On the first picture they're running export optics for the CQ-A. Confusing since it's outdated garbage compared to the QMK152. QMK152/171s are said to be quite cheap too, so cost was never an problem.
QBZ-191 service rifle family
- Thread starter Blitzo
- Start date
On the first picture they're running export optics for the CQ-A. Confusing since it's outdated garbage compared to the QMK152. QMK152/171s are said to be quite cheap too, so cost was never an problem.
Probably they ran out of scopes and wanted something to put on the rifle to look good.
I suppose that's the good thing about pic rail now that they have it -- they can put new optics onto anything they want as they procure and develop them.
That might be concerning if true, considering the new QMK series prisms themselves are supposed to be easily mass produced, with plastic construction instead of aluminum and "good enough" glass. "Cabbagized ACOGs" essentially. The CQ-A ones are a product from when Chinese weapon optics were so bad that it made the PLA think it wasn't worth mass issuing them, so any money spent on those might as well be flushed down the toilet.
Considering the new QMKs aren't even equipped with all new units being issued 191s, I suspect the unit in particular being involved equipped with the old CQ scopes just didn't have QMKs issued to them yet for some reason.
And for the purposes of the exercise they wanted their 191s to all at least have a scope so dusted off some old CQ scopes.
The unit in the picture, based on the attendance roster, should either be 76th Group Army SOF or Xinjiang MD SOF. Both are frontline units with extensive recent combat operations in counterrorism and the Sino-Indian border conflict, and are prioritized for equipment upgrades. If they aren't able to receive enough simple cheap optics that actually work decently, then something is wrong.
I wouldn't be surprised if it's just a mismatch of new rifles and new scopes being issued, especially given the PLAGF at big army level are still relatively uninterested in equipping soldiers well at the individual infantry level.
We could say that it is something which is "wrong" but I also think it's very on brand for the PLAGF. I'm more impressed that they had the insistence to equip everyone at this exercise using 191s with a scope at all.
If they aren't interested in equipping personnel from their 2 most capable "white side" SOF units well, then there aren't many other contenders left.
I mean, yeah.
I wouldn't be surprised if a "they've managed with 95s without scopes for ages, it doesn't matter who gets scopes first" mindset prevailed... and then when they realized this unit was involved in the exercise they thought "better give them a scope, oh no QMKs available immediately? Let's see what we have in store available".
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Even ACOG type scopes have to have a set level of quality. If it’s not to spec then it’s not getting issued. That’s the norm. I might rag on some Chinese products in the open market yet I know mil spec means it’s inspected for quality control. Given the “Newness” of the type they just might not have the inventory yet. Even the So called “factory floor of the planet” has limitations. Besides 2019, 2020 have not exactly been a great year for manufacturing. Everything has had shortages especially high quality products.
I mean, we literally have images of new units being issued QBZ-191s and training with them without scopes, for the last year and a bit.
I'm sure there are any number of reasonable explanations for why that is the case, and I wouldn't be surprised if production of new scopes are not keeping up with rifles -- probably not helped by big army folks not particularly caring about the importance of scopes arriving within the same timespan as their rifles, e.g.: "is it that important if they get new 191s and have to use iron sights for a six months or a year before their scopes? they dealt with iron sights on the 95s fine for the last few decades. grumble grumble grumble"