QLZ-87 grenade launcher

QLZ-87 (Type 87 Grenade Launcher)
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	Chadian Civil War (2005–2010); Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile; Somali Civil War; Boko Haram insurgency; Syrian Civil War; Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017);
Production history
Designer	Xiafeng Machinery
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

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]

Development

Design

It can fire a variety of 35 mm grenades stored in the 6-or 15-round cartridge drum. The Type 87 is described by NORINCO as "Mini Infantry Artillery". The two most common types of grenades are the 35x32SR DFS87 HE (High Explosive) and DFJ87 HEDP (High Explosive, Dual Purpose) variants.^[2] The HEDP 35 mm grenade pierces armour up to 80 mm thick and produces fragments to kill or wound personnel within 5 meters of the point of impact.^[2] The HE 35mm grenade has a stated fragmentation casualty radius of 10–11 meters.^[2] The Type 87 can fire on a tripod or by using the bipod fixed on the barrel. It can also be mounted on armoured vehicles or helicopters. The launcher is capable of attacking low-flying air targets as well as targets on the ground.^[15]

Ammunition

The list of warhead types that are available for the 35×32mmSR Type 87:^[16]

DFS-87 (Chinese: DFS-87杀伤弹): Anti-personnel fragmentation grenade with HE-Frag warhead.
DFJ-87 (Chinese: DFJ-87破甲杀伤弹): Dual purpose, Armor-piercing grenade with HEAT warhead.
DFR-87 (Chinese: DFR-87燃烧弹): Incendiary grenade.
DFN-87 (Chinese: DFN-87杀伤燃烧弹): High-explosive fragmentation incendiary grenade.
DFD-87 (Chinese: DFD-87烟雾弹): Smoke/marker grenade, with colored smoke.^[17]

Variants

QLZ-87B/QLB-06:^[7] A newer handheld semi-automatic version of the QLZ-87.^[18] It features an aluminum receiver, redesigned action, new bipod, no tripod mount, and a conventional pistol grip and fire control. Weight is reduced to 9.1 kg (20 lb) and it is fed by a 4-round drum.^[7]