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Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

NORINCO QBZ-03 (Type 03)

Assault Rifle / Assault Carbine [ 2003 ]

The QBZ-03, also recognized as the Type 03, is another in the long line of small arms produced by China-based NORINCO.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/08/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Chinese defense powerhouse NORINCO (China NORth Industries COrporation) produces a myriad of military solutions for the local national armed forces as well as customers overseas. Its deep catalog includes armored vehicles as well as a dearth of small arms that run the gamut of automatic weapons and service pistols. The QBZ-03 automatic rifle is just one of many solutions developed by the company and this line entered official service with Chinese reserve forces in 2003, stocking the inventories of the border patrol, garrison units, and reserve elements all falling under the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) overarching label.

The design - also known as the "Type 03" - is conventional through-and-through: traditionally-arranged with an angled, low-set pistol grip / trigger unit found aft of the magazine well, a semi-skeletal folding shoulder stock, rectangular receiver, slotted forend, and extended barrel assembly. Iron sights (flip-up rear diopter, fixed front) are located fore and aft along the design. The muzzle is capped by a slotted brake to help with recoil. As a gas-operated (rotating bolt) weapon, the gas cylinder used to drive the internal piston action is seated over the barrel assembly. The charging handle of the gun is set to the right side of the frame as is the ejection port. Selective-fire controls allow the operator to choose between semi-automatic and full-automatic fire modes.

Newer versions of the rifle have a section of Picatinny rail over the receiver to accept various tactical optics, furthering the rifle's modularity to suit operator tastes.

Unlike earlier Chinese developed firearms heavily influenced by Soviet designs, this rifle is centered on the proprietary Chinese 5.8x42mm DBP-87 intermediate rifle cartridge developed during the 1980s and having entered service around the early 1990s - giving reportedly good penetration values against targets at medium and long ranges. Feeding is by way of curved, 30-round detachable box magazines in the Kalashnikov style.

Export versions are chambered in the ubiquitous 5.56mm NATO intermediate rifle cartridge.

Rate-of-fire is listed at 750 rounds-per-minute and effective firing range reaches out to 500 meters. Unloaded weight is 7.7lb and overall length reaches 37 inches with the shoulder stock fully set (28.5 inches otherwise).

The QBZ-03 is only in use with Chinese second-line forces as well as elements of the Myanmar armed forces. It is reportedly used by Chinese South China Sword special forces units as well.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

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