The Type-56 was discovered far more often than the original Russian-made AK-47s or AKMs.
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Many of these rifles found their way to battlefields in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and were used alongside other Kalashnikov pattern weapons from both the Soviet Union as well the Warsaw Pact nations of Eastern Europe.Ĭhinese support for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam before the mid-1960s meant that the Type-56 was frequently encountered by American soldiers in the hands of either Vietcong guerrillas or PAVN soldiers during the Vietnam war. Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66 but was eventually handed over to Norinco and PolyTech, who continue to manufacture the rifle primarily for export.ĭuring the Cold War period, the Type-56 was exported to many countries and guerrilla forces throughout the world. The Type 56 rifle was designated by the Chinese military as "Type 1956 Sub-Machinegun", because the Type 56 took the role of SMG rather than infantry service rifle in the PLA in the rifle's early service years. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles. The Type 56 ( Chinese: 56式突击步枪 literally "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") also known as the AK-56, is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle.
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Effective range 300–400 metersĢ0, 30, or 40-round detachable box magazine The Type 56 with a folded spike bayonet and milled receiver