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NORINCO Type 63 / Type 68 (SVS)

1968 COLD WAR MODERN

History

The Chinese started locally licensed production of Soviet SKS automatic rifles (SLRs) in the 1950s. This rifle has proven reliable, easy to use and easy to maintain, with production in the millions.

The Chinese version was designated the "Type 56" - a direct copy of the Soviet design - and was classified as a "carbine", firing 10 rounds from a "removal clip" (loader) inserted into a fixed magazine and firing through gas - Operates a toggle latch closed. The weapon is mounted for the Soviet 7.62x39mm cartridge developed during World War II.

In 1959, local design work began on a new self-loading weapon based on the Type 56 carbine. The original Type 56 turned out to be relatively heavier because of its intended role as a service rifle, and in an era when detachable cassette magazines were used in newer combat and assault rifles, the use of de-loading clips for loading was obsolete.

However, the firepower of the original gun was considered acceptable, so the Soviet shot was retained. The Chinese were looking for a standardized weapon that would allow infantry to engage the enemy at medium and long ranges with the same accuracy and firepower - similar to the American M14 automatic rifle, which was developed from the wartime M1 Garand self-loading rifle .

The new design is retained on the Type 56's one-piece wood body, giving it a similar overall profile. The barrel has been lengthened to achieve the desired range accuracy, and the gas regulator has been modified to a two-stage shape. The cylinder is still mounted on the barrel assembly in the traditional way. The rather novel folding "spike" bayonet under the barrel is also carried over from the original SKS/56-style series - which was designed for extreme close-quarters combat.

At this time, the AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle was in widespread circulation, and its rotating bolt mechanism was used in new Chinese SLR designs. Firepower can be selected via a selector switch mounted near the pistol grip on the right side of the receiver.

The new self-loading rifle entered service in 1963, and the batch was designated the "Type 63". It entered official service in 1968, which in turn created the Western designation "Type 68". The overall length is 40 inches, the barrel length is 20.9 inches, and the overall weight is 8.38 lbs.

Production spanned from 1968 to 1978, with about 6 million of them believed to have been made by the state arsenal.

The Type 63 holds the Soviet 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge and is fed from a 20-round detachable magazine. The weapon can also be fed by a single ammo added to the magazine with the bolt left open. Additionally, two SKS/Type 56 chargers can be inserted into the magazine to achieve the same effect. With some modifications, a 30-round AK-47 magazine can also be fitted if desired.

The gun can aim up to 800 yards and fire at a muzzle velocity of 2,400 feet per second. Since the rifle is functionally automatic, it can reach a rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute.

In practice, the Type 63 proved to be a hybrid. High-volume production is inexpensive and easy to operate and maintain in the field. The gun is fairly heavy for extended use and a bit clumsy when firing on full auto. When it was introduced, it was more or less superseded by developments elsewhere - the assault rifle came in more than one form. Manufacturing quality in China is also poor and lacks long-term reliability.

However, the basic design is still viable enough for the growing Chinese military, and other countries use it. In addition to the Chinese military, the Type 63 is used by Afghan guerrillas, Albania, Cambodia, Indonesian rebels and North Vietnam/Vietnam.

There was notable combat action during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Vietnam War. However, by 1978, the Type 63 had been banned from circulation in China, and that was the legacy of this homegrown attempt at a self-loading rifle.

The Soviet AK-47 was inevitably chosen by the Chinese factories as the "Type 56 AR" (not to be confused with the Type 56 carbine).

At one point, Type 63 rifles were sold on the Australian civilian market in semi-automatic fire only forms.