May 5,
2008: China has provided Bangladesh with
financing and technical assistance for building a factory to produce a modified
version of the Chinese Type 81 assault rifle. This is a 7.5 pound rifle that
looks like the Chinese Type 56 (itself a copy of the Russian AK-47). The main
differences are that the Type 81 has less recoil and "jump" (of the rifle when
fired), which improves accuracy. The Bangladeshi version of the Type 81 is
called the BD-08, and the new factory will be able to produce 10,000 a year.
Eventually, Bangladesh will replace all its current Type 56 rifles with BD-08s.
Both use the same 7.62/39mm ammo.
China is
in the process of replacing its own Type 81 rifles with a bullpup (30 round
magazine behind the trigger) design, the Type 95 (QBZ-95). This weapon, about
ten percent lighter than the older rifle, uses a proprietary 5.8x42mm
cartridge, which has a casing that is a little wider, but shorter than that
found in the 5.56/45mm NATO round. There is an export version of the Type 95
(the Type 97) that will fire the 5.56mm NATO round.
The Type 95
comes in several versions, from short barrel carbine to light machine-gun.
