QBZ-191 service rifle family
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
Right I remember that, Tactical Imports (the Canadian gun importer for Type 81) used this excuse to scare people because "this will be the last batch of Type 81 ever produced for the Canadian market." Turns out they're not lying about the new rifle, but lied about the production capability because they brought in quite a few batches of Type 81s over the next few years, including a LMG version as well!
That being said, I think the original plan was to scrap the Type 81 production line, but renewed order from a South East Asian country that fields Type 81 and the surprising success of the export gun in the Canadian market probably changed a few minds at Norinco, so they kept producing them. The quality of the new batches are much better than the first batches.
why does the canadian market like type 81?
QBZ191 does recoil a lot less from this comparison video. The inclusion of a buffer tube, more well-toned gas regulator, and better muzzle device can all contribute to recoil reduction.
A combination of multiple factors. First, Canada has banned virtually all AK/SVD variants for more than 2 decades (other than a handful of M78s that sell for 10k), and last year banned VZ58, that makes Type 81 the closest thing to an AK Canadians can get. Second, 7.62x39mm ammo is dirt cheap in Canada (mostly Norinco surplus), with the ban of VZ58, Type 81 become one of the few desirable options for this widely available ammo. Third, Type 81 belongs in the non-restricted category of firearms meaning there is less regulation on it, and it is one of the cheapest non-restricted modern service rifles that you can buy in the Canadian market (Aug, Scar, G3, Fal, Ar-15, Ak, Sig 550s, M1A, HK416/417 are all banned. G36 costs 7-10k, Tavor costs 2.5k, ACR costs 5k due to stopped production. This actually makes Chinese rifles extremely desirable because Type 81 costs 1.5k and Type 97 costs between 800CAD- 1.2k.)
In sum, Type 81 is successful in Canada because it's literally one of the very few affordable options for Canadian gun owners (besides SKS, Type 97, and a bunch of weird Canadian home-made AR-180 knockoffs).
If QBZ191 will have a civilian version available (maybe it is not hard to do since the gun appears to have drop-in trigger packs), and can become approved for sale in Canada in the future (but I highly doubt), it may became next big thing in Canadian gun community.
There's been a few outlets in the past months that's been saying their sources told them they have an export version in both Nato and Russian ammo. Not sure if I believe this but it would be cool to see how it does with foreign ammo.
It is entirely possible, Type 97, Type 88 and Type 03 all have export variants in 556. CS/LR 4 has been exported to the Philippines. In fact Tactical Import has considered brining in CS/LR4 but did not go through since they think the entire system will be too expensive to have any commercial success in Canada.
Type 88 was a huge failure in Canada since no one wanted to pay 2.5k for a not super accurate DMR ten years ago.
It may be entirely possible to see QBZ191 in 556 in a few years.
antiterror13
Brigadier
What SEA countries importing them? I am assuming for their armed forces as none in SEA that common citizen is allowed to have a rifle like Type-81
antiterror13
Brigadier
Can existing QBZ191 (that used by PLA) fire 5.56 ? I think it can, but with less accuracy?
You do realize that the 191 is chambered in 5.8 mm right? 5.56 is a completely different caliber and is not used by the PLA at all.