Type 87 Assault Rifle | Ground Forces

The Type 87 is the 5.8mm automatic assault rifle based on the Type 81 7.62mm rifle design. The weapon was developed as an experimental project to test the new-generation 5.8 X 42mm rifle cartridge introduced in the mid-1980s. The Type 87 infantry assault weapon family includes the Type 87 and Type 87A assault rifle, and the Type 87 squad machine gun. The weapon entered limited service with the PLA airborne forces for trial and evaluation, but was finally rejected by the PLA in favour of the newer Type 95 5.8mm rifle.

The PLA developed the next-generation a small-calibre, high-velocity cartridge in the early 1980s to replace its older 7.62 X 39mm rifle cartridge, with the 5.8 X 42mm DBP87 cartridge introduced in the mid-1980s. To test the cartridge, NORINCO developed an experimental 5.8mm assault rifle based on the indigenous Type 81 7.62mm assault rifle. The weapon was later developed into an infantry assault weapon family designated Type 87. The initial members in the family included the Type 87 5.8mm assault rifle and Type 87 5.8mm squad machine gun, with the latter being a direct copy of the Type 81 squad machine gun.

Although the fire test results of the Type 87 showed some significant improvements over the first generation 7.62mm calibre rifles, the rifle was rejected by the PLA due to its obsolete external design. Instead, the PLA demanded a new assault rifle with significantly improved external design before October 1989, when a large-scale military parade was scheduled to take place in Beijing to celebrate the country’s 40th anniversary. The design team submitted six design proposals to the PLA, with No.1 design proposal being chosen as the winner. The rifle design was finalised in December 1987 and the first batch was delivered in early 1989. This modified variant was designated Type 87A assault rifle.

A small number of the Type 87A were delivered to the PLA in the early 1990s for operational test and evaluation. The rifle was seen equipped by the PLA airborne forces. The Type 87 production was stopped in the mid-1990s as a result of the introduction of the Type 95 ‘bullpup’ 5.8mm rifle family in the late 1990s. NORINCO attempt to prompt the rifle to the export market but failed to attract any customer. In the late 1990s NORINCO revealed a new conventional layout Type 95A (QBZ95A) 5.8mm assault rifle, which appears to be developed from the Type 87 with some modifications.

The Type 87 is a gas-operated, magazine fed, automatic rifle. The basic variant Type 87 is generally similar in appearance to the Type 81 7.62mm assault rifle. Primary modifications in external design include a longer barrel assembly and a larger magazine catch located between the magazine well and the trigger guard. The rifle inherited the AK-47-style rotating bolt design from the Type 81. The fire selector-safety switch is located at the left side of the receiver, just above the pistol grip, and can be easily operated with the right hand thumb. Ammunition is fed from a 30-round magazine or a 75-round drum. The stock can be folded to the right side similar to the Type 81.

The improved Type 87A features a newly design barrel assembly with 16 large cooling holes, and a L-shape stock, which can be folded to the right. The rifle stock and magazine are made of composite materials for better user experience.

Length: 945mm (normal) or 730mm (stock collapsed)
Weight: (with empty magazine) 3.95kg
Magazine weight: (empty) 0.14kg; (with 30 rounds) 0.52kg
Bore diameter: 5.8mm
Maximum effective range: 400m
Muzzle velocity: 920m/s
Rate of fire: (maximum) 700rds/min
Magazine capacity: 30 rounds (magazine) or 75 rounds (drum)
Rounds: DBP87, 5.8 X 42mm