Type 63 assault rifle
| Type 63 assault rifle | |
|---|---|
Type 63 rifle carried by PLA soldier.
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1968–1978 |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1959–1963 |
| Manufacturer | PRC government arsenals |
| Produced | 1969–1978 |
| No. built | 6,000,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.8 kg (8.38 lb) |
| Length | 1,033 mm (40.7 in) |
| Barrel length | 531 mm (20.9 in) |
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| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 680–725 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 735 m/s (2,411 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 100–800 m sight adjustments |
| Feed system | 20-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Hooded front post, rear U-notch on sliding tangent |
The Type 63 (Chinese: 63式7.62mm自动步枪), often incorrectly referred to as Type 68 by Western sources, is a Chinese-designed rifle with a resemblance to the SKS. However, the weapon uses a rotating bolt working system from the AK-47 rifle instead of the tilting bolt system of the SKS.
The origin of the Type 63 is based on the Type 56.
The Type 63/68 was intended to replace the Type 56 semi-automatic carbine in Chinese service at one time when infantry felt the need for a compromise between rifle firepower and long rifle range and to help the Type 56 rifle integrate into service. (There were too few of these to equip the entire PLA.) The development of the Type 63/68 started in 1959; the design certificate was issued in 1963 (which is why the Chinese designation is "Type 63"), and the rifle entered service within the PLA in 1968 (which is why the weapon is referred to as the "Type 68" by Western experts).
Other than China, the biggest user of the Type 63 rifle was Albania, where it was exported in quantities when the Communist regime split from the Soviet sphere of influence to gain stricter relationships with China (to which it also granted, for a certain amount of time, a naval base in the Mediterranean sea). The Type 63 rifle was also exported by China to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and throughout the 1970s, it was also sent in smaller amounts to Burma, Cambodia and other countries in Asia and Africa. Shipments were also made to Afghanistan to support the local guerrilla fighters against the Soviet invasion.
The Type 63/68 rifle is a select-fire weapon, fed by proprietary "cut-down" 20-round magazines or standard AK-47 30-round magazines, although these require minor modifications (removal of the bolt hold-open device) to fit. The fire selector is placed on the right side of the weapon right above the trigger guard, at index finger reach. The Type 63/68 rifle also features a non-removable folding spike-bayonet and a gas regulator system to use standard live ammunition or blank ammunition for the launch of rifle grenades.
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Wikipedia