Colt 9mm SMG vs QTS-11: Specs Compared

Colt 9mm SMG — licensed reference photograph

ASmall arms

Colt 9mm SMG

Submachine gun

Credit

Evers · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph — Representative exterior of QTS-11

BSmall arms

QTS-11

Dual barrel integrated Airburst grenade launcher / Assault rifle multi-weapon system

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph

Credit

ForceTally · AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph · AI-generated · OpenAI output terms · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Colt 9mm SMGstock extended

0.73 m

Length source ↗

QTS-11Length

0.95 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

12 of 31 rows sourced on both sides

730mmstock extended

950mm

Length

All recorded figures & sources

0.73 m

stock extended

Single source

0.65 m

stock retracted

Single source

730 mm (28.9 in ) ( stock extended) 650 mm (25.6 in) (stock retracted)^[source]

0.95 m

Length

Single source

950 mm (37 in)^[source]

2.61kgw/o magazine

7kgFull system

MassScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2.61 kg

w/o magazine

Single source

2.61 kg (5.75 lb) w/o magazine^[source]

4.27 kg

Empty, less optics

Single source

7 kg

Full system

Single source

5 kg

(Loaded, less optics) Up to

Single source

4.27 kg (9.4 lb) (Empty, less optics) 5 kg (11 lb) (Loaded, less optics) Up to 7 kg (15 lb) (Full system)^[source]

0.1kmEffective; Effective firing range

0.8kmEffective; HE

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

0.1 km

Effective; Effective firing range

Single source

100 m^[source]

0.8 km

Effective; HE

Single source

800 m (2,600 ft) (HE)^[source]

267mm

—

Barrel length

All recorded figures & sources

0.2667 m

Barrel length

Single source

10.5 in^[source]

396m/s(1300) ft/s

220m/sHE

Muzzle velocityScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

396 m/s

(1300) ft/s

Single source

396 m/s (1300) ft/s )^[source]

220 m/s

Single source

220 m/s (720 ft/s) (HE)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Colt 9mm SMG and QTS-11 configuration
Specification	Colt 9mm SMG	QTS-11
Type	Submachine gun^[source]	Dual barrel integrated Airburst grenade launcher / Assault rifle multi-weapon system^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	China^[source]
In service	1982–present^[source]	2015–present^[source]
Used by	See Users^[source]	People's Liberation Army Ground Force People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces^[source]
Wars	Invasion of Panama Miami drug war^[source]	—
Produced	1982–present^[source]	2011–present^[source]
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum^[source]	5.8×42mm DBP-10 bullet (KE) 20×28B DQL-12 grenade (HE)^[source]
Action	blowback , closed bolt^[source]	Gas-operated , rotating bolt (rifle section) Bolt action (launcher section)^[source]
Rate of fire	700-1000 round/min^[source]	—
Feed system	20- and 32-round detachable box magazine 100-round Beta C-Mag^[source]	30 round detachable box magazine (KE) Single-shot (HE)^[source]
Manufacturer	Colt's Manufacturing Company^[source]	—
Designer	—	Norinco^[source]
Designed	—	2000s^[source]
No. built	—	At least 50,000 as of Jan, 2018^[source]
Sights	—	fire control system with laser range finder (Integral) electronic-optic sight with high definition camera (Optional) fiber-optic transmitted single-eye goggle (Optional)^[source]
Source measurement	—	The QTS-11 system combines the QBZ-03 assault rifle with a 20 mm airburst grenade launcher and weighs between 5–7 kg (11–15 lb) when fully loaded. It can use magazines from the QBZ-95 and the QBZ-03. It is 93 cm long and weighs 4.27 kg.^[source]QTS-11 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The primary weapon of the system is the 20 mm grenade launcher, with the 5.8 mm rifle for secondary use. Grenades are pre-programmed through electronic sight with fire control system and loaded manually through bolt-action . Five types of grenade rounds available: impact detonation, airburst, armor-piercing , improved fragmentation, and shotgun-type rounds. A four-position fire-mode selector lets the operator switch between the rifle and grenade component. The fire modes in sequence are single, auto, grenade, and safety. The U.S. encountered problems with the lethality of small 20 mm grenades during OICW development, resulting in a switch to larger 25 mm grenades for the XM25. The PLA claims their grenades have less electronics in them to carry more explosives and fragments to cause adequate wounding capability. The grenades are reportedly capable of a 7.7 m (25 ft) damage radius and an 800 m (0.50 mi) range with 220 m/s muzzle velocity .^[source]QTS-11 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage
Country of origin	—	China^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 17, cell 4; revision 1373722962; retrieved 2026-10-02
Reported operators	Reported operator · Argentina Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · India Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Mexico Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · United States	Reported operator · China

FORCETALLY

Loading the evidence…

Preparing your view.

Colt 9mm SMG

QTS-11

Type

Submachine gun^[source]

Dual barrel integrated Airburst grenade launcher / Assault rifle multi-weapon system^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

China^[source]

In service

1982–present^[source]

2015–present^[source]

Used by

See Users^[source]

People's Liberation Army Ground Force People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces^[source]

Wars

Invasion of Panama Miami drug war^[source]

—

Produced

1982–present^[source]

2011–present^[source]

Cartridge

9×19mm Parabellum^[source]

5.8×42mm DBP-10 bullet (KE) 20×28B DQL-12 grenade (HE)^[source]

Action

blowback , closed bolt^[source]

Gas-operated , rotating bolt (rifle section) Bolt action (launcher section)^[source]

Rate of fire

700-1000 round/min^[source]

—

Feed system

20- and 32-round detachable box magazine 100-round Beta C-Mag^[source]

30 round detachable box magazine (KE) Single-shot (HE)^[source]

Manufacturer

Colt's Manufacturing Company^[source]

—

Designer

—

Norinco^[source]

Designed

—

2000s^[source]

No. built

—

At least 50,000 as of Jan, 2018^[source]

Sights

—

fire control system with laser range finder (Integral) electronic-optic sight with high definition camera (Optional) fiber-optic transmitted single-eye goggle (Optional)^[source]

Source measurement

—

The QTS-11 system combines the QBZ-03 assault rifle with a 20 mm airburst grenade launcher and weighs between 5–7 kg (11–15 lb) when fully loaded. It can use magazines from the QBZ-95 and the QBZ-03. It is 93 cm long and weighs 4.27 kg.^[source]QTS-11 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The primary weapon of the system is the 20 mm grenade launcher, with the 5.8 mm rifle for secondary use. Grenades are pre-programmed through electronic sight with fire control system and loaded manually through bolt-action . Five types of grenade rounds available: impact detonation, airburst, armor-piercing , improved fragmentation, and shotgun-type rounds. A four-position fire-mode selector lets the operator switch between the rifle and grenade component. The fire modes in sequence are single, auto, grenade, and safety. The U.S. encountered problems with the lethality of small 20 mm grenades during OICW development, resulting in a switch to larger 25 mm grenades for the XM25. The PLA claims their grenades have less electronics in them to carry more explosives and fragments to cause adequate wounding capability. The grenades are reportedly capable of a 7.7 m (25 ft) damage radius and an 800 m (0.50 mi) range with 220 m/s muzzle velocity .^[source]QTS-11 · Design; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Country of origin

—

China^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 17, cell 4; revision 1373722962; retrieved 2026-10-02

Reported operators

Reported operator · Argentina
Reported operator · Ecuador
Reported operator · India
Reported operator · Israel
Reported operator · Malaysia
Reported operator · Mexico
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · United States

Reported operator · China