Norinco CS/LR4
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.00 kg
- Introduced
- 2012
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Norinco CS/LR4 is a bolt-action sniper rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, designed and manufactured by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) primarily for the international export market. Also known by its PLA designation QBU-202 and the earlier export designation NSG-1, the CS/LR4 is largely based on the 5.8x42mm CS/LR3 platform but with an enlarged, accurized barrel chambered for the widely used 7.62 NATO cartridge. The rifle features a manually operated rotary bolt with three radial locking lugs at the front, a free-floating barrel for improved accuracy, and a polymer thumbhole stock with adjustable buttpad, cheekrest, and an integral folding monopod. The double-stage trigger has adjustable pull weight between 8N and 15N for precision shooting. With 7.62x51mm NATO ball sniper cartridge, the CS/LR4 guarantees 1 MOA accuracy within 300 meters and has an effective range of 600 meters against single personnel targets. Feed is from detachable single-stack box magazines with 5-round capacity.
The CS/LR4 marked China's serious entry into the competitive international precision rifle export market, designed specifically to appeal to NATO-aligned countries using the 7.62x51mm standard. Its Philippine and Venezuelan export contracts demonstrated Norinco's growing reach in the global small arms trade.
The CS/LR4 was designed in 2008 and introduced in 2012 as part of Norinco's expanding portfolio of export-oriented precision weapons. The domestic PLA designation QBU-202 and the NSG-1 export name are used interchangeably with CS/LR4 in different markets. The Philippines Army adopted the improved CS/LR4A variant, while Venezuela's Marine Corps uses the standard CS/LR4. The rifle competes in the budget-friendly precision rifle segment against Western designs like the Remington 700 and Tikka T3x. The CS/LR35 succeeded the CS/LR4 as Norinco's next-generation precision rifle platform, offering both 7.62 NATO and 8.6x70mm (.338 Lapua Magnum) chamberings.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Norinco
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- China
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2012
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Overall length
- 1100 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.00 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 6.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Trigger pull
- 12.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 850 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3368 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Maximum range
- 2500 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Free floating barrel
Rotary bolt
Three radial locking lugs
Adjustable buttpad
Adjustable cheekrest
Thumbhole stock
Folding monopod
Double stage trigger
Adjustable trigger pull
Picatinny rail
Bipod
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 6.00 kg | 5.04 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 1100 mm | 1116 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 600 mm | 559 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 5 | 15 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Norinco CS/LR4
How much does the Norinco CS/LR4 weigh?
The Norinco CS/LR4 weighs 6.00 kg (13.23 lb) empty and 6.20 kg (13.67 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Norinco CS/LR4?
The Norinco CS/LR4 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Norinco CS/LR4 hold?
The Norinco CS/LR4 holds 5 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Norinco CS/LR4?
The Norinco CS/LR4 is 1100 mm (43.3 in) long overall, with a 600 mm (23.6 in) barrel.
Who makes the Norinco CS/LR4?
The Norinco CS/LR4 is made by Norinco (China).
When was the Norinco CS/LR4 introduced?
The Norinco CS/LR4 was introduced in 2012.
How does the Norinco CS/LR4 operate?
The Norinco CS/LR4 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- People's Liberation Army
- China
- Philippine Army
- Philippines
- Venezuelan Marine Corps
- Venezuela
Provenance
Confidence in this record
68%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
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List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/norinco-cs-lr4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "norinco-cs-lr4", "name": "Norinco CS/LR4", "manufacturer": { "id": "norinco", "name": "Norinco", "countryCode": "CN", "foundedYear": 1980, "website": "https://en.norincogroup.com.cn", "logoUrl": null, "description": "China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco), a state-owned enterprise founded in 1980 and headquartered in Beijing. Among the world's largest defense contractors, producing firearms and military equipment.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "5286c8a850a565bc4d9bd2e7a8e4b18084a491b62d93d828ac7de90983853065" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "CN", "year_introduced": 2012, "barrel_length_mm": 600, "weight_empty_g": 6000, "action_type": "bolt_action"}