Type 63 (assault rifle)
| Type 63 | |
|---|---|
|
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| general information | |
| Country of operation: | People's Republic of China , Albania , Vietnam |
| Manufacturer country: | China |
| Production time: | 1963 to 1969 |
| Model variants: | T 63, T 68 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1030 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3.8 kg |
| Barrel length : | 521 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 7.62 × 39 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 15 or 30 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Curve magazine or loading strip |
| Cadence : | 750 rounds / min |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Twist : | right |
| Closure : | Turret lock |
| Charging principle: | Gas pressure charger |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Type 63 assault rifle was an infantry weapon that was part of the equipment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army .
draft
The rifle, unlike many other Chinese weapons, was designed in China itself and was not a direct copy of a Soviet model. It was created in the efforts of the People's Republic of China to become independent of its military aid due to the rift with the Soviet Union . The armament of China was almost entirely based on Soviet developments, which also formed the basis for this weapon. It was a strange mix of the Simonov SKS-45 carbine and the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle . The ammunition was also identical to the Soviet models. From the SKS came:
- the stock
- the slide catch and the option to use loading strips
- the permanently installed needle bayonet
Before the AK, the following was borrowed:
- the gas pressure charger mechanism
- the rotating head lock
- the interchangeable magazine holder
technology
As with the AK, continuous fire could be fired. In addition, a gas pressure regulator was installed and the barrel was lengthened compared to the original weapon. The first models were milled, but with the introduction of the Type 68 , production (analogous to the Soviet AKM) was switched to sheet metal stamping technology. Nonetheless, the weapon turned out to be too heavy and, because of its poor quality, also too unreliable. Hundreds of thousands of the rifle were introduced into the army from 1963, but were completely retired before 1980. However, it is still part of the Chinese armed forces reserve stock.
The original magazines for the type 63/68 only held 15 rounds. However, it turned out that larger magazines could be used by the Chinese type 56 Kalashnikov copy . To do this, the bolt catch had to be removed, after which loading with loading strips was no longer possible.
literature
- Ian Hogg : Military Small Arms of the 20th Century . Arms & Armor Press, 1982, ISBN 0-910676-87-9 .
- Author collective: Rifles today . Military publishing house of the GDR , 1988, ISBN 3-327-00513-3 .