| QLZ-87 (Type 87 Grenade Launcher) | |
|---|---|
 A Type 87 grenade launcher mounted on a tripod on display in Beijing | |
| Type | Grenade launcher |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Xiafeng Machinery[5] |
| Designed | Mid-1980s |
| Manufacturer | Norinco |
| Produced | Late 1980s – present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 26 lb (12 kg) (base: optical scope & integral bipod, no magazine) 44 lb (20 kg) (including tripod mount) |
| Length | 38 in (970 mm) |
| Cartridge | 35×32mmSR grenade |
| Action | Air cooling, gas-operated (direct impingement) |
| Rate of fire | 480 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 190 m/s (620 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 600 m (2,000 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | 1,750 m (5,740 ft) (tripod-mounted) |
| Feed system | 6- or 15-round drum magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights 3x magnification optic Optic mounting rail for night vision or thermal sight[6] |
The QLZ-87[7][8][9] (also known as Type 87[10]) is an air-cooled, gas operated 35×32mmSR automatic grenade launcher (AGL)[11] that is crew transportable (12–20 kg (26–44 lb)) with limited amounts of ammunition.[12] Unusual for handheld grenade launchers, the QLZ-87 fires high-velocity grenades of 35x32 mmSR caliber, which provides a longer range and flatter firing trajectory.[13]
The QLZ-87 is being complemented by the QLZ-04, which is fed from a belt and thus is better suited to be mounted on tripods and vehicles.[14]
- ^ a b Small Arms Survey (2014). "Weapons tracing in Sudan and South Sudan" (PDF). Small Arms Survey 2014: Women and guns (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. 226. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2014.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
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sadj29april16was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "浙江先锋机械有限公司（国营第五三一六厂）". xian-feng.net. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Yan 2014, p. 15.
- ^ Yan 2014, p. 22.
- ^ Juanjuan Yang; et al. (15 May 2010). "Grenade Launchers in China (Upper)" (PDF). usgovcloudapi.net. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ^ "35x32mm Type 87 – Weaponsystems.net". weaponsystems.net. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ Small Arms Survey 2014, p. 240.
- ^ "QLZ-87 / W87 – Modern Firearms". modernfirearms.net. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ Blasko, Dennis J. (17 June 2013). The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-136-51997-0. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ "QLZ87". weaponsystems. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ Yan 2014, p. 18.