China has always been an interesting part of the firearms discussion. Sometimes, it’s for their cheap reproductions; other times, it’s because they tried to sell guns to American gangs. But it’s always interesting. Today’s discussion will be all about China’s weird guns.
QSB-11
Have you ever seen a knife and wished it had more guns on it? Maybe you’re heading to a fight, and you’re not sure if it’s a gun fight or a knife fight. China has you covered. The QSB-11, aka the Type 11 dagger pistol, is a knife pistol designed for special forces paratroopers and similar troops.
It combines a 6.5-inch blade with four barrels firing the Chinese 5.8x21mm PDW cartridge. Each barrel holds one cartridge, and it works a bit like a COP derringer. It’s a double-action design that automatically transitions from one barrel to the other after pulling the trigger. Part of the handguard contains a simple front sight.
Users push the trigger forward to fire the gun, and a safety is built in to hopefully protect the user from firing their gun while using their knife. The QSB-11 is reloaded through the bottom of the knife’s handle. As far as China’s weird guns go, this isn’t even their only knife gun, but I figured the use of a PDW cartridge makes it a bit weirder.
Type 80 Pistol
China has many Type 80s, but only one Type 80 pistol. In the United States, it would probably be considered a submachine gun. The Type 80 is defined as a close-combat machine pistol, and it looks a bit like the old German M712 machine pistol. It uses a similar short recoil-operated system like the M712.
The Type 80 fires the 7.62x25mm Tokarev from a 10- or 20-round magazine at a rate of 850 rounds per minute. That’s a little weird, but what makes it even more hilarious is one of the stock options. One of the stock options combines a stock with a combat knife. It lets a knife that is sheathed inside the stock make up the majority of the stock.
That’s a great idea because the Type 80 would famously overheat extremely quickly. After thirty rounds fired on full auto, your gun is a steaming pile of metal, and you’ll need to switch to the knife to save your life. Most of China’s weird guns are just poorly thought-out, but they entertain me.
The HD66
One of the best things about China’s weird guns is their creativity! Well, not really. They just copy a lot of other ideas. That’s true with the HD66. The HD66 utilizes a 9mm pistol mounted to a pivoting stock system that allows the user to shoot around corners. The HD66 system is a bit simpler than the corner shot.
There is no camera, no screen, and no kitty-cat camouflage. Rather, it’s a 9mm pistol braced on the stock system that uses a more traditional optic. The scope pivots downward into a periscope with a section that can rotate. The user can shoot around corners to the left or the right to shoot around corners without exposing the user.
I think the HD66 is the simpler and more bizarre option. China also has the CF-06, a more direct copy of the Corner Shot with a camera and screen. However, the HD66 seems easier to aim accurately through the optic rather than trying to use a screen, but honestly, I’d rather just pie the corner than use one of China’s weird guns.
QTS-11
I appreciate China’s willingness to pick up the scraps of Western projects. The QTS-11 is China’s take on the old OICW program. It combines an assault rifle with a grenade launcher that promises to be smart—specifically, a 20mm grenade launcher paired with a 5.8x42mm assault rifle.
The gun will have an onboard computer system to program the grenades for airburst purposes, work as a laser range finder, and allow the user to track their allies. Oh, and an attachment that allows shooters to shoot around corners via a special pair of googles that attach to a soldier’s helmet.
Also, their 20mm grenades have a blast radius of 7.7 meters, which was a big concern of the American OICW program. Americans found the 20mm grenades to have too small a blast radius, but China claims to have solved the problem. I’m pressing X to doubt, but hey, maybe one of China’s weird guns can figure it out.
The CS/LW21 E-Shotgun
As a dedicated shotgun nut, I had to include one here somehow. When I saw the words “E-Shotgun,” I knew I had to jump on it. As far as China’s weird guns go, the e-shotgun might not qualify as a gun, at least not as we know it. The E-Shotgun doesn’t use exploding powder to propel the projectile; instead, it uses electric power.
It’s a coil gun. This means the E-Shotgun uses an electrified nine-level coil. This causes magnetic fields to generate, which essentially suck the projectile down the barrel. The magnetic fields are like a relay, with each field handing the projectile to the next. This increases acceleration and throws the projectile, or projectiles, out of the barrel.
It doesn’t throw hard enough to kill a person. It can break glass and hurt badly, but the idea is to have a non-lethal crowd control weapon. It’s ultimately silly, and recreational coil guns are available here in the US for about a grand total. The E-Shotgun is neat, but I don’t think it’s a viable crowd-control weapon.
China’s Weird Guns
China’s weird guns come in all shapes and sizes. I’d say they are creative, but it seems like they take other gun designs, which are weird on their own, and create a crappier version of them. Now you’ve taken a tour of China and have seen its weird guns.
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