NORINCO Type 56 (AK47)

History

In order to make the Soviet AK-47 readily available and at a lower cost of acquisition, the Chinese started to manufacture locally an assault rifle called the "Type 56", albeit with some minor changes to suit Chinese tastes/needs become. Overall, however, the Type 56 remains faithful to its AK-47 origins, making the Type 56 nothing more than a cheap Chinese replica of the original. One of the main differences in the Type 56 is the hinged bayonet mount under the barrel. This allows the bayonet to be stowed for a more compact size and folded forward into a combat position when needed.

Early production Type 56 models also had visible markings for single-shot and fully automatic fire modes, clearly marked "D" and "L" (respectively). Design began in 1947 and production began in 1956 (even today). China North Industries Corporation is responsible for manufacturing, and Bangladesh Ordnance Factory in Bangladesh is responsible for making locally licensed production copies.

To date, approximately 10 to 15 million copies are said to have been made.

The base production assault rifle was simply called the "Type 56", and the system entered service in 1956. The original form was a machined receiver, while later forms matched the modernized Soviet AK-47 series - "AKM". Other operators (excluding China) include Afghanistan, Albania (some are produced locally), Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, North Korea, Pakistan and Sudan (produced under license).

Like the AK-47 before it, the Type 56 is designed to fire the Soviet 7.62x39mm intermediate cartridge, which comes from a detachable 30-round curved magazine. As with the AK-47, the selective fire action is gas powered by rotating a bolt.

The Type 56-1 variant was later introduced to demonstrate a folding stock with two struts. Like the AKM, the stock is folded forward and under the receiver, not above it. These models can be identified and distinguished from Soviet models by the use of protruding rivets to articulate the folding arms. The Type 56-2 was the production Type 56-1 released in 1980 and featured an all-new stock that folded over the side of the receiver.

In addition, the bayonet mount was abandoned, and the rifle became an export product for those who were interested. In 1991, a shortened version of the Type 56C carbine (official Chinese name "QBZ-56C") was introduced, using more plastic furniture than the original wooden fittings. Additional improvements have been made to the previous NORINCO-produced model (and the modified Soviet AK-47 model, for that matter) to help it remain relevant to the changing conditions of the modern battlefield. These included the implementation of a side folding stock with cheek plates (which added portability and ergonomics to the weapon system) and a muzzle brake/muzzle suppressor above the muzzle.

The Type 56C is also lighter and more compact, resulting in a stable weapons platform with improved portability - suitable for special forces use.

Two civilian versions became Type 56S (also known as Type 56 "Sport" and Type 84S). The former is offered in a typical "semi-automatic fire only" design, while the latter is designed to fire standard 5.56x45mm NATO cartridges.

The 56 series as a whole continued in the Vietnam War and the upcoming conflict in Southeast Asia as well as the Sri Lankan Civil War, the Soviet-Afghanistan War, the Iran-Iraq and Kosovo Wars and related conflicts, to name a few. During the Vietnam War, it was known that the Viet Cong used this weapon extensively.

The Soviet AKM version eventually replaced these.

Note that "Type 56" is also used to refer to an unrelated Chinese automatic rifle - essentially a replica of the Soviet SKS - although the two are distinct weapons. The Chinese SKS is most often referred to as the "Type 56 Carbine" to distinguish the two weapon systems.

While Iran purchased Type 56 stockpiles from China to fight the Iran-Iraq war, it also saw fit to reverse engineer the rifle to make a local (albeit illegal) KL-7. 62 attack system.

Design and production were handled by DIO, only later models differed from the original Model 56 with a plastic stock and foregrip.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes