PLA Small arms

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
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Registered Member
the rail system is clearly export oriented. The hype we have heard them talk of reminds me of FN SCAR but also the HK XM8.

CS/LR17 is obviously intended for export, however the PLA have are adopting 1913 rails as well in other rifles, including modifying existing rifles with 1913 rails. I expect the new service rifle to features 1913 rails as well.


Bltizo, on a Sino-HK416 I think you are chasing the wrong end game. Although the M27 variant has acheaved wider issue. HK416 is not really a universal rifle. It's being issued as one by the French and Norwegians but the vast majority of users field it as a Special Forces weapon.
I mean Germany the home of HK. When they started the recent G36 replacement program didn't just take up HK416. HK started HK443.
Not because HK was worried about reliability or function but as they seemed it to specialized and not economical for the end goal.
416 is like a Mercedes Benz Luxury SUV, top of the line German engineering. But nothing it does can't be matched by a lower price vehicle. The later can even outperform in the right circumstances. In trials of early XM855A1 HK' s BCG suffered vs M4A1. Most of those were due to the high pressure rounds on the short stroke piston.
Trails of late with midlength gas systems have done even better.

What the PLA will need is is a weapon designed to offer modern modular construction with both the advantages that SCAR and HK416 actually lack. Cost and ease production. HK416 And SCAR are very accurate and reliable weapons but there cost points leave something to be desired.
Fun fact: at the end of the Second world war The US and other nations studied the STG40 The rifle that we consider the mother of the Assault rifle. The US decided it was crude and cheap and rejected it on those. Ironically two of its stronger points.
It used stamped parts an kept the real high quality work for the barrel and bolt.

Well, I did say Sino-Hk416 lacking some of the bells and whistles -- i.e.: cheaper, with less complexity in some areas. For one, I think they don't need the weight and complexity of a quad rail handguard. A noon handguard with something like m-lok in the other positions should be more than adequate.
HK433 is actually a good reflection of what I think the new service rifle may look like as well and I thought about mentioning it but it has yet to be adopted by anyone yet.

However I imagine the new PLA service rifle may be even simpler than HK433 in some regards, for example I doubt there will be an ambidextrous charging handle, and I'd be surprised if the stock was as complex as HK433's (I expect it to be able to fold but probably lack things like height adjustment) -- but then again seeing as it is said to be modular I'm sure certain parts like the stock can be easily changed.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Non ambi charging handle non adjustable comb M-Lok or Keymod hand guard, presumably a grenade launcher quick attach.
That still sounds a lot like the NAR series.
.NAR-556.jpg
Perhaps should have compared it to a Sino-XM8?
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Non ambi charging handle non adjustable comb M-Lok or Keymod hand guard, presumably a grenade launcher quick attach.
That still sounds a lot like the NAR series.
.View attachment 50590
Perhaps should have compared it to a Sino-XM8?

I'm sure the real thing will be very similar to CS/LR 17 because presumably CS/LR 17 is related to the new service rifle's development. Core characteristics will be similar I'm sure:
-free floating barrel
-top rail, full length
-folding stock, likely collapsible
-single piece handguard or HK433/SCAR/ACR style handguard
-fold down iron sights
-modular
But that still gives a lot of leeway for what the weapon may end up looking like. After all, on paper weapons like SCAR, ACR, HK433, BREN can be described as having many similar core design features but they're still their own unique weapons.

By the way, in 2018 Zhuhai airshow they showed that CS/LR 17 underwent some design revisions; the old tan coloured design with key mod has been replaced with this one:

GFg2ytB.jpg


CHXxflO.jpg
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
I'm sure the real thing will be very similar to CS/LR 17 because presumably CS/LR 17 is related to the new service rifle's development. Core characteristics will be similar I'm sure:
-free floating barrel
-top rail, full length
-folding stock, likely collapsible
-single piece handguard or HK433/SCAR/ACR style handguard
Minor correction. The SCAR handguard is fixed and part of the receiver where G36, HK433 and ACR all have separate handguard
-fold down iron sights
This is really less an issue. Because a Rail from front to back will mount irons. Yet at the same time. BUIS are kinda redundant. If you are mounting night vision on your rifle. The space of a BUIS would probably be better spent on a quick attack night vision system. Besides most modern red dots and low mag optics are pretty tough.
-modular
But that still gives a lot of leeway for what the weapon may end up looking like. After all, on paper weapons like SCAR, ACR, HK433, BREN can be described as having many similar core design features but they're still their own unique weapons.
BREN is a virtual clone of SCAR with a few changes. Mostly style.
By the way, in 2018 Zhuhai airshow they showed that CS/LR 17 underwent some design revisions; the old tan coloured design with key mod has been replaced with this one:

GFg2ytB.jpg


CHXxflO.jpg
I am aware but I wanted to show one with the UBGL.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
How many guns is this guy carrying lol.
Looks like a type 05 suppressed PDW in his hip. That does seem a bit much. Only thing I can figure is for some reason they can't mount a suppressor on the QST11 so they doubled up. Or gulp... dare I say... perhaps they are not confident in the QST11 ?
I'm having a problem with this guy's trigger discipline... Especially in the first pic, he is changing magazine and his finger is on the trigger
He's actually on the range most of the shots we see are handling or promotional photo ops where in they are not supposed to be firing. But that block in front of him and his position means this is on a firing line. And on a firing line he is supposed to be firing so there is less worry about trigger safety. As anything on the business end already has been and will be shot.
Looks really compact.
You're kidding right?
Length wise it's about the norm for a conventional rifle but hight wise it's quite bulky.
 
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