XT-97
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 370 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.00 kg
- Introduced
- 2009
About
What it is, and why it matters
The XT-97 is a Taiwanese 5.56x45mm NATO select-fire assault rifle developed by the 205th Armory of the Ministry of National Defense, first shown publicly at the 2009 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition. It is gas-operated with a rotating bolt and uses both a retractable and folding stock to shorten its length for storage and transport. A field-swappable barrel system lets it change calibers, including a 9x19mm Parabellum configuration, but the design remained a prototype and was not adopted for service.
The XT-97 was Taiwan's bid for a modular, quick-barrel-change rifle that could switch from 5.56mm to 9mm in the field - a clever idea unveiled at a 2009 Taipei defense expo that never made it past the prototype stage.
Sometimes mislabelled a bullpup; it is a conventional-layout rifle with a retractable/folding stock. Designed for quick field barrel changes between calibers. Did not enter service.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- 205th Armory
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Taiwan
- Status
- Prototype
- Produced
- 2009
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 370 mm
- Overall length
- 850 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated rotating bolt
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Rate of fire
- 850 rpm
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.
Quick change barrel
Multi caliber
Folding stock
Telescoping stock
Picatinny rail
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 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 4.00 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 850 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 370 mm | 449 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the XT-97
How much does the XT-97 weigh?
The XT-97 weighs 4.00 kg (8.82 lb) empty.
What caliber is the XT-97?
The XT-97 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the XT-97 hold?
The XT-97 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the XT-97?
The XT-97 is 850 mm (33.5 in) long overall, with a 370 mm (14.6 in) barrel.
Who makes the XT-97?
The XT-97 is made by 205th Armory (Taiwan).
When was the XT-97 introduced?
The XT-97 was introduced in 2009.
How does the XT-97 operate?
The XT-97 uses a gas operated rotating bolt action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
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
- Republic of China Armed Forces
- Taiwan
Provenance
Confidence in this record
58%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
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/xt-97' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "xt-97", "name": "XT-97", "manufacturer": { "id": "205th-armory", "name": "205th Armory", "countryCode": "TW", "foundedYear": 1945, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": true, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "1256c35bd373f609ccaeff7942f3b8df63e8b0097f5c468fbba95344db513e5c" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "TW", "year_introduced": 2009, "barrel_length_mm": 370, "weight_empty_g": 4000, "action_type": "gas_operated_rotating_bolt"}