NORINCO QJY-88 (Type 88 LMG)

History

China North Industries Corporation produces the QJY-88 machine gun for the People's Liberation Army (PLA). It is largely a conventional weapon and a true machine gun in that it has a belt-fed mechanism, is air-cooled, offers a "quick change" barrel arrangement to prevent overheating, and is operated by a two-person crew. In addition to serving in the Chinese military, the weapon was also issued to some members of the Chinese police force.

The QJY-88 inherits the older Type 67 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) introduced in 1967 (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

The QJY-88 is loaded with a unique 5.8x42mm cartridge, a medium rifle cartridge developed by China for its armed forces in the 1980s, with a similar mission range and overall capabilities to the US 5, NATO and Soviet/Russian There are 5 56x45mm cartridges. 45x39mm cartridge. Bullets are fed into the QJY-88 system via 100- and 200-round belts contained in hardened ammunition boxes.

While one operator manages the function of the weapon (i.e. firing, clearing jams), another operator inserts the conveyor belt into the receiver and replenishes the ammunition supply.

The QJY-88 can be configured to operate in two different battlefield configurations: Light Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Heavy General Purpose. Weighing 7.6kg in its lightweight form, its portability makes it more suitable for more mobile jobs at the infantry squad level. Conversely, the heavier model weighs 11.8kg. At 1,151mm, the light model is shorter than the heavy model at 1,321mm, but both versions feature a 600mm barrel. The shoulder rest was hollowed out to reduce weight, while the pistol grip/trigger assembly was used to control the firing movement.

A carrying handle placed above the receiver is useful when transporting the gun and replacing hot barrels (overheating of the barrel can cause components to crack or deform, impairing the gun's functionality and endangering the operator).

The internal firing action includes the proven gas operation, allowing the user to adjust the gas pressure, which affects the weapon's rate of fire (ranging from 650 to 700 rounds per minute). The muzzle velocity is 2,940 feet per second, and the effective range is up to 1,000 meters.

Aiming is via iron sights (placed fore and aft) mounted above the receiver, although optics are optional for longer ranges if more precise shots are required.

The QJY-88 series is supported through its various battlefield roles through a foldable bipod assembly (for LMG roles) and a heavy duty tripod assembly (for a more stationary defensive solution).

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes