GD-116

The GD-116 (Formal designation: 116식 기관 단총 / 一一六式機關短銃, irillyuk-sik gigwan danchong, "Type 116 machine pistol;" Short designation 112식, irillyuk-sik, "Type 116") is a personal defense weapon developed in Menghe in the 2010s. It uses a compact bullpup design, allowing it to achieve an overall length of just 464 millimeters, small enough to be concealed under one arm. Innovative features include an ambidextrous forward-ejecting action, a folding bolt handle, MASS slots on the foregrip, and a replaceable bottom section, as well as the option of a 50-round quad-stack magazine.

Development

The story of the GD-116 begins with the JjS-104DB carbine. An independent design initiative undertaken by Hwasŏng Arsenal 55 in 2010, this consisted of a standard JjS-104 receiver and barrel with re-arranged furniture to form a bullpup weapon. Its short overall length - just 528 millimeters - caught the attention of evaluators in the Ministry of National Defense, who liked the concept of an ultra-compact weapon for vehicle crews or special forces. The JjS-104DB's makeshift implementation, however, ruled it out as a practical option: the safety, fire selector, and magazine release were still next to the user's cheek, and the trigger pull was inconsistent, the result of a bending connection rod between the pistol grip and the sear under the bolt. The location of the charging handle and ejection port also made the weapon impossible to fire left-handed. As such, the MoND opened a design competition for a purpose-built weapon which could surpass the JjS-104DB in dimensions and effectiveness.

Hwasŏng responded most literally with its prototype H-33. This was internally almost identical to the successful JS-103, with a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. The rod linking the trigger and sear was improved, incorporating lessons from the SS-110, and similar mechanical links were used to move the fire selector and magazine release to within reach of the pistol grip. The firing handle was relocated to a vertical position under the carry handle to prevent contact with the user's body in any stance or position, and it was made non-reciprocating for good measure. The main selling point of this weapon, compared to the Insŏng proposals, was its ability to accept standard Menghean magazines for 5.7mm Quinn ammunition, a useful feature when issuing the weapon to vehicle crews serving alongside an Army squad.