The Type 81 Is China’s Unique AK-47 Hybrid

War is Boring ^ | January 16, 2018 | Charlie Gao

[C19fan]

In the 1980s, China’s small arms were largely inferior to the United States and Russia. The PLA was mostly armed with the Type 56 assault rifle, a clone of the original AK-47, and the Type 56 carbine, a clone of the Soviet SKS.

There was an abortive attempt to combine the characteristics of these rifles in the 1960s which culminated in the Type 63, an SKS-looking select-fire rifle that used elements of the AK operating mechanism such as a rotating bolt and fed from AK magazines. The Type 63 was too heavy and lacked a pistol grip and inline stock to afford controllability in fully-automatic fire. It was an outdated rifle when it was introduced, especially compared to the American M-16 and Soviet AKM.

[Red Badger]

TYPE 81?...............HYBRID?...........

[moovova]

If you flip it over, does it have a “Made in China” sticker on the bottom of it?

[BenLurkin]

Looks like a VW “Thing”

[Red Badger]

It is.

Also known as a VW Type 181................

[Red Badger]

VW Type 81................

[tumblindice]

Same short site axis, Yugo SKS type grenade launcher?
Looks like the same old wine in a slightly newer skin.

[MCF]

A .236 diameter bullet @ 2900-3000 FPS (depending on bullet weight) with better accuracy then the AK-47 7.62x39. Reliable and with good durability. Sounds like a good combat weapon.

[tumblindice]

“better accuracy then the AK-47 7.62x39”
You’re right but that’s like saying a blind date with Mila Kunis w/ no makeup would beat Jennifer Ruin opening the door. Rubin. Or maye it is Ruin (My B is sticking)
If it has the same sloppy tolerances ... I have three, but after buying ARs—you know one definition of an `optimist’?
The guy who puts optics glass on his AK.
It’s a good weapon for illiterate peasant conscripts and close-up social work. The Chinese aren’t very innovative but then we’ve been using the same floor plan since circa 1962 (forcing nose back to horizontal)