In the firearms market of the United States, one Chinese firearm stands out as particularly popular among American citizens, and that’s the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.
It can be said that in the realm of semi-automatic firearms, this rifle is America’s “national firearm,” with over 1 million units exported to the United States.
Especially in some “redneck states” in the southern United States, the Type 56 is often used as a hunting rifle.
It’s important to note that due to the relevant legislation signed by the United States in 1994, the United States began to reduce or even prohibit the entry of certain Chinese weapons into its market since 1994.
So since 1994, the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle could no longer enter the United States through official channels. All the 1 million Type 56 semi-automatic rifles exported from China to the United States were achievements before 1994.
This means that if it weren’t for the U.S. arms embargo, the Type 56 could potentially have been exported to the U.S. in quantities of 3 million or even 5 million, indicating its popularity in the United States. So why is it so beloved by American citizens?
Affordability of the Type 56:
The core reason why the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle has so many enthusiasts in the United States is its affordability.
After all, in the last century, China had the world’s largest army and militia forces, and as the main equipment of China at that time, the production capacity of the Type 56 was naturally immense.
Additionally, because China was supporting armed revolutions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, China intentionally reduced the cost of the Type 56. So, through years of production, the price of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was pushed extremely low.
Another key factor that further lowered the price of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was the stock of Type 56 rifles held by Albania.
Albania was a socialist country in the last century, and China provided a large number of Type 56 semi-automatic rifles to Albania free of charge.
Later, with the collapse of Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Albania shifted to the capitalist camp, and a large number of Chinese weapons in their possession, including the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, were exported, further lowering its price.
These factors combined led to the extremely low price of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, with prices ranging from $200 to $600 in the United States, depending on the condition.
In contrast, the American-produced M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle can sell for $1,600 per unit (newly produced replicas from World War II are much cheaper, and second-hand old rifles are much cheaper). In extreme cases, the M1 Garand, as a domestically produced American weapon, can be 10 times or even 9 times more expensive than the Chinese Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.
However, regardless of how excellent a product’s performance may be, nothing beats affordability. Therefore, the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle quickly became America’s “national firearm.”
Moreover, due to its simple maintenance, even second-hand Type 56 rifles can maintain good condition. So buying a second-hand Type 56 is almost the same as buying a new one.
When American citizens cannot purchase a Type 56 through normal channels, they can still buy one through Canada. Many Americans can buy a second-hand Type 56 semi-automatic rifle through Canadian channels and then make some low-cost modifications themselves, allowing them to enjoy shooting.
Performance Advantages of the Type 56:
In addition to affordability, the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle also has many advantages. One of them is its easy maintenance, as mentioned earlier.
The prototype of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle is the SKS semi-automatic rifle used by the Soviet Union at that time, which was designed to withstand the harsh natural environments of the Soviet Union. Later, China localized it and developed the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle.
China, being a country with diverse natural environments, from deserts to plateaus, to tropical rainforests, would not have produced this rifle on such a large scale if it were not easy to maintain.
Another advantage is that the ergonomic design of the Type 56 is relatively good. As a relatively “primitive” weapon, the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle actually considers human-machine efficiency quite well. The grip has grooves for a good grasp, allowing soldiers to use bayonets effectively.
Furthermore, the Type 56 is lightweight. This rifle has a length of 1021 millimeters and weighs only 3.85 kilograms, making it one of the lighter semi-automatic rifles. In contrast, the American M1 Garand is 1107 millimeters long and weighs 4.3 kilograms, which is equivalent to the weight of an extra beer can. This difference in weight translates to a significant difference in soldier’s physical exertion.
While excelling in lightweight design, the Type 56 does not compromise on other aspects of performance. It has stable ballistics, high accuracy, and an effective range of around 400 meters.
With the progress of China’s industrial level, Type 56 semi-automatic rifles produced after the 1970s also have good anti-corrosion properties, which is the main reason why they can maintain their good condition despite being made of wood.
Another advantage is that the Type 56 is easy to modify. This firearm has a relatively simple structure, making it easier to modify than the M1 Garand, which is designed and produced by the United States.
Moreover, Americans have a habit of modifying firearms, which makes the Type 56 even more popular in the United States.
Drawbacks of the Type 56:
However, the Type 56 is not without its drawbacks. The firing pin on the SKS prototype is floating, meaning it’s not fixed and can move back and forth.
This design was intended to make disassembly and maintenance of the SKS easier but also brings some trouble.
Because the firing pin can move back and forth, if it gets stuck due to dirt or other reasons in the extended position, when the trigger is pulled, all the bullets in the magazine will be fired.
This flaw can be modified by adding a reset spring to the firing pin, which solves the problem of the firing pin getting stuck in the extended position.
However, early versions of the Type 56 did not make many modifications based on the SKS. At that time, China’s industrialization was just beginning, and the design of many industrial products from the Soviet Union was still in the stage of digestion and absorption. Therefore, the flaw of the SKS was overlooked.
However, around the 1970s, China gradually began to modify designs based on Soviet industrial products. So, after the 1970s, many flaws on “imitation Soviet weapons” were gradually corrected, including many flaws on the Type 56.
Moreover, with the overall improvement of China’s processing technology, the processing accuracy of the Type 56 also became higher and more durable over time.
Reference:
[1] People’s Daily: “American Grandpa Modifies 6 Type 56 Semi-automatic Rifles into Gatling Guns, Truly Impressive”
[2] People’s Daily Online: “Picture Story: How Did the Type 56 Rifle Family Emerge?”