The Chang Feng is named for the company that developed it, the Chongqing Chang Feng Company Ltd in (you guessed it) Chongqing. It was designed by one Qing Shangsheng, who had ample prior firearms design experience (including the Type 64 and 67 pistols and Type 80 SMG). The design is based around a helical magazine inspired by the Russian Bizon and the American Calico. Early patterns used the magazine as a buttstock, but it was moved up on top of the weapon. The early versions were also chambered for the Chinese 5.8mm pistol cartridge before being changed to 9x19mm to better suit an export market.
The final production version included a threaded muzzle device for suppressor use, a rear-mounted rail for a variety of optional optical sights, and a telescoping stock. It was sold to a number of Chinese security agencies as well as being exported to Myanmar, Venezuela, and Uganda.
Many thanks to the French IRCGN (Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie) for generously giving me access to film this very rare specimen for you! They maintain an extensive firearms reference collection as part of their mission to fight crime and international terrorism.
I’d love to see more Chinese weapons. they have a unique history of trying new things and doing it uniquely like the French, except the Chinese copy everyone but no one copies the chinese. see their ultra light hmgs, type 89 or 171, that use titanium in the receivers and their grenade launchers like the qlz87. All unique ideas that no one else is doing.
Regarding two-magazine variant http://modernfirearms.net/en/submachine-guns/china-submachine-guns/chang-feng-eng/ has photo of it (1st from top) and claims that secondary magazine was from QSZ-92 pistol magazine but does not explain how it was supposed to work. Such magazine holds 20 cartridges. It claims that it was originally developed for PLA but after failing to pass their tests, it was repurposed for law enforcement usage.
A page from FN’s Minimi, if you’re out of loaded drums, at least you can use pistol mags you already have on hand. Respectable capacity for that rate of fire.
Also looks as if the front grip was intended to house a second spare mag for a reload.
Pistol mags in mg ? 🙂
Excerpt from a Chinese website:
“辅助供弹具其实就是QSZ92式手枪的弹匣，装在握把内。双路供弹的设计目的据说是为了让士兵在弹筒打完后，可继续用弹匣保持火力压制以应付紧急情况，然后侍机再更换弹筒。但这两种供弹方式不能同时进行，使用弹筒供弹时，必须使握把弹匣停留在第一个弹匣扣位置，当弹筒打完后，把握把弹匣推至第二个弹匣扣位置才能使用握把弹匣里的枪弹继续射击。结果这种供弹方式在进行方案评审时被否定了，因为机构会变得复杂，降低了可靠性，而且如果战斗中射手不小心把握把弹匣推到第2个弹匣扣位置，就会发生故障。”
“The auxiliary ammo supply is a magazine from the QSZ92 pistol inside the pistol grip. The intent of the twin-feed design appears to be providing sustained suppressive fire in case of the drum runs dry, enabling the shooter to change the drum at a later time. However, these two feeding mechanisms can’t be employed at the same time: When feeding from the drum, the pistol magazine is inserted to the first indent. When the drum runs dry, the shooter inserts the pistol mag further into the second indent, enabling the gun to feed from the pistol mag. This design was cancelled during the design review stage due to its complicated nature reducing reliability, as the shooter might accidentally bump the pistol mag into the second indent, causing a double feed.”
Source: http://pewpewpew.work/china/smg/cf05/lwsmg.htm
Since the LS-06 feeds from above the grip, it’s only really a “bullpup” by the loosest definition (firing mechanism behind the grip) that would also apply to most modern semiauto pistols with the mag in the grip.
China is a highly interesting country when it comes to firearms. in contrary to the West, it’s factories, results of Army trials etc. are completely intransparent to the outsider. And despite (maybe because of?) the lavk of private gun ownership, there is actually an enthusiastic firearms scene, which often helps itself with replicas, Airsoft etc.
Interesting gun. I really want to know what the gun on the counter behind your right shoulder is. The one playing a game of “One of these things is not like the others”.
Fire-arms in background, from left to right:
– (partially visible) French 1924/29 http://modernfirearms.net/en/machineguns/france-machineguns/mac-m192429-eng/
– Bren, Mark I (judging from muzzle device)
– Browning Automatic Rifle (or derivative thereof)
– RPK or similar weapon using its’ drum magazine (observe taper of magazine)
– (partially visible) I am unable to unveil this one, hopefully better informed users will be able to do that
That’s a US M 60 GPMG.
Awesome Ian. Thank you again for your videos.
“(…)This holds 50 rounds, it actually feeds from
back here but you can load it from the front.(…)”
In having ability to load cartridge at opposite end of feed it is similar to much older helical-magazine fire-arm, namely EVANS see photos https://www.littlegun.info/arme%20americaine/artisan%20d%20e%20f/a%20evans%20gb.htm
What I want to see coupled with the helical magazine idea is the Dardick Tround concept. I keep looking at that idea and going “Man, that sure looks like it would work…”
Supposing anyone ever manages to work out how to seal the chambers and come up with a decent caseless propellant, it’d be kinda interesting to throw in caseless technology, as well.
That’s several generations of materials/propellant improvements away, though.
I think you would be interested in the hivap Gatling gun https://www.google.com/search?q=hivap+rotary+gun&oq=hivap&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j35i39j0i512j46i10i175i199i433i512j0i10i512l11.1807j0j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8 and the 50 cal ground machine gun https://youtu.be/MTh0EMAH99A. not caseless but still.