The Type 87A represents the refined, polished variant of the original Type 87 featuring improved materials, upgraded polymer furniture, and better‑ventilated handguards.
While the baseline Type 87 served primarily as a development platform for China’s new 5.8×42 mm cartridge, the Type 87A was the more mature, ergonomic version that saw limited use in both the PAP and select PLA units for a short period of time. Note the summer and winter uniform in the photos below
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Rare Chinese Firearm Of The Day: QJB-87 /Type87 5.8×42mm DBP87 rifle and Squad Automatic Weapon
Between Type81 and Type95, the PRC developed two additional service assault rifles, namely Type87 and Type03. In some ways, the Type87/QJB-87 is a Type81 chambered with the new 5.8×42mm DBP87 while incorporating several new solutions such as large percentage of polymer with pistol grip and magazine being the most visible.
Polymer has many advantages over metal and wood materials, including high strength, corrosion resistance, longer life, and better heat resistance. Additionally, using polymer simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces weight, and lowers processing costs for mass production. As seen in the subsequent example of QBZ-95. However, For the purists out there, "cheap looking" polymer will never be able to replace wood in terms of aesthetics, especially in AK-influenced assault families
While QJB-87/Type87 did enter service but it never widely deployed; for some it is simply a field test platform. It is difficult to find a copy of the QJB-87 /Type87 rifle these days, let alone a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) version.
This copy of SAW still "got wood"
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