Norinco 9mm Police Revolver

Lore & Background

The Type 05 was developed in the 2000s to replace the Type 54, Type 64, and Type 77 pistols in Chinese police service. Prior to its adoption, Chinese police used decommissioned weapons from the People's Liberation Army. The Ministry of Public Security requested a dedicated handgun platform capable of shooting less-lethal ammunition and meeting police-specific requirements. The revolver form factor was chosen to distinguish police firearms from military semi-automatic pistols and to handle low-recoil non-lethal rounds. The reloader and cylinder have color differentiation: black for rubber bullets and red for lethal ammunition. The rubber bullet has a muzzle velocity of less than 110 m/s and muzzle energy of less than 17.6 J to ensure non-lethality.

After adoption, the Ministry found the Type 05 had insufficient power to stop violent criminals, especially those charging or illegally possessing firearms. Legal concerns arose because Chinese law lacked provisions for using pistols in non-violent scenarios, rendering the rubber bullet de jure inapplicable. By 2005, most police departments treated the revolver as a lethal firearm and equipped it only with lethal ammunition. Its design prioritizing low stopping power and long reload time made it less useful than the QSZ-92 pistol. Media reports of its low power weakened its psychological impact on criminals, who were more likely to resist police chase or warning shots when the Type 05 was used. Due to the lack of a legal basis for non-lethal operations and insufficient combat power for lethal operations, the Type 05 was gradually phased out.

Later variants include the NRP9 Police Revolver (introduced in 2014, chambered in .38 Special) and the CS/LP9 (introduced in 2018, chambered in .357 Magnum and .38 Special). The CS/LP9 can use the same speed loader as the ZLS05 and NRP9.

Reader's Guide

The Norinco 9mm Police Revolver represents a unique attempt by Chinese authorities to create a dedicated police sidearm that could serve both lethal and less-lethal roles. Its development was driven by the need to distinguish police firearms from military weapons and to safely fire low-recoil non-lethal ammunition. However, the revolver's practical shortcomings became apparent after adoption. Its low stopping power proved inadequate against violent criminals, and the lack of a legal framework for non-lethal pistol use rendered the rubber bullet option effectively unusable. As a result, most police departments treated it as a lethal firearm, negating its primary design purpose. The revolver's long reload time and weak psychological impact further diminished its effectiveness. These factors led to its gradual phase-out from police service. The Type 05's legacy is that of a well-intentioned but flawed design that failed to meet either its non-lethal or lethal operational requirements. Its successors, the NRP9 and CS/LP9, addressed some of these issues by chambering more powerful cartridges like .38 Special and .357 Magnum, but the original ZLS05 remains a notable example of a police firearm that was conceptually innovative but practically limited.