NORINCO Type 79

Submachine Gun (SMG)

China | 1981

"What sets the Chinese Type 79 Submachine Gun apart from others in this class is its use of a gas-operated action."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/30/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

For several decades the Chinese enjoyed a close working relationship with the Soviet Union. Perks of this relationship included access to Soviet military equipment which was ages ahead of what China could produce locally on its own. Local license production was eventually granted while other designs emerging became illegal copies of originals found elsewhere in the world. Over time, an indigenous initiative arose which allowed the Chinese military to begin designing, developing and mass-producing local weaponry made to exact Chinese specifications. The timing was quite perfect for the Chinese, however, for the Soviet-Chinese relationship broke down in the 1950s on political and ideological grounds - leading to the Sino-Soviet Split of 1960 - and did not recover until the 1990s. In that span, however, the Chinese continued to work from the earned knowledge and developed in-house weapons such as the Type 79 Submachine Gun.

The Type 79 was designed throughout the 1970s to which pre-production models finally emerged in 1981. Serial production then followed in 1983. The weapon became a highly conventional submachine gun design with one major exception - it was designed around a gas-operation (with rotating bolt) while many other submachine guns were generally developed around the blowback system of operation. This led to commonality with other existing Chinese assault and service rifles which were, of course, Soviet in their origin - many Kalashnikov types included. Additionally, the system did not rely on a heavy internal working set and made for a lighter and overall compact weapon. Such a weapon became standard issue for Chinese Army, internal security and special forces elements within time. Beyond that, the Type 79 was traditionally arranged with a large rectangular receiver, hinged folding wire buttstock and integrated pistol grip. Construction was of steel stampings and the weapon was chambered for the Soviet 7.62x25mm Tokarev pistol cartridge which gave good man-stopping capabilities. A safety and fire mode selector were fitted to the right side of the receiver within easy reach of the trigger function (obviously influenced by the Kalashnikov design and arrangement). A 20-round straight detachable box magazine was fitted into a well ahead of the pistol grip and trigger unit in the usual way. The charging handle was set to the right side of the receiver and iron sights were set at the receiver top and at the muzzle. The gas cylinder was mounted over the barrel in the traditional Kalashnikov style.

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At its core, the Type 79 was a no-frills submachine gun entry that reportedly gave a good account of itself in a rather busy market. Rate-of-fire was acceptable at 500 rounds per minute and control was deemed good for a weapon of this class. Effective range was out to 200 meters though the Type 79 was ever only really intended for short-to-medium engagements. The weapon went on to see production on a large scale - over 290,000 examples believed produced since inception in 1979 and still ongoing today (2012) - while its gas-operated action gave good service. The Type 79 was eventually simplified with the arrival of the Type 85 Submachine Gun of 1985, this series reverting back to the widely-accepted blowback system of operation and featured a new cylindrical receiver with hinged folding wire stock and curved 30-round detachable box magazine.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the NORINCO Type 79. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

740 mm
29.13 in
O/A Length

250 mm
9.84 in
Barrel Length

3.86 lb
1.75 kg
Weight

Gas-Operated; Rotating Bolt
Action

7.62x25mm Tokarev
Caliber(s)

20-round detachable box magazine
Feed

Rear Notch Sight
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the NORINCO Type 79. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

656 ft
199.9 m | 218.7 yds
Max.Eff.Range

500
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

1,689 ft/sec
515 m/sec
Muzzle Velocity

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the NORINCO Type 79 Submachine Gun (SMG) family line.

Type 79 - Base Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the NORINCO Type 79. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): China NORth INdustries COrporation (NORINCO) - China

[ China ]

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Right side profile view of the Chinese Type 79 submachine gun

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

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Going Further...
The NORINCO Type 79 Submachine Gun (SMG) appears in the following collections:

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