The Type 64 ()
is a
submachine gun
A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
of Chinese origin. Designed for silent operations, the Type 64 has an integral
suppressor
A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity
Sound intensity, also known as acoustic intensity, is defined as the power carried by sound waves per unit ...
making the weapon considerably quieter.
[Miller, Davis, The Illustrated Book of Guns, Chrysalis Book, (2004), p. 238] The weapon is a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using a closed-bolt,
blowback action
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gas created by the ignition of the propellant charge.
Several blowback systems exist wi ...
, chambered for 7.62×25mm Type 51 (A Chinese manufactured version of the
7.62×25mm Tokarev round).
This was one of the few Chinese-made Cold War small arms that were not based on any existing Soviet small arms.
History
While the Type 64 has been used in the PLA, it was eventually replaced in service by the Type 85 submachine gun. The weapon was developed together with the Type 64 suppressed pistol for special forces missions.
Some Type 64s were exported for the North Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War. It was used in the Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979 by Chinese troops.
Development
The Type 64 was designed from the beginning to be a suppressed weapon, unlike many other suppressed firearms that are simply modified versions of standard production guns. An amalgam of many designs, the gun features the bolt of a
PPS submachine gun
The PPS ( Russian: ППС – "Пистолет-пулемёт Судаева" or "Pistolet-pulemyot Sudayeva", in English: "Sudayev's submachine-gun") is a family of Soviet submachine guns chambered in 7.62×25mm Tokarev, developed by Alexei Su ...
and the trigger group of a
ZB vz. 26
The ZB vz. 26 was a Czechoslovak light machine gun developed in the 1920s, which went on to enter service with several countries. It saw its major use during World War II, and spawned the related ZB vz. 27, vz. 30, and vz. 33. The ZB vz. 26 influe ...
, both of which are grafted onto the receiver of an
AKS-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms de ...
.
The rate of fire is at 1,300 rpm.
The safety/fire selector lever is based on the Type 56 assault rifle.
While standard 7.62mm Tokarev ammo can be used, it will increase the rate of having the integrated suppressor wear off.
The Type 64 can use 20 or 30-round magazines.
A flip-up rear sight is available, set for ranges from 100 to 200 meters.
References
External links
Type 64- Website showing detailed pictures of a Type 64 submachine gun.
{{Modern Chinese Infantry Weapons
Silenced firearms
Cold War weapons of China
7.62×25mm Tokarev submachine guns
Submachine guns of the People's Republic of China