Type 56 assault rifle

The Type 56 (Chinese: 56式自動步槍, lit. 'Type 56 automatic rifle') is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle and Kalashnikov rifle variant.

In 1955, the Soviet Union provided China with information and production equipment for the AK and SKS.

Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66 but was eventually handed over to Norinco and PolyTech, who continue to manufacture the rifle primarily for export.

Originally, the Type 56 was a direct, licensed copy of the AK-47's final iteration, the Type 3 AK, and featured a milled receiver.

The Type 56 features a fixed wooden stock and folding spike bayonet. Starting in the mid-1960s, the guns were manufactured with stamped receivers much like the Soviet AKM.

Visually, most versions of the Type 56 are distinguished from the AK-47 and AKM by the fully enclosed hooded front sight (all other AK pattern rifles, including those made in Russia, have a partially open front sight).

Many versions also feature a folding bayonet attached to the barrel just aft of the muzzle. There are three different types of bayonets made for Type 56 rifles.

The Type 56 was adopted to replace various WWII-era weapons, including the Mosin-Nagant, Type 38 rifle and M1903 Springfield, as the standard issue rifle in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) .