QJY-88
Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) · Machine Gun · In Service · 1999
Also known as: Type 88 GPMG, Type 88 LMG, Type 88 Machine Gun
Overview
The QJY-88 (also designated Type 88 GPMG or Type 88 LMG) is a Chinese 5.8x42mm general-purpose machine gun developed by Norinco in the late 1980s and adopted by the People's Liberation Army in 1999. Designed to replace the obsolete Type 67 7.62x54mmR machine gun in PLA squad service, the QJY-88 is a gas-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled weapon employing a long-stroke gas piston driving a rotary-locking bolt. The weapon features a quick-detachable barrel for sustained fire, a skeletonized polymer shoulder stock, and an integral folding bipod attached to the gas block, with a 4.2 kg infantry tripod available for the medium machine gun role. It feeds from disintegrating belts housed in 100- or 200-round soft boxes that clip to the underside of the receiver. The QJY-88 was the first Chinese GPMG to use the indigenous 5.8x42mm cartridge, sharing ammunition with the QBZ-95 assault rifle and QBU-88 DMR for logistical commonality. A heavier-barrel vehicle-coaxial variant, the QJT-88, replaces the buttstock with an electric solenoid trigger.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 11800 g (416.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1151 mm (45.31") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 200 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 895 m/s (2936 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2003 J (1477 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 700 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.8x42mm · primary — also known as 5.8mm Chinese, DBP87, DBP88, DBP10
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Disintegrating Belt, 100 Round Box, 200 Round Box
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick Change Barrel, Belt Fed, Rotary Locking Bolt, Long Stroke Gas Piston, Skeletonized Polymer Stock, Integral Folding Bipod, Tripod Compatible, Air Cooled
Variants
- QJT-88 (QJT5.8) — Vehicle Coaxial Solenoid Trigger
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army · adopted 1999 · as Type 88 GPMG
- People's Armed Police
Production
Production years: 1999-present
Standard squad GPMG of the PLA; exact production numbers not openly published by Chinese state arsenals
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Norinco design bureau
Notes
Despite the 'Type 88' designation suggesting 1988 adoption, serial production was not approved until 1999 - over a decade of refinement followed first prototypes. The 5.8x42mm cartridge fired from the QJY-88 uses the heavier DBP88 machine-gun loading (rather than the lighter DBP87 rifle round) for improved long-range performance.
Background
The QJY-88 spent over a decade as a prototype before serial production was authorized - Chinese designers struggled to balance the lightweight 5.8mm cartridge against the sustained-fire demands of a GPMG role. The result is one of the lightest belt-fed machine guns in service worldwide, weighing nearly 4 kg less than a comparable 7.62mm NATO PKM, but giving up a measure of terminal effectiveness in the trade.