China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) · Submachine-Gun · In Service · 1981
| Weight (empty) | 1750 g (61.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 740 mm (29.13") |
| Barrel Length | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Short Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Muzzle Velocity | 515 m/s (1690 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 729 J (538 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Frame Material | Steel |
Primary Caliber: 7.62x25mm Tokarev
The Type 79 is China's first indigenously-designed submachine gun, certified in 1979 and entering mass production in 1981. Designed by Liu Zhitong, it is highly unusual among SMGs in using a gas-operated short-stroke piston with a rotating closed bolt — a system more typical of assault rifles — rather than the simple blowback action that nearly all other 1970s-era SMGs employed. It fires the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge (Chinese Type 51) from a 20-round detachable box magazine, with a side-foldin...
Country of Origin: China
Designer: Liu Zhitong