Secret Chinese Designed Assault Rifle Shown For The First Time
Apple Daily
By Staff Reporters
April 1, 2009

A previously unknown assault rifle that was secretly developed in China was revealed by a human rights group closely associated with FLG in Hong Kong today, after two prototype of the highly secretive assault rifles were smuggled out of China and shown to western reporters for the first time.

The newly designed assault rifle, in development for the last 20 years, was in a new class of caliber, with bullet of 6.8x42mm, 6.1 gram(94 grain) projectile weight, straight brass case with boxer primer. It's an extended development of existing 5.8x42mm casing design, with neck-up and straight wall version of the more well known projectile.

The two assault rifles shown to the reporters, known to have some surprising performance, like 66,000 psi pressure (455 MPa), 980m/s muzzle velocity, and a previously unknown tungsten alloy sub-caliber penetratior that the maker claims to be able to penetrate all existing hard plates at combat range, with max effective range of 1000 meters.

The 6.8mm caliber bullet isn't new, it first appeared back in 1890s when developed in China with German assistance. But it took US firms like Winchester and Remington that took the idea as their own and mass produced rifles for that caliber without paying any royalties to China. Some PLA engineers referring Western rifles as knock offs of the better design in China for so long, the real history of the 6.8mm bullets and rifles would have lost in history if not for the re-emerging of this new assault rifle in China.

The secret assault rifle was originally slated to be revealed in the October 1st military parade in Beijing, celebrating 60th years of PRC, now plans might be changed.

The expected demand for this new assault rifles worldwide also had made PLA Logistic Department buying up copper and copper ores in world market for the last few years as it gearing up production of the new ammo to meet expected demand. As result of this secret round of hording and demand, world wide copper and copper ores had skyrocketed to unseen prices for metals and raw materials, and may have cause this current worldwide recession, according to some market specialists and investment bankers on Wall Street in New York City. It is already known for those sentenced for death penalty in China have to pay double of the normal market price of copper bullet that will end their life, from price of just 10 RMB 3 years ago.

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