GD-98

Type 98 machine pistol (GD-98)
GD-98 with stock extended and folded; suppressor mounted at bottom.
Type	Submachine gun
Place of origin	Menghe
Service history
In service	1998-present
Used by	Template:Country data Azbekistan Dzhungestan Menghe
Wars	Ummayan Civil War Innominadan Crisis Innominadan Uprising
Production history
Designer	Insŏng New Arsenal
Designed	mid-1990s
Produced	1996-present
Specifications
Weight	2.94 kg
Length	stock extended: 604mm stock folded: 368mm
Barrel length	184mm
Cartridge	9×19mm Parabellum
Action	blowback, open bolt
Rate of fire	600 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	400 m/s
Effective firing range	200m
Feed system	30-round magazine
Sights	Iron sights

The GD-98 (Formal designation: 98식 기관 단총 / 九八式機關短銃, gupal-sik gigwan danchong, "Type 98 machine pistol;" Short designation 98식, gupal-sik, "Type 98") is a submachine gun developed by the Insŏng New Arsenal during the 1990s. It uses a simple blowback operation with a telescoping bolt, and carries its magazine inside the pistol grip. The main production version is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum, though variants in other calibers are available. Due to its compact size, it is mainly used by tank crews, Armed Police, and special forces units.

Development

Work on a new submachine gun began in the mid-1990s, as a result of concerns among servicemen that the GD-71 was too long, heavy, and clumsy for use in confined spaces. Initially, Army procurement staff considered importing foreign weapons, but the Insŏng New Arsenal won the contract with one of its own prototype designs, mainly on the grounds that domestic production in large batches would be cheaper. Subsequent investigations have suggested that insider bidding and bribery also contributed to Insŏng's selection, though no official ruling against the Arsenal has been made.

The new submachine gun was first seen publicly in the hands of security guards during the 10th National Day celebration in May 1998. It is possible that it was in service already before then; the Menghean Army has a practice of issuing "Type" numbers offset from the year of acceptance in order to avoid overlap with existing weapons accepted in the same year (in this case, the DS-97 pistol and the GCh-96 machine gun).

Design details

One of the main improvements in the GD-98 was the use of a telescoping bolt, a feature already introduced decades ago on Western submachine guns. By moving more mass to the bolt's forward section, this configuration left more space behind it, allowing for a smaller travel space behind the barrel and thus a more compact weapon. To further take advantage of this, the pistol grip was placed around the magazine well, which also moved the center of gravity directly above the shooter's hand.

The GD-98 fires from an open bolt, and uses a fixed firing pin. When the trigger is pulled, the bolt drops forward, pushes a cartridge into the chamber, and fires, then recoils back to the open position. This operation is simpler, but results in reduced single-shot accuracy, as there is a longer delay between the trigger pull and the round firing and the heavy bolt's movement can throw off the shooter's aim. The magazines are double-stack, double-feed, and there is no bolt-hold-open mechanism when a magazine runs empty.

As open-bolt operation was found to cause accidental discharge problems on the GD-71, several changes were made to the GD-98 to improve safety. A ratchet-like lever on the left side of the bolt keeps it from bouncing backward when the weapon is struck or shaken, and can only be released when the non-reciprocating charging handle presses a button on the face of the bolt. The safety-and-fire-selector switch above the trigger group also raises an internal catch which holds the bolt in place in the open position, keeping it from traveling all the way forward if the trigger is pulled or if its sear fails.

The "default" folding buttstock provided with the GD-98 is an L-shaped metal skeleton with an open-topped, U-shaped recess in the buttplate. For storage, it is folded forward over the receiver, with the vertical portion falling ahead of the charging handle.

As the GD-98 was intended for police and special forces, it has a relatively wide range of customizability options for a Menghean SMG of this period. The top of the receiver contains a dovetail mount for attaching optics, and a thinner dovetail slot under the hanguard can be used to attach a laser sight, flashlight, or foregrip. The end of the barrel is threaded to allow the attachment of a suppressor.

Users

• Template:Country data Azbekistan (special forces)
• Menghe
• Polvokia