QSZ-92
Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) · Pistol · In Service · 1998
Also known as: Type 92, QSZ92, Norinco Type 92
Overview
The QSZ-92 is the standard semi-automatic service pistol of the People's Liberation Army, adopted in 1998 to replace the Type 54 (Tokarev TT-33 clone) and Type 64. Designed by Norinco around a polymer frame with steel inserts, it uses a rotating-barrel locked-breech action and is offered in two chamberings: a 9x19mm Parabellum export/service version and a proprietary 5.8x21mm DAP-92 armor-piercing variant for elite Chinese forces.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 760 g (26.8 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 900 g (31.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 190 mm (7.48") |
| Barrel Length | 111 mm (4.37") |
| Height | 135 mm (5.31") |
| Width | 35 mm (1.38") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Double Action Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 15 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 350 m/s (1148 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 456 J (336 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
- 5.8x21mm DAP-92 — also known as 5.8x21mm Chinese
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Ambidextrous Safety Decocker, Firing Pin Safety, Magazine Disconnect
- Features: Rotating Barrel Locking, Polymer Frame With Steel Inserts, Ambidextrous Controls, Underframe Accessory Rail
Variants
- QSZ-92-9 (9mm) — 9x19mm Export And Service
- QSZ-92-5.8 (5.8mm) — Armor Piercing Service
- Norinco NP-42 — Civilian Export
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army · adopted 1998
- People's Armed Police
- Chinese Ministry of Public Security
- Bangladesh Army
- Cambodian Armed Forces
Conflicts
- South Sudanese Civil War (2013-2020)
Production
Production years: 1998-present
Standard PLA service pistol; production volume not openly published. Widely issued across Chinese military, police, and paramilitary forces.
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Norinco design bureau (lead designer Li Tianbao)
Notes
The 5.8x21mm DAP-92 cartridge is a bottlenecked, pointed-bullet round designed specifically to defeat soft body armor at close range. The QSZ-92 itself is closely related to the Norinco CF-98 export pistol.
Background
The QSZ-92's rotating-barrel locking system was an unusual choice for a service pistol, more common in the Beretta Px4 than in any other state-issued sidearm. The proprietary 5.8x21mm version was designed during the same program that produced the 5.8x42mm rifle round, briefly making China the only major military to issue a unified family of indigenous small-arms cartridges across pistols, rifles, and machine guns.