Credit
Mztourist · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
Loading the evidence…
Preparing your view.
Preparing your view.
At a glance
SAR 21larger figure on 0 of 2
Type 56 assault riflelarger figure on 2 of 2
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
SAR 21 Light Weight Carbine
Single sourceSAR 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]
QBZ-56C w/ stock extended
Single sourceQBZ-56C w/ stock folded
Single sourceType 56
Single sourceType 56-1/56-2 w/ stock extended
Single sourceType 56-1/56-2 w/ stock folded
Single sourceType 56: 882 mm (34.7 in) Type 56-1/56-2: 874 mm (34.4 in) w/ stock extended, 654 mm (25.7 in) w/ stock folded. QBZ-56C: 764 mm (30.1 in) w/ stock extended, 557 mm (21.9 in) w/ stock folded.[source]
GL/M203 SAR 21
Single sourceP-Rail
Single sourceSAR 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]
QBZ-56C
Single sourceType 56
Single sourceEffective; M193
Single sourceEffective; SS109
Single source460 m (M193) 800 m (SS109)[source]
Effective; Effective firing range
Single sourceEffective; sight adjustments. Effective range
Single sourceM193
Single sourceSS109
Single source970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (M193) 945 m/s (3,100.4 ft/s) (SS109)[source]
QBZ-56C
Single sourceType 56, Type 56-I, Type 56-II
Single sourceBars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
Configuration
| Specification | SAR 21 | Type 56 assault rifle |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Bullpup assault rifle[source] | Assault rifle[source] |
| Place of origin | Singapore[source] | China[source] |
| In service | 1999–present[source] | 1956–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] | See Users[source] |
| Designer | Tuck Wah Chee and Felix Tsai of Chartered Industries of Singapore / ST Kinetics[source] | — |
| Designed | 1996[source] | 1956[source] |
| Manufacturer | • CIS: 1999–2000 • ST Kinetics : 2000–present[source] | State Factory 66 Norinco PolyTech[source] |
| Produced | 1999–present[source] | 1956–present[source] |
| Variants | See variants[source] | Type 56 Type 56-1 Type 56-2[source] |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO[source] | Type 56 variants - 7.62×39mm Type 84S – 5.56×45mm[source] |
| Barrels | Single barrel 1:12" and 1:7" twist options[source] | — |
| Action | Gas-operated , rotating bolt[source] | Gas-operated , rotating bolt[source] |
| Feed system | 30-round detachable plastic box magazine Export models: STANAG magazines[source] | 20, 30, or 40-round detachable box magazine[source] |
| Sights | 1.5x or 3x optical sight; back-up iron sights[source] | Adjustable Iron sights[source] |
| Wars | — | Vietnam War Rhodesian Bush War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Sino-Vietnamese War Soviet–Afghan War Iran–Iraq War Sri Lankan Civil War Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Somali Civil War Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995) Persian Gulf War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War Kivu conflict Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) War in Iraq (2013–2017) OLA insurgency Russo-Ukrainian war 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict[source] |
| No. built | — | 10,000,000+[source] |
| Reported operators |
|
|
Type 56-1
Single sourceType 56-2/56-4
Single sourceType 56: 3.8 kg (8.38 lb) Type 56-1: 3.7 kg (8.16 lb) Type 56-2/56-4: 3.9 kg (8.60 lb) QBZ-56C: 2.85 kg (6.28 lb)[source]
100–800 m sight adjustments. Effective range 300–400 meters[source]
Type 56, Type 56-I, Type 56-II: 735 m/s (2,411 ft/s) QBZ-56C: 665 m/s (2182 ft/s)[source]