NORINCO Type CQ

The CQ represents one of the most prolific examples of Cold War-era weapons cloning. China reverse-engineered the M16A1 without license from Colt, creating an affordable alternative for nations aligned with neither the US nor the Soviet Union. The rifle's journey from American original to Chinese copy to Iranian derivative to Iranian bullpup redesign (KH2002) illustrates the global proliferation of small arms technology across political boundaries.

The CQ uses a direct impingement gas system identical to the M16A1 and accepts standard STANAG magazines. The rifle features a 1:12 rifling twist optimized for the M193 55-grain ball round rather than the later SS109/M855 62-grain projectile. Iran acquired CQ rifles from China and subsequently produced their own copy as the DIO S 5.56 (Sayyad), which in turn became the basis for the KH2002 Khaybar bullpup rifle. The CQ-A variant features an M4-style carbine configuration with a shorter barrel and collapsible stock. The semi-automatic CQ M311-1 was briefly sold on the civilian market in the United States, Canada, and other countries before various import restrictions took effect. The rifle has been documented in use by the Free Syrian Army and ISIS forces during the Syrian Civil War.