W85 Chinese 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun

The W-85 heavy machine gun is a gas-operated heavy machine gun designed in the People's Republic of China. It fires the Soviet-designed 12.7×108mm round. The W85 is not to be confused with the Type 85, another Chinese machine gun of the same caliber but of a different design. The W85 was designed to be as light as possible for infantry use. Its small receiver is of generally rectangular cross-section and it has a thick gas tube below the barrel containing a conventional gas piston. In addition to iron sights, it has rails for optics or anti-aircraft sights. It fires 12.7×108mm rounds from belts and is more accurate than the Type 54 heavy machine gun, but the thinner barrel overheats faster. In trials, the W85 lost out to the Type 85 as an infantry weapon and was not accepted into PLA service.