Norinco Type 97
Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) · Assault Rifle · In Production · 1997
Also known as: QBZ-97, Type 97, T97, NSR-97
Overview
The Norinco Type 97 (QBZ-97) is the 5.56x45mm NATO export variant of China's QBZ-95 bullpup assault rifle. Rechambered from the proprietary 5.8x42mm cartridge to the NATO-standard 5.56mm round and adapted to accept STANAG magazines, it retains the QBZ-95's bullpup layout, long-stroke gas piston operation, rotating bolt, and polymer housing with an integral carrying handle. The Type 97 was developed by Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) for foreign military, law-enforcement, and commercial sale, including a semi-automatic civilian version (Type 97 NSR / T97) widely sold in Canada.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3250 g (114.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 746 mm (29.37") |
| Barrel Length | 463 mm (18.23") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 930 m/s (3051 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1730 J (1276 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 178 mm (7.01") |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as 5.56 NATO, .223 Remington, 5.56x45mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Fire Selector Safety
- Features: Bullpup Layout, Integral Carrying Handle, Polymer Housing, Reciprocating Charging Handle, Stanag Magazine Compatible
Variants
- Type 97A — Carbine
- Type 97B — Carbine
- Type 97 NSR — Civilian
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army (export marketing reference) · as QBZ-97
- Royal Cambodian Armed Forces
- Sri Lanka Armed Forces
- Canadian civilian market · as Type 97 NSR / T97
Production
Production years: 1997-present
Export and commercial production; exact totals not published
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Norinco / China South Industries (Type 95 design team)
Notes
Sources differ on dimensions: militaryfactory.com lists 746mm overall length, 463mm barrel, and 3.25kg empty weight; some retail/export listings cite a longer 760mm overall length with a 475-520mm barrel and ~3.4-3.5kg weight. The military export variant is select-fire; the Canadian-market Type 97 NSR is semi-automatic only after the trigger group was redesigned (an early batch was reclassified as prohibited by the RCMP for ease of full-auto conversion).
Background
The Type 97 / QBZ-97 is the 5.56mm NATO export sibling of the People's Liberation Army's QBZ-95 (Type 95) bullpup. Because China's standard QBZ-95 fires the indigenous 5.8x42mm DBP87 cartridge, which is unavailable on the world market, Norinco rechambered the design for the universally available 5.56x45mm NATO round and switched to STANAG magazines so foreign buyers could feed it with off-the-shelf ammunition and magazines.