QLG-10

China’s standard under-barrel grenade launcher — a muzzle-loaded, single-shot, rifled 35×32mm caseless design that gives the PLA infantry squad an integral high-explosive, airburst and anti-light-armor effect on the QBZ-95-1 and QBZ-191 rifle families.

Overview

The QLG-10 (and the improved QLG-10A) is the organic under-barrel grenade launcher of the People’s Liberation Army, issued as a standard fitting on the QBZ-95-1 bullpup and the modular QBZ-191 rifle systems. It is a single-shot, muzzle-loaded, spin-stabilized launcher chambered for the indigenous 35×32mm caseless grenade family — an ecosystem China deliberately separated from NATO’s 40×46mm and Russia’s 40mm caseless standards, mirroring its independent small-arms caliber strategy. A companion non-lethal launcher, the Type 91 (QLG-91), fires a distinct 35×115mm round from a similar under-barrel mount.

Development

China fielded its first under-barrel grenade launcher, the Type 91, in the 1990s primarily for riot-control and breaching missions. The need for a dedicated high-explosive launcher following the adoption of the QBZ-95 rifle led NORINCO to develop the QLG-10, which entered service around 2010 as part of the QBZ-95-1 improvement program. The design was revealed publicly alongside the wider family of Chinese 35mm grenade launchers, as explained in a 2010 NDIA presentation by Juanjuan Yang that outlined the PLA’s move toward a unified 35mm ammunition architecture (NDIA). The QLG-10A variant later extended the capability to the QBZ-191 rifle series, maintaining ammunition commonality across the infantry squad.

Design & capabilities

According to Modern Firearms, the QLG-10 is a single-shot, muzzle-loaded, rifled-barrel launcher that operates on a high-low pressure principle, firing a 35×32mm caseless grenade with propellant integral to the base — conceptually similar to the Russian VOG-25 round but wholly incompatible with it. The launcher weighs approximately 1.45 kg (est.) and has an effective range of 400–430 m, as detailed in the Wikipedia entry. Ammunition options include the DFS-10 high-explosive fragmentation grenade (≈169 g, muzzle velocity ≈78 m/s), the DFS-10A bounding/airburst round, the DFJ-10 dual-purpose round capable of defeating light armor at around 100 m, and the DFX-10 marker/smoke grenade. Aiming is via either a folding ladder-type iron sight or the YMAL10-35 red-dot sight with an integrated laser rangefinder.

The non-lethal Type 91 / QLG-91, covered separately by a dedicated Wikipedia article, fires a larger 35×115mm cartridge from a launcher that shares the under-barrel mounting interface but is otherwise distinct, delivering stun, sting, CS, flash-bang and marker payloads for paramilitary and internal security tasks.

Combat record / operational use

No open-source combat record exists for the QLG-10. It is carried as standard equipment by PLA infantry armed with the QBZ-95-1 and QBZ-191, but its operational employment — like that of most Chinese small arms — has not been documented in accessible battlefield reporting. The wider 35×32mm ecosystem, however, has been seen in conflict. The QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher, which shares exactly the same ammunition, has been recovered from non-state actors in Somalia, Sudanese arsenals, and reported Hamas caches, demonstrating the global proliferation of the 35mm family (QLZ-87 Wikipedia). The ammunition’s appearance far beyond China’s borders means the QLG-10’s own operational footprint is likely broader than open-source data can confirm.

Advantages

• Lightweight (~1.45 kg) single-shot under-barrel launcher that adds minimal burden to the rifleman.
• Fires a dedicated 35×32mm caseless grenade family — HE-frag, airburst, dual-purpose and marker rounds — all from one muzzle-loaded tube.
• Effective range of 400–430 m is competitive with other UBGLs in its class.
• Ammunition commonality with the rest of the PLA’s 35mm launcher family (QLZ-87/QLB-06/QLU-11) simplifies logistics.
• The YMAL10-35 red-dot sight with rangefinder gives the operator a practical daylight/pre-dawn engagement aid.

Drawbacks / limitations

• Single-shot, muzzle-loaded design limits the rate of fire to ~5–6 aimed rounds per minute; no magazine or self-loading option.
• Reloads require the soldier to break position and manually muzzle-load, a slower process than the side-loading M320.
• Under-barrel mounting on bullpup rifles (QBZ-95-1) can make the launcher awkward to aim quickly for some users; only the QLG-10A is configured for the more conventional QBZ-191 layout.
• The high-low-pressure 35×32mm caseless grenade is a closed ecosystem — no cross-compatibility with NATO 40mm or Russian VOG-25 ammunition.
• No integrated fire-control system to programme airburst rounds at the launcher; the DFS-10A bounding grenade achieves a comparable effect through its mechanical timer.

Counterparts

• M203 (USA)
• GP-25 (Russia)

Outlook

The QLG-10 is the settled under-barrel grenade launcher of the PLA rifle squad and shows no sign of replacement. As the PLA transitions more units to the QBZ-191 series, the QLG-10A will become the primary configuration, maintaining the same 35mm ammunition base. Future enhancements are likely to focus on sighting — integrating the launcher more tightly with the rifle’s digital fire-control ecosystem — rather than on altering the simple, reliable launcher itself. The ammunition family may also expand with a dedicated programmable airburst round once an affordable muzzle-programmer becomes available for the UBGL form factor.

Key specifications

Sources

1. Wikipedia — QLG-10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QLG-10
2. Modern Firearms — QLG-10 under-barrel grenade launcher. https://modernfirearms.net/en/grenade-launchers/china-grenade-launchers/qlg-10-eng/
3. Wikipedia — Type 91 grenade launcher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_91_grenade_launcher
4. NDIA — “Grenade Launchers in China” (Juanjuan Yang, 2010). https://ndia.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2010/armament/WednesdayLandmarkBJuanjuanYang.pdf
5. Wikipedia — QLZ-87 automatic grenade launcher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QLZ-87