Norinco LG5 / QLU-11

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Type 11 Grenade Launching Sniper
QLU-11 / LG5
TypeAnti material rifle
Grenade launcher
Place of originPeople's Republic of China
Service history
In service2011–present
Production history
ManufacturerNorinco
Specifications
Mass12.9 kg (28 lb) on bipod[1]
23 kg (51 lb) on tripod[1]
Length1,225 millimetres (48.2 in)[2]
Cartridge40×53mm
35x32 mm
Effective firing range1,000–2,000 m (0.62–1.24 mi)[citation needed]
Feed systemDrum magazine, 4-15 rounds[citation needed]

The QLU-11 or LG5 is a semi-automatic grenade launcher developed by Norinco and introduced in 2011.[2] The launcher's designation "QLU" stands for "light weapon (Qīng Wŭqì) - grenade (Liúdàn) - sniper (Jūjī)" in Chinese military coding standard.

Description[]

The LG5/QLU-11 can be equipped with a fire-control system with a laser rangefinder, thermal imaging capability, and a ballistic computer that gives it air burst capability.[3] The QLU-11 was tested in combat against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden by Chinese marines.[4] The LG5/QLU-11 is designed for long-range use and so has been described as a "sniper" grenade launcher.[3] Befitting that designation, it is said to have a very high accuracy of 3-round R100 accuracy of 1 meter at 600 meter range, meaning that with proper aiming the weapon can put three successive high-explosive rounds into a typical window or door.[2][1] Its development was inspired by the American Barrett XM109 anti-materiel rifle, which fires 25 × 59 mm grenades,[2][1] and its design is based on the Chinese .50 caliber anti-material rifle.[5]

QLU-11 utilizes new Type 11 precision cartridge that derived from the DFJ-87 armor-piercing grenade. The weight is reduced from 217g to 200g due to lighter casing. Propellant takes larger percentage of the cartridge space, thus improving the velocity from 195m/s to 320 m/s. This modification greatly increases the recoil, which QLU-11 features advanced primer ignition (API) blowback to mitigate.[6]

Variants[]

There are two variants of the weapon, an export version and a domestic version:

  • LG5: Export 40x53 mm (2.1 in) version. Fires 40×53mm HV NATO grenades[1] or 40x53mm BGJ-5 grenades[2]
  • QLU-11: Domestic 35x32 mm (1.3 in) SR version. Fires 35x32mm SR grenades[1]

Gallery[]

Users[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Lanzador de granadas de francotirador NORINCO LG-5 LG-5s". Taringa! (in Spanish). 11 February 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "NORINCO LG5 QLU-11 - Modern Firearms". 22 August 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Weapons: Semi-Automatic Grenade Launchers". StrategyPage. November 8, 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Chinese Small Arms from the 7th Beijing Police Equipment Expo". The Firearm Blog. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  5. ^ Yan, Timothy (August 2014). The Chinese QLZ87 Automatic Grenade Launcher (PDF). Australia: Armament Research Services (ARES). ISBN 978-0-9924624-2-0.
  6. ^ "QLU11这款我军独创的武器 当真是"狙击榴"吗？". Sina News. 16 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Saudi army uses China's LG5/QLU-11 40mm grenade launcher to hit bunkers". 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
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