-87 and DBP-88 rounds. Unusually, the 5.8x42mm used a system with two different overall length standards, one of about 58mm for the DBP-87 rifle cartridge, and the other of about 62mm for the DBP-88 support round. This allowed the marksman’s rifle to shoot the DBP-87, if necessary, but also allowed for a longer, lower drag bullet to be put in the DBP-88 case, improving the ballistics of the QBU-88 marksman’s rifle and the QJY-88 general purpose machine gun.

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 gun. The warlord Yen Hsi-Shan was having issues getting ammo to feed his soldiers 7.63mm C96 pistols. So he had Taiyuan Arsenal make a copy of the C96 but chambered in .45acp. About 8,500 Shanxi pistols were produced. Many of them were melted down after the Chinese civil war. There were a number of them reproduced for US collector’s market.

The QBZ-03 is the mysterious conventional-layout younger brother of the more well-known Chinese QBZ-95 rifle. While the QBZ-95 uses a novel hybrid mechanism, the 03 uses the mechanism of the older 7.62mm Type 81 and 5.8mm Type 87, but marries this to architecture similar to the QBZ-95. Kurtis sends along a whole whopping set of photos of the QBZ-03 in use with PLA troops, most of which I’ve never seen before (WARNING: PIC HEAVY):

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 used in a similar support role by a single solider. It packs a massive punch with its 35x32SR HE, HEI (High Explosive Incendiary) and HEGP (Hight Explosive Dual Purpose) grenades.

This video says it is Shaghai SWAT. However the commentator is speaking Mandarin. Not unusual but Shanghainese is the main spoken dialect of the region. Linguistics aside, this officer is running on a wrapped ankle and is getting all his shots. 120 secs par time seems a bit long for only 10 steel targets. Steel Challenge or USPSA shooters could probably do this much faster. He is using a Type 79.

This new Chinese sight, made for the QBZ95-1 Bullpup, recently appeared on various Chinese internet forums.The sight is developed by Zhongshan SheJian Police Equipment Technology, a private company.

The Sudanese military have selected the Chinese QBZ-97 bullpup for their Future Soldier System. The Sudanese military have been using Chinese weapon for a while now and those including: Type 96 main battle tank, HJ-8 anti-tank missile, Type 56 and Type 81 rifles, CQ rifle (copy of the M16A1), QJZ-89 50-cal heavy machine gun, M99 50-cal sniper rifle and the QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher. Sudan is also the main middle-man in trafficking Chinese arms into the Syrian Civil War.