Type 54 Heavy Machine Gun
Norinco · Machine Gun · In Service · 1954
Also known as: Chinese DShK, Type 54 12.7mm HMG, 54 Shi
Overview
The Type 54 is China's reverse-engineered license copy of the Soviet DShKM 1938/46 12.7x108mm heavy machine gun, adopted in 1954 as the People's Republic's first domestically produced heavy machine gun. Built initially on Soviet machinery using Soviet documentation and engineering assistance, it is mechanically a DShKM - gas-operated long-stroke piston, open-bolt full-auto, 50-round non-disintegrating belt at roughly 600 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity near 850 m/s. Chinese refinements included a thicker barrel without cooling ribs, an added barrel carry handle for faster combat barrel changes, and a lighter tripod. It serves in ground and anti-aircraft roles and as the turret anti-aircraft gun (designated Type 59) on Chinese armored vehicles, and was widely exported. Variants include the improved Type 54-1 and the later W-85.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 34000 g (1199.3 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 127500 g (4497.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1625 mm (63.98") |
| Barrel Length | 1070 mm (42.13") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Full Auto Only |
| Magazine Capacity | 50 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 850 m/s (2789 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 17500 J (12907 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3500 m (3828 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 8 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12.7x108mm · primary — also known as 12.7 Soviet, 12.7mm DShK, 12.7x108mm Russian
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Belt Fed Non Disintegrating, 50 Round Belt
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Thicker Ribless Barrel, Barrel Carry Handle For Quick Change, Simplified Shuttle Slider Belt Feed, Reversible Feed, Lightened Tripod Mount, Muzzle Brake, Anti Aircraft Capable, Spade Grips, Crew Served
Variants
- Type 54-1 — Improved Infantry Variant
- Type 59 — Tank Anti Aircraft Mount
- W-85 — Lightweight Development
Base model
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army (China) · adopted 1954 · as Type 54
- Pakistan Armed Forces · as Type 54
- Afghan National Army · as Type 54
- Albanian Armed Forces · as Type 54
- People's Army of Vietnam · as Type 54
Conflicts
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
- Cold War proxy conflicts (1950s-1980s)
Production
Production years: 1954-present
Large-scale Chinese state-arsenal production; exact totals not source-confirmed. Widely exported across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Superseded for mobile anti-aircraft use by the Type 77 from the mid-1970s but remains in service.
Origin
Country of origin: China
Notes
Distinct from the Norinco Type 54 PISTOL (a TT-33 copy) - this is the 12.7mm heavy machine gun. Mechanically identical to the DShKM; key Chinese differences are the thicker ribless barrel, barrel carry handle, and lighter tripod. Original DShK wheeled mount ~127.5 kg; a lightened Chinese tripod cuts the system to ~53 kg. Type 59 is the tank-AA redesignation. Production figures not source-confirmed. Country-of-origin CN; the parent DShKM is the Soviet design.
Background
China reverse-engineered the DShKM in 1953 with Soviet blueprints and engineers, fielding it as the Type 54 a year after the Korean armistice - its first domestically produced heavy machine gun. Chinese engineers improved on the Soviet original by ditching the heavy barrel cooling ribs and bolting a carry handle onto the barrel for faster combat barrel changes. The same gun, redesignated Type 59, became the standard anti-aircraft gun perched atop the Type 59 main battle tank's commander hatch.