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Type 80 (pistol)
View on WikipediaThe Type 80 (Chinese: 80式衝鋒手槍; pinyin: 80 Shì chōngfēng shǒuqiāng) is a close-combat machine pistol that was used in China in the 1980s by the People's Liberation Army of China. It was developed by Norinco in the 1970s, influenced by the design of the German M712 Schnellfeuer.
Key Information
History
[edit]The Type 80 was design in 1970 as a personal defense weapon for officers and special forces team in the People's Liberation Army of China.[1] It was meant to replace the Type 54.[1] The Type 80's design was finalized in 1980.[1]
Design
[edit]The Type 80 was created by refining and upgrading the design of the various Chinese copies of the imported German selective-fire M712 Schnellfeuer version of the Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" semi-automatic pistol that were produced and used in China in the 1930s.[2]
The internal design is derived from the basic Mauser action, with a slight recoil of the barrel enabling the locking piece under the lightweight bolt. This enables the bolt to drop out of engagement and borrows from the later Westinger (rather than the Nickl) selector mechanism. There is an obvious family resemblance outlined with the C96 having the magazine well in front of the trigger, slender barrel and exposed hammer. The pistol has a permanent unregulated sight set at a distance of 50 m (the maximum effective distance when firing in bursts). The rate of fire is believed to be around 850 rounds per minute.
The pistol's fire selector switch is set to single or full auto,[1] which is placed at the left side of the pistol. It can be loaded with either 10 or 20 round magazines.[1]
The detachable metallic shoulder stock can be pulled to use a hidden combat knife when required to fight in close quarters.[2] Otherwise, it can use a wooden holster/shoulder stock.[2]
Disadvantages
[edit]The Type 80 was designed as a machine pistol for use in close combat situations. The pistol proved too unsuitable for sustained fully automatic fire. After cycling approximately thirty cartridges, the barrel would overheat.[3][4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e https://k.sina.cn/article_6854748329_1989328a900100uem3.html
- ^ a b c "Type 80".
- ^ "Арсенал: Китайские пистолеты на Братишка.ru". Archived from the original on August 14, 2018.
- ^ "Стрелковое оружие: Пистолеты - Китай на Eragun.com". Archived from the original on May 5, 2010.
Type 80 (pistol)
View on GrokipediaHistory
Development
In the late 1970s, the Chinese military identified a need for an updated personal defense weapon suitable for vehicle crews and other personnel not typically issued full-sized rifles, leveraging the existing inventory of domestically produced Mauser C96 copies that dated back to the Republican era.[1] These earlier semi-automatic copies, such as the Shanxi Type 17 and Hanyang variants, had provided foundational experience with the C96 platform, while prior automatic derivatives suffered from reliability shortcomings such as overheating and jamming.[2] The Type 80 emerged as a direct evolution of these designs, drawing primary influence from the German Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer machine pistol—a selective-fire variant of the C96 that China had previously imported and copied during the interwar period.[2] Development efforts focused on refining the mechanism to mitigate overheating and jamming issues inherent in prior automatic C96 derivatives, incorporating improved materials and selective-fire controls while retaining the core broomhandle layout.[1] Norinco, China's state-owned arms manufacturer, led the prototyping and extensive testing phases, addressing iterative feedback from military trials to enhance overall durability and controllability.[1] The project culminated in the final design's certification for production in 1980, marking a deliberate modernization of legacy pistol technology for contemporary tactical roles.[1]Adoption
The Type 80 machine pistol entered production with Norinco in 1980, following its development in the late 1970s as a specialized personal defense weapon for military personnel in close-quarters scenarios.[1] It was adopted by the People's Liberation Army in the 1980s, with issuance primarily to vehicle crews, officers, armored personnel, and special operations forces to provide enhanced firepower beyond standard sidearms.[1][3] The pistol's niche role contributed to low-volume production, and its design finalization in 1980 facilitated service entry by the mid-1980s after routine military evaluations, though no specific trials are publicly documented.[1] The Type 80 saw no significant exports and remains extremely rare outside China, with only isolated examples appearing in international collections.[4]Design
Features
The Type 80 pistol operates on a short recoil-locked breech mechanism, enabling selective fire in both semi-automatic and full-automatic modes to provide versatile engagement options for users.[5] This system features a rectangular bolt housed within the barrel extension, locked by a tilting locking piece, ensuring reliable cycling under the high-pressure 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridge.[5] A distinctive ergonomic element is its broomhandle-style grip, inherited from the Mauser C96 design lineage, which offers a secure hold despite the weapon's compact form.[5] The grip panels are reshaped for improved handling compared to earlier models, complemented by a combined safety and fire mode selector switch located on the left side of the frame above the grip for intuitive operation.[5] It accepts detachable box magazines in 10- or 20-round capacities, allowing quick reloads suited to its role as a personal defense weapon.[5] The pistol includes a detachable steel shoulder stock that serves dual purposes as a stabilizing brace for aimed fire and a holster for carry, enhancing its portability when not in use.[5] This stock incorporates a concealed combat knife, adding utility for close-quarters engagements.[5] As a hybrid machine pistol, the Type 80 emphasizes close-combat suppression capabilities, bridging the functionality of a handgun and submachine gun for vehicle crews and similar personnel requiring compact yet potent firepower.[5] Its design draws brief inspiration from the Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer, adapting the full-automatic "broomhandle" concept to modern Chinese production.[5]Specifications
The Type 80 pistol is a selective-fire machine pistol chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokarev, utilizing a short recoil, locked breech action capable of both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire.[1][6] Key physical and operational specifications are summarized below:| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 300 mm [1] |
| Barrel length | 140 mm [1] |
| Unloaded weight | 1.16 kg [1] |
| Cartridge | 7.62×25mm Tokarev [1][6] |
| Feed system | 10- or 20-round detachable magazines [1][6] |
| Action type | Short recoil, locked breech, selective fire (single/full auto) [1][6] |
| Cyclic rate of fire | 850 rounds per minute [6] |
| Muzzle velocity | 470 m/s [7] |
| Effective firing range | 100 m [1] |
| Maximum range | 1,000 m [7] |
