The T91 () is a
gas-operated,
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
-fed,
assault rifle produced by the
205th Armory
The Armaments Bureau () is the affiliated authority of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China.
History
With the National Defense Law and revised Organization Law of the Ministry of National Defense went into effect on 1 M ...
of National Defense in Republic of China (aka Taiwan). It is based on the proven
T86 assault rifle, incorporating features from the
M16 and
AR-18 with more modern features. The T91 is lighter and shorter than the
T65 it replaces, and has a 3-position telescoping stock to allow adjustment based on individual requirements.
History
The T91 was a further development of the
T86, which had been intended to replace the
T65 series in Taiwanese military service. Experience on the previous design and feedback from various users were incorporated into the T91. Development was completed in 2002, and full volume production commenced in 2003.
The T91 was designed with the capabilities of the
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
in mind, and is superior to the
Type 81 assault rifle
The Type 81 (; literally; "Type 81 Automatic Rifle") is a Chinese-designed second-generation, selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle based on Kalashnikov and SKS actions adopted by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and has be ...
. It also has advantages over the
QBZ-95, China's current standard issue assault rifle.
There are rumors that arms dealers had secretly inquired about the possibility of sales to certain militant groups in Southeast Asia, but were reportedly rejected by the
Republic of China Ministry of National Defense (MND). The MND neither confirmed nor denied such rumors.
Design
The T91 is a gas-operated short-stroke, air-cooled, rotating bolt, magazine- or drum-fed, select-fire, modularized military rifle compatible with various tactical accessories. Similar to the T86, the T91 is shorter than the T65K2 assault rifle, giving the operator higher mobility and ease of aiming in a confined space.
The T91 has a 4-position selector switch: S – safe, 1 – semi-automatic, 3 – three-round burst, and A – automatic. Like the T65K2, the T91 utilises an M16A2-style front post and rear peephole sight. The rear sight, mounted on the detachable handle, is adjustable for windage and elevation. Operation of the charging handle, magazine release, and bolt release are also the same as the M16. One notable difference is that the T91 does not have a
forward assist
Forward assisting is the practice of moving the bolt or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward when the return spring has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward a ...
, and the brass deflector is not as pronounced.
The action of the T91 is based on the T65 series. However, parts are not interchangeable because the bolt lug on the T91 is shorter by . The T91 also inherits the modularized gas piston system from the T86, allowing easy removal for maintenance without the risk of losing small parts.
The telescoping stock on the T91 was designed based on the experience of military and police personnel with the M4 Carbine. The resulting product has improved recoil transfer and handling qualities. A rubber recoil pad is also added for comfort. The handguards are triangular in shape.
The T91 has a barrel with flash suppressor. Rate of rifling twist is . Due to the use of a shorter barrel, the T91 has 20% more recoil than the T65K2. Average group size at also increased by . The chamber and bore are chrome-lined and can fire all standard
5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. Standard-issue 30-round detachable
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges with ...
s for the T91 feature indicator holes for the top 2-15 rounds as well as two protrusions on each side to avoid over-insertion. However, standard STANAG magazines may also be used.
Accessories
The T91 has a MIL-STD-1913
picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
on the top of the receiver, handguard, and the front-sight block. The standard-issue detachable handle can be removed to accommodate a variety of optical sights and scopes. It can also be equipped with the T85 40mm grenade launcher to serve in a squad-level fire support role.
The
Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology developed a T91 indoor shooting simulator for infantry marksmanship training. This equipment is capable of simulating various weather conditions, shooting distances, and wind states.
For training purposes, a
paintball
Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy a ...
conversion kit is also provided.
Other attachments include
red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non- magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms, and other devices that require aiming, that gives the user a point of aim in the form of an illuminated red dot. A standard desig ...
s and
holographic weapon sights.
Variants
The T91K3 features
polygonal rifling which increases barrel life and improves accuracy.
The 205th Arsenal and the
National Defense University
The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...
are jointly developing a nickel-boron finish for the bolt carriers, which would allow the weapon to fire about 10,500 rounds without any lubrication whatsoever.
List of variants
* T91 assault rifle
* T91CQC: Barrel shortened from to . Tactical rail and grip added to handguard.
* T91S: Barrel wall thickened to improve accuracy and extend shooting time. Lightweight handguard with tactical rail added in place of the original. New Magpul stock added.
* T91K1: Heavier barrel added. New handguard with tactical rail is added. UTG front grip bipod added. New Magpul MOE SL stock added.
* T91K2
* T91K3: New barrel added. Increases accuracy by 2.5 times and barrel life by 2 times.
Production and usage
In 2003, the
Taiwanese Army ordered 101,162 T91 combat rifles as force-wide replacements of all service rifles, with a delivery schedule from 2004 to 2008. The total budget amount was NT$1,803 million (US$54.6 million), placing the unit price at about NT$17,800 (US$539). As of April 2006, nine Taiwanese Army armoured, mechanized infantry, and infantry brigades have fully converted to the T91.
In 2005, the
Taiwanese Military Police ordered 12,069 T91 combat rifles to equip garrison units in the Taipei capital region. Delivery would span over the next three years.
Export sales of the T91 to
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
have been officially confirmed. The Jordanian Defense Forces reportedly conducted comparison tests between several service rifles in a desert environment. The T91 was found to have reliability comparable to the
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...
, scoring better than the M16, thereby making it very dependable for desert conditions.
Indonesia procured as many as 10,000 T91 combat rifles from Taiwan to equip police and border patrol units.
The UAE acquired T91 rifles after Sheikh Hamid bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a visit to Taiwan, and soon quantities of T91 were supplied to the UAE.
T91 uppers have also been exported to the United States through
Wolf Performance Ammunition. When it was first released, Wolf was reported to have sold more than a thousand uppers in one day.
Users
*: 5,000 rifles
*: 100 rifles
*: 1000 rifles
*: 10,000 rifles
*: 20,000 rifles
*: 18,000 rifles
*: 240,000 rifles
*: 10,000 rifles
See also
*
Defense industry of Taiwan
The defense industry of Taiwan is a strategically important sector and a significant employer. They primarily supply weapons and platforms to the Republic of China Armed Forces with few major weapons systems exported abroad. With foreign assist ...
References
External links
Modern Firearms - T65, T86 and T91 assault rifle (Taiwan)
{{ArmaLite AR-10 derivatives
5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
Carbines
Short stroke piston firearms
Firearms of the Republic of China
ArmaLite AR-10 derivatives
AR-15 style rifles
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2003