CQ Assault Rifle | Ground Forces

The NORINCO CQ 5.56mm assault rifle is a Chinese copy of the U.S. M16A1 with some minor modifications. First introduced in the early 1980s, the CQ rifle was developed purely for export market and did not enter PLA service. The weapon is also available in the civilian semi-automatic variant known as CQ311. The CQ assault rifle appears almost identical to the M16A1 apart from the slightly different handle and stock design. The weapon first became available in the North American market in 1987 and was soon withdrawn after only 500 units sold due to a copyright dispute with Colt, the original manufacturer of the AR-15 and M16 assault rifle. The weapon was also sold to a number for foreign customers including the Afghanistan resistance forces during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. Later NORINCO also introduced the CQ 5.56mm carbine, which is a copy of the M4A1.