PLA Small arms
- Thread starter Vanguard1688
- Start date
That seems to be the unfortunate case, unless the keeps the QBZ-95-1 as the main service rifle to another 2-3 decades, while having tank crews, missileers, airborne forces, marines, special forces, etc. use the new carbine.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
The QST-11 is likely one of the last. And in that case only the grenade launcher portion.
Bullpup seem on the whole on the decline save as PDW or specialist weapons.
Bullpup seem on the whole on the decline save as PDW or specialist weapons.
MwRYum
Major
There has been a heated debate about the whole "bullpup or conventional layout" for as long as it entered into service. Well...one of the arguments for the bullpup is it fits well into APCs especially when considering back then China was still using those super-cramp type like that of the BMP-1, but since China now getting more of those roomy ones...
And then there're all those shortcomings that plagued the QBZ95 series all these years, though to be fair a lot of it has to do with the knowledge and experiences they lacked back then, but gained over the decades. Alas, unlike quality controls, shortcomings at the design level isn't something that's easily fixed, just look at the efforts taken to fix L85A1 into L85A2...Not to mention by the time of 2010s, there are applications of conventional layouts won the world over in both reliability as well as shooting performance, seeing the mechanical operation layout the new rifle adopted, think it's the HK416 that got their attention.
FAMAS has ceased production a decade ago and getting replaced by HK416F, L86 series never get popular, thus that leaves only the AUG series that hangs on in such resilience.
Now, it's to be seen when will the troop trial is complete and they debut the new rifle with its official designation, with that new designed magazine and optics and grenade launcher and stuff. QBZ-95-1 may still stay around for some time to come, though...crew equipment operators would most likely get the carbine, or at least the QBZ-95-1, vanilla QBZ95 to be passed to reservists and militias, Type 81 to be kept for ceremonial I presume?
Considering the new rifle comes in multiple lengths and variants, I don't see why they'd keep the QBZ-95s as the main service rifle in any form. The entire point of having a new service rifle family would be to replace the QBZ-95 variants as the primary service rifle. It's not like the new service rifle is only a carbine after all.
Instead it's more likely that the new service rifle will replace the QBZ-95 variants in active PLA units going forwards while QBZ-95s may be given over to militias.
MwRYum
Major
Something tells me QTS-11 is more of a prove-of concept but with enough practical application for them.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
and Tavor the latter and the F2000 have made some serious sales in export but like the Bullpup as a whole is sound, however the trade offs leave one wanting.
the QBZ95 has had known shortcomings though out its service life.
Of note I don’t recall seeing any in the parade. We know it went into some degree of issue and fielding but how many has been contentious.
MwRYum
Major
Tavor21 and F2000...the former scored more export sales as standard issue rifles, the latter mostly by SpecOp operators; yet, in terms of standard issue rifles both still lose out to conventional layout types.
As for QTS-11, if they do keep it in service, it's probably as a specialist weapon for the squad's grenadier. However, once the new AR model approved for service, will they adapt the QTS-11 (even modernise it to take advantage of the advancement in electronics) to the new platform, to streamline the logistics?
you would expect that to happen, as real estate is the only businesses in china that provides stable and relatively high yield. With this kind of business supporting firms, they will have much more money to invest in research and be much more robust against unexpected difficulties, as long as these firms don't flush their original business down the drain , which unfortunately happens a lot.
And college students during their mandatory military trainings.