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ASmall arms
Dual barrel integrated Airburst grenade launcher / Assault rifle multi-weapon system
At a glance
Measured figures
Length
Single source950 mm (37 in)[source]
SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | QTS-11 | SAR 21 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dual barrel integrated Airburst grenade launcher / Assault rifle multi-weapon system[source] | Bullpup assault rifle[source] |
| Place of origin | China[source] | Singapore[source] |
| In service | 2015–present[source] | 1999–present[source] |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army Ground Force People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces[source] |
SAR 21 MMS
Single sourceSAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail
Single source805 mm (31.7 in) (SAR 21, SAR 21 40 GL/M203, SAR 21 P-Rail) 680 mm (26.8 in) (SAR 21 MMS) 640 mm (25.2 in) (SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine)[source]
Empty, less optics
Single sourceFull system
Single source(Loaded, less optics) Up to
Single source4.27 kg (9.4 lb) (Empty, less optics) 5 kg (11 lb) (Loaded, less optics) Up to 7 kg (15 lb) (Full system)[source]
GL/M203 SAR 21
Single sourceP-Rail
Single sourceBarrel length
Single source508 mm (20.0 in)[source]
Caliber
Single source5.56 mm (0.22 in)[source]
Rate of fire
Single source450–650 rounds/min[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
See Users[source] |
| Designer | Norinco[source] | Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai of Chartered Industries of Singapore / ST Kinetics[source] |
|---|
| Designed | 2000s[source] | 1996[source] |
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| Produced | 2011–present[source] | 1999–present[source] |
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| No. built | At least 50,000 as of Jan, 2018[source] | — |
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| Cartridge | 5.8×42mm DBP-10 bullet (KE) 20×28B DQL-12 grenade (HE)[source] | 5.56×45mm NATO[source] |
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| Action | Gas-operated , rotating bolt (rifle section) Bolt action (launcher section)[source] | Gas-operated , rotating bolt[source] |
|---|
| Feed system | 30 round detachable box magazine (KE) Single-shot (HE)[source] | 30-round detachable plastic box magazine Export models: STANAG magazines[source] |
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| 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] | 1.5x or 3x optical sight; back-up iron sights[source] |
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| 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 | — |
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| Country of origin | China[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 17, cell 4; revision 1373722962; retrieved 2026-10-02 | — |
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| Manufacturer | — | • CIS: 1999–2000 • ST Kinetics : 2000–present[source] |
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| Variants | — | See variants[source] |
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| Barrels | — | Single barrel 1:12" and 1:7" twist options[source] |
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| Reported operators |
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SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine
Single sourceSAR 21 MMS
Single sourceSAR 21 SAR 21
Single source• SAR 21: 4 kg (8.82 lb) • SAR 21 GL/M203: 5.3 kg (12 lb) • SAR 21 P-Rail: 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) • SAR 21 MMS: 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) • SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine 3 kg (6.6 lb)[source]