Description
The LG5/QLU-11 can be equipped with free-floating barrel, a fire-control system with a laser rangefinder, thermal imaging capability, and a ballistic computer that gives it air burst capability. The muzzle brake is fitted with a fuse programmer for specialized air burst munitions. The QLU-11 was tested in combat against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden by Chinese marines. The LG5/QLU-11 is designed for long-range use and so has been described as a "sniper" grenade launcher.
Befitting that designation, it is said to have a very high accuracy of 3-round R100 accuracy of 1 m (3.3 ft) at 600 m (2,000 ft) range using the BGJ5 ammunition, meaning that with proper aiming the weapon can put three successive high-explosive rounds into a typical window or door. Its development was inspired by the American Barrett XM109 anti-materiel rifle, which fires 25 × 59 mm grenades, and its design is based on the Chinese HSARI LR2 12.7 × 108 mm anti-materiel rifle.
QLU-11 utilizes a new Type 11 precision cartridge that is derived from the DFJ-87 armor-piercing grenade. The lighter casing reduces the ammunition weight from 217 g (0.478 lb) to 200 g (0.44 lb). Propellant takes a larger percentage of the cartridge space, thus improving the velocity to 320 m/s (1,000 ft/s) (from 195 m/s (640 ft/s); a specialized high velocity round reportedly has around 400–413 m/s (1,310–1,350 ft/s)). This modification greatly increases the recoil, which QLU-11 features a recoiling free-floating barrel with advanced primer ignition (API) blowback action, a large muzzle brake, floating receiver, and two sets of buffer mechanism inside the stock and optics rail mounts to mitigate.
To ensure the long-range accuracy, the electro-optical sight system with built-in fire control system is standard issue for the QLU-11. The daylight scope is designated QMD-131, while the night vision version is designated QMV-131. Both scopes feature in-scope HUD, a laser rangefinder, temperature sensor, ammo selection, ballistic calculated reticle, elevation angle sensor, inclination angle sensor, drift correction sensor, self-diagnosis software. The effective range is 1,000 m (3,300 ft) for daylight scope and 800 m (2,600 ft) for night vision scope.
