Type 81 Assault Rifle
Encyclopedia
The Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army
from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS
, and AK
series rifles in general looks. The rifle is cosmetically influenced on the Type 56 license produced AK-47, but with a significantly different design and improvements to reduce the recoil and muzzle jump, giving better firing accuracy. The Type 81 rifle retains the general layout of AK-47 but isn't an improved variant of the license produced AK-47 the Type 56, some major difference is the positioning of aiming sights and stock of the rifle.
The most easily distinguishable feature is an exposed muzzle part of the barrel. The foresight moved back for a modification to fire rifle grenades from the barrel. There is a significant gap between the trigger guard and the magazine on Type 81 rifles, while on the Type 56 series the magazine is adjacent to the front of the trigger guard. The Type 81 rifle is a short-stroke gas-operated design, while the Type 56 are long-stroke designs. On Type 81 rifles the non-detachable spike-shaped bayonet was also replaced with a detachable knife-bayonet. The Type 81 can be fed from the older Type 56 30-round magazines, or from 75-round drums intended for the Type 81 light machine gun.
The Type 87 was replaced in PLA frontline service by the QBZ-95
, a bullpup rifle chambered for the 5.8x42mm DBP87 cartridge, in 1995 and is now reserved for secondary forces, though rapidly being replaced also.
service in 1981 but did not become widely distributed until the late 1980s. It replaced the Type 56 rifle
. Its first combat use came during the Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts
of the mid 1980s.
Unlike its predecessors, the Type 81 is a series of weapons. The Type 81 and Type 81-1 are assault rifles and the heavier Type 81 squad machine gun is used in the squad automatic weapon
role.
The Type 81-1 is similar to the Type 81 but has a foldable stock. The Type 81 squad machine gun is heavier (5.15 kg), has a longer barrel, slightly higher rate of fire (700 rounds per minute), and fires from either the standard 30 round magazine or a 75 round drum. From field and combat results, the feedback from PLA and foreign users, the accuracy of the Type 81 is better than that of the license produced AK-47
and is closer to that of the American M-16, but still retaining equal reliability. The Type 81 has been exported to various countries, primarily Asian and African.
The PLA is in the process of replacing the Type 81 with the Type 95
or Type 03
series of weapons, but full conversion is not expected until the mid-2010s.
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS
SKS
The SKS is a Soviet semi-automatic rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm round, designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. SKS-45 is an acronym for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945 Simonov system, 1945), or SKS 45. The Sks is a scaled down version of the PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle also...
, and AK
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
series rifles in general looks. The rifle is cosmetically influenced on the Type 56 license produced AK-47, but with a significantly different design and improvements to reduce the recoil and muzzle jump, giving better firing accuracy. The Type 81 rifle retains the general layout of AK-47 but isn't an improved variant of the license produced AK-47 the Type 56, some major difference is the positioning of aiming sights and stock of the rifle.
The most easily distinguishable feature is an exposed muzzle part of the barrel. The foresight moved back for a modification to fire rifle grenades from the barrel. There is a significant gap between the trigger guard and the magazine on Type 81 rifles, while on the Type 56 series the magazine is adjacent to the front of the trigger guard. The Type 81 rifle is a short-stroke gas-operated design, while the Type 56 are long-stroke designs. On Type 81 rifles the non-detachable spike-shaped bayonet was also replaced with a detachable knife-bayonet. The Type 81 can be fed from the older Type 56 30-round magazines, or from 75-round drums intended for the Type 81 light machine gun.
The Type 87 was replaced in PLA frontline service by the QBZ-95
QBZ-95
The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police , and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a...
, a bullpup rifle chambered for the 5.8x42mm DBP87 cartridge, in 1995 and is now reserved for secondary forces, though rapidly being replaced also.
History
The weapon was introduced into PLAPeople's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
service in 1981 but did not become widely distributed until the late 1980s. It replaced the Type 56 rifle
Type 56 Assault Rifle
The Type 56 assault rifle is a Chinese copy of the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, which has been manufactured since 1956. It was produced by State Factory 66 from 1956-73, then by Norinco from 1973 onwards.-Service history:...
. Its first combat use came during the Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts
Sino-Vietnamese War
The Sino–Vietnamese War , also known as the Third Indochina War, known in the PRC as and in Vietnam as Chiến tranh chống bành trướng Trung Hoa , was a brief but bloody border war fought in 1979 between the People's Republic of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam...
of the mid 1980s.
Characteristics
Squad automatic weapon
A squad automatic weapon is a weapon used to give infantry squads or sections a portable source of automatic firepower. Weapons used in this role are selective-fire rifles, usually fitted with a bipod and heavier barrel to perform as Light machine guns...
role.
The Type 81-1 is similar to the Type 81 but has a foldable stock. The Type 81 squad machine gun is heavier (5.15 kg), has a longer barrel, slightly higher rate of fire (700 rounds per minute), and fires from either the standard 30 round magazine or a 75 round drum. From field and combat results, the feedback from PLA and foreign users, the accuracy of the Type 81 is better than that of the license produced AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and is closer to that of the American M-16, but still retaining equal reliability. The Type 81 has been exported to various countries, primarily Asian and African.
Specifications
| Type 81 | Type 81-1 | Type 81 machine gun | |
| Overall length | 955 mm (37.6 in) | 750 mm (29.5 in) (butt folded) | 1004 mm (39.5 in) |
| Bore diameter | 7.62 mm (0.3 in) | ||
| Cartridge | 7.62x39 mm | ||
| Weight | 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) | 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) | 5.15 kg (11.4 lb) |
| Effective range | 400 m (437.4 yd) | 400 m (437.4 yd) | 500 m (546.8 yd) |
| Muzzle velocity | 750 m/s (2,460.6 ft/s) | 750 m/s (2,460.6 ft/s) | 735 m/s (2,411.4 ft/s) |
| Rate of fire (theory) | N/A | N/A | 720 r/min |
| Rate of fire (sustained) | N/A | N/A | 120 r/min |
| Cartridge capacity | 30 rounds | 30 rounds | 75 rounds |
Variants
A prototype called the Type 87 was introduced in the late 1980s. It served as a development platform for the next generation of PLA small arms, being used as a test-bed for the then new 5.8x42mm DBP87 ammunition. It never went into full-scale production but has been in service with PLA special forces.The PLA is in the process of replacing the Type 81 with the Type 95
QBZ-95
The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police , and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a...
or Type 03
QBZ-03
The QBZ-03 assault rifle is a gas operated, selective-fire weapon and is the latest assault rifle design developed for the Chinese 5.8 x 42 mm DBP87 ammunition. Unlike the bullpup QBZ-95, the QBZ-03 is a weapon of conventional design loosely inspired by other rifles previously in Chinese service...
series of weapons, but full conversion is not expected until the mid-2010s.
- Type 81 (7.62 mm assault rifle with a fixed butt)
- Type 81-I (7.62 mm assault rifle with a foldable butt)
- Type 81 LMG 7.62 mm squad machine gun
- Type 81S (late production export version with fixed butt)
- Type 87-1 (5.8x42mm experimental assault rifle, used to develop and test 5.8 mm DBP87 cartridge for QBZ-95QBZ-95The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police , and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a...
rifle) - Type 87 5.8 mm squad machine gun (prototype)
Users
- Under license by the Bangladesh Ordnance FactoriesBangladesh Ordnance FactoriesBangladesh Ordnance Factories is the largest military industrial complex of Bangladesh Army which produces arms, ammunition, and equipment for the Bangladesh Military.-History:It was inaugurated in 1970...
as BD-08 Assault Rifle (Bangladesh-2008)