Type 63 assault rifle
| Type 63 | |
|---|---|
 A Type 63 from a National War College file photo | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | People's Republic of China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1969–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1959–1963[1][2] |
| Produced | 1969–1978[3] |
| No. built | 6,000,000[3] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.49 kg (7.7 lb)[4] |
| Length | 1.029 mm (0.0405 in) (with bayonet folded)[4] |
| Barrel length | 521 mm (20.5 in)[4] |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm[3] |
| Action | Gas-operated (rotating bolt)[4] |
| Rate of fire | 750 rounds/min[4] |
| Muzzle velocity | 730 m/s (2,400 ft/s)[4] |
| Effective firing range | 400 m (440 yd)[4] |
| Feed system | 15-round, 20-round, and 30-round detachable magazines[4] |
The Type 63 (Chinese: 63式7.62mm自动步枪) is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle. The weapon's overall design was based on the SKS (known in Chinese service as the Type 56 carbine), but with select fire capability and a rotating bolt system adapted from the Type 56 assault rifle, a derivative of the AK-47.[4] It was originally introduced to replace the SKS as the standard service rifle of the People's Liberation Army, but was prematurely withdrawn from service due to numerous production difficulties.[5] The Type 63 was originally manufactured with a milled steel receiver, although later production models had pressed and riveted steel receivers.[4]
The Type 63 is occasionally misidentified in Western literature as the Type 68.[1]
History
[edit]From 1956 until the late 1980s, the standard service rifle of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was the Type 56 carbine, a licensed derivative of the Soviet SKS.[5] The SKS was well-regarded by the PLA, but it lacked select-fire capability and was limited to a ten-round fixed magazine fed from stripper clips.[6] To overcome these shortcomings, Chinese military officials specified a new service rifle based on the overall SKS design but capable of fully automatic fire and modified to accept large capacity, detachable magazines.[6] The new weapon had to incorporate a wooden stock and folding bayonet similar to those of the SKS for close quarters fighting.[5] It also needed to be manufactured with the same tooling equipment as the SKS and AK-47 for logistical reasons, as the Chinese government wished to adapt its pre-existing production lines for the new rifle.[6]
The development of the Type 63 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 1969. The Type 63 was removed from PLA service in 1978 due to bad performance and accuracy.[1][2]
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. The Type 63 rifle was also exported by China to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and throughout the 1970s,[7] it was also sent in smaller amounts to Burma, Cambodia and other countries in Asia and Africa.[1]
Design
[edit]The Type 63 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 rifle also features a non-removable folding spike-bayonet and a gas regulator system[8] to use standard live ammunition or blank ammunition for the launch of rifle grenades.[9] The magazine can be reloaded with 10-round SKS stripper clips.[10]
The Type 63 was designed for semi-automatic fire with selective full-auto capability. The rifle was required by the People's Liberation Army to have higher accuracy compared to the Type 56 assault rifle. Moreover, the manufacturing process needs to be simplified to realize the military philosophy based on the use of masses in wartime. The weapon should facilitate the troops to be able to stop the enemy advance by rifle shots at extremely long distances as well as the use of the automatic fire for the final close-quarters engagements.[9]
The initial production of the rifle showed a promising result. Comparing to the Type 56 assault rifle, which is an AK-47 clone, the Type 63 has higher reliability and better accuracy. It is fitted with the bolt hold-open device that both the AK-47 and Type 56 lacks. The service life of the Type 63 is 15,000 rounds due to efficient structural design and a streamlined manufacturing process, making it significantly better than the 6,000 rounds of Type 56 and AK-47 at the time.[9]
Production
[edit]Although the initial production of Type 63 received positive feedback from the troops, the final production of Type 63 encountered enormous disruption due to the Cultural Revolution. The quality control of the production was severely affected, and the initial design was not respected. After the first batch of Type 63 finished production in 1969, subsequent batches received design changes that yielded questionable results. The service life degraded to 10,000 rounds instead of the promised 15,000 rounds. By the time it was finished, the weapon design was outdated as more compact, short-barreled assault rifles were taking the spotlight in modern warfare as shown in the US engagement in Vietnam.[9]
Users
[edit]
Albania[10]
Myanmar[1]
Sri Lanka[10]
Vietnam: In Vietnamese service the rifle is designated K63.[11] It saw very little service in North Vietnam, and was withdrawn from front-line service after the Vietnam War ended. It is still in use by the Vietnamese state militia.
Non-State Actors
[edit]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "TYPE 63 Rifle". Archived from the original on 2007-08-20.
- ^ a b "资料：新中国步枪发展历程——自制阶段_新浪军事_新浪网".
- ^ a b c "SALW Guide: Global distribution and visual identification" (PDF). Bonn: Bonn International Center for Conversion. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gander, Terry (1997). Jane's Infantry Weapons, 1997-98. Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. pp. 135–136. ISBN 0-7106-1548-5.
- ^ a b c Wuku, Xiaoyujun (25 July 2018). "关于56式半自动步枪一些班门弄斧的介绍". KK News. Phoenix. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Mullin, TJ (2015). 365 Guns You Must Shoot The Most Sublime, Weird, and Outrageous Guns Ever. Beverly, Masachussetts: Voyageur Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0760347577.
- ^ Tucker, Spencer C., ed. (May 2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History (2 ed.). p. 976. ISBN 978-1-85109-960-3.
- ^ Popenker, Maxim. "Type 63 rifle". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 2008-11-09. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
- ^ a b c d e "Type 63 automatic rifle". Guns' world (in Chinese).
- ^ a b c "Foreign Firepower: 5 Chinese Assault Rifles". Archived from the original on 2015-12-19.
- ^ ""Sao vuông" Việt Bắc". ct.qdnd.vn (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2018-04-14.
- ^ Small Arms Survey (2005). "Sourcing the Tools of War: Small Arms Supplies to Conflict Zones". Small Arms Survey 2005: Weapons at War. Oxford University Press. p. 166. ISBN 978-0-19-928085-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 9, 2010.
