Type 56-1
| Factions | Weapon | Icon | Classes | Ammo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 VC |
 Type 56-1 |
 |
 Assault Radioman |
30+1 / 90 |
| Damage Base | Headshot × | Chest × | Stomach × | Leg × | Arm × | Bayonet | Rifle Grenades | Reload Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partial | Empty | ||||||||
| 41 | ×2.52 = 103.32 | ×1.2 = 49.2 | ×1.15 = 47.15 | ×0.8 = 32.8 | ×0.75 = 30.75 | YES | NO | 2.433 Seconds | 3.2 Seconds |
| Designation | Weapon Type | Fire Modes | Fire Rate | Bullet Spread ° | Range Modifier | Muzzle Velocity | Projectile weight | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 56-1 | Assault Rifle | Auto+Semi | 600 RPM | 7.72° & 2.47° ADS | 0.925 | 715 m/s | 7.9 g (121.9 gr) | 3 kg (6.6 lbs) |
| Full name | Caliber | Place of Origin | Date | Manufacturer | Barrel Length | Total Length | Weapon Script Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56式突击步枪 | 7.62x39mm | China | 1956 | State Factory 66 Norinco PolyTech |
16.3 in (414 mm) | 25.7 in (654 mm) | weapon_type56 |
Type 56-1 is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle and an underfolding-stock variant of the Type 56 (China’s Kalashnikov-pattern rifle). It is known for its compact folding stock and widespread export during the Vietnam War era.
HISTORY
China began producing its own Kalashnikov-pattern rifles in 1956, initially based on the milled-receiver AK-47 “Type 3” pattern and adopted domestically as the Type 56. The Type 56-1 designation is used for the model fitted with a Soviet-pattern underfolding metal stock, intended to make the rifle easier to carry and stow than fixed-stock versions. As production evolved, newer stamped-receiver Type 56 rifles replaced many earlier milled-receiver guns in Chinese service, and large numbers of earlier rifles were made available for export.
During the Vietnam War, China exported large quantities of Type 56 rifles and 7.62×39mm ammunition to North Vietnam, and Chinese-made Type 56 rifles became some of the most commonly encountered Kalashnikov-type weapons in PAVN and Viet Cong hands. Captured Type 56 rifles were notable early in the conflict because they indicated the appearance of more modern, standardized small arms among enemy forces compared to older or improvised weapons; folding-stock examples were also encountered as part of the broader Type 56 family in-theater.
Sources
- VIETNAM AMNESTY AK47 (Type 56 development, Type 56-1 underfolder description, and exports to North Vietnam) | Small Arms Review
- Chicom Type 56 Assault Rifle : Viet Cong (captured weapon history and Vietnam context) | Australian War Memorial
- AK-47 Type 56-1 Automatic Rifle (object record) | Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Video: Chinese Type 56 Rifle (AK-56) (Vietnam-era prevalence claim) | American Rifleman
