Chinese state-owned media have released footage showing the test of the next generation of an assault rifle, called the QBZ-191.

The ‘QBZ’ acronym stands for ‘Qīngwǔqì Bùqiāng Zìdòng’, literally meaning ‘light weapon, rifle, automatic’. The digits usually denote the final year of a weapon’s development.

The video, released by the state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), included footage showing the basic and advanced version of QBZ-95 during its tests at the No. 208 Research Institute of China Ordnance Industries.

Three versions of the next generation assault rifle are supposed to appear – with 267 mm (PDW) trunks, 368 (the main sample) and an elongated heavy barrel for snipers in the squads. The rifle developed to replace the QBZ-95 bullpup-style rifle that was introduced in 1997.

According to sources, the new rifle is chambered in the standard 5.8x42mm caliber using a new type of rounds that have better performance on medium to long-range. It has an effective firing range of 300 m for the carbine version and 400 m for the assault rifle version with a rate of fire of 750 rpm (Rounds Per Minute).