Type 77 Pistol
Norinco (China North Industries Corporation) · Pistol · In Service · 1981
Also known as: 77 Shi Shouqiang, Norinco Type 77, 7.62mm Type 77
Overview
The Type 77 is a compact Chinese semi-automatic pistol chambered in the indigenous 7.62x17mm Type 64 cartridge, mass-produced from 1981 onward as a successor to the Type 64 silenced pistol. It is notable for incorporating a Chylewsky-style one-handed cocking device, allowing the slide to be retracted by squeezing a vertical projection on the trigger guard, making it possible to ready the pistol without using the off-hand. Issued widely as an officer and police sidearm.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 500 g (17.6 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 550 g (19.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 149 mm (5.87") |
| Barrel Length | 87 mm (3.43") |
| Height | 120 mm (4.72") |
| Width | 27 mm (1.06") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 7 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 226 J (167 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x17mm Type 64 · primary — also known as 7.62mm Type 64, Chinese .32 ACP equivalent
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Loaded Chamber Indicator
- Features: Chylewsky One Handed Cocking Device, Single Stack Magazine, Compact Pocket Pistol Format, Carried Chamber Empty
Variants
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army · adopted 1981 · as Type 77
- People's Armed Police
- Chinese Ministry of Public Security
Production
Production years: 1981-present
Widely issued to Chinese officers, police, and special forces. Exact production numbers not published.
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Chinese state arsenal designers (no individual attribution in open sources)
Notes
Designed for concealment and one-handed operation. The pistol is typically carried with a loaded magazine and empty chamber, with the Chylewsky-style trigger-guard pull serving as the chambering mechanism. Largely supplanted by the QSZ-92 in front-line PLA service but still in police inventories.
Background
The Type 77's most distinctive feature is its one-handed cocking system, derived from the obscure 1920s Swiss-designed Bergmann-Bayard 'Chylewsky' device. This made the Type 77 one of very few state-issued service pistols designed around the assumption that a soldier or officer might need to ready a sidearm with a single hand, while the other was injured, holding a flashlight, or controlling a suspect.