| Type 81 | |
|---|---|
 Type 81 on display | |
| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1983–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Sino-Vietnamese conflicts Cambodian–Vietnamese War Soviet–Afghan War Iran-Iraq War Sri Lankan Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Baren Township conflict Gulf War Croatian War of Independence Bosnian War Kosovo War Kargil War War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Iraq War Boko Haram insurgency Syrian Civil War Internal conflict in Myanmar |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Wang Zijun |
| Designed | 1979-1981 |
| Manufacturer | Manufactured by:
Marketed by:
Licensed by: |
| Produced | 1983-2023 |
| No. built | ~400,000 (Type 81)[1] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.4 kg (7.50 lb) (empty, rifle) 4.5 kg (9.92 lb) (loaded, rifle) 5.15 kg (11.35 lb) (loaded, LMG) |
| Length | 955 mm (37.6 in) 730 mm (29 in) (stock folded) 1,004 mm (39.5 in) (LMG) |
| Barrel length | 445 mm (17.5 in) 520 mm (20 in) (LMG) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×39mm |
| Action | Short stroke gas piston, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 700–720 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 750 m/s (2,461 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | 2,000 m (6,600 ft)+ |
| Feed system | Proprietary 30-round detachable box magazine (20 rounds for CS/LR14), 75-round detachable drum magazine |
| Sights | Adjustable iron sights |
The Type 81 (Chinese: 81式自动步枪; literally; "Type 81 Automatic Rifle") is a Chinese-designed selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle. It replaced the semi-automatic Type 56 carbine as the standard service rifle of the People's Liberation Army during the 1980s.[2] It was also designed as a replacement to both the Type 56 assault rifle, as well as the Type 63 assault rifle, mostly being a further development and design improvement over the Type 63. Later, the Type 81 would be used under the designation Type 87 as testing for the PLA's new 5.8x42mm firearms, namely the QBZ-95.[3]
It is a small arms family that consist of the Type 81, the Type 81-1 and the Type 81 LMG.[4]
It was primarily in service in the mid to late 1980s during the height of the Sino-Vietnamese border conflicts.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Miller2003was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Beckhusen, Robert (14 March 2021). "Where Russia's SKS Rifle Bested America's Famous M1 Garand". The National Interest. Washington DC. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ Popenker, Maxim (27 October 2010). "Type 81". Modern Firearms. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Type 81". 27 October 2010.