Type 81 LMG
Norinco · Machine Gun · In Production · 1983
Also known as: Type 81-I LMG, Type 81 Squad Automatic Weapon
Overview
The Type 81 LMG is the squad light machine gun variant of China's Type 81 small arms family, produced by Norinco and adopted by the People's Liberation Army alongside the Type 81 assault rifle in the early 1980s. Chambered in 7.62x39mm, it fills the squad automatic weapon (SAW) role with a fixed longer and heavier barrel, a folding bipod, a carrying handle and a heavier wooden stock. It is most distinctively fed from a 75-round drum magazine, but also accepts the standard 20- and 30-round curved box magazines of the Type 81 rifle, giving the squad flexible, interchangeable ammunition feed. Retaining the family's SKS-derived short-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt, the LMG shares the large majority of its parts with the assault rifle, simplifying training, logistics and field maintenance. At roughly 5.15 kg it is markedly heavier than the rifle, trading mobility for sustained automatic firepower and improved accuracy at range.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 5150 g (181.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1004 mm (39.53") |
| Barrel Length | 520 mm (20.47") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Long Stroke |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 75 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Drum |
| Muzzle Velocity | 750 m/s (2461 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2243 J (1654 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 720 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x39mm · primary — also known as 7.62mm Soviet, 7.62x39mm M43
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Drum Magazine, Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Hammer Notch
- Features: Heavy Barrel, Fixed Folding Bipod, Carrying Handle, Chrome Lined Barrel, Rotating Bolt, Short Stroke Gas Piston, Select Fire, Sks Derived Gas System, Reduced Recoil Design
Base model
Service history
Operators
- People's Liberation Army · adopted 1983
- Bangladesh Armed Forces
- Myanmar Armed Forces
- Pakistan Armed Forces
- Sri Lanka Armed Forces
- Sudanese Armed Forces
Conflicts
- Sino-Vietnamese Border Conflicts (1979-1991)
- Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009)
- Internal conflict in Myanmar (1948-present)
Production
Production years: 1983-present
Exact figures are not published. Produced as the squad-support member of the Type 81 family for the PLA and for export; operators include Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Tanzania, among others.
Origin
Country of origin: China
Notes
The Type 81 LMG is the light support member of the Type 81 family, distinct from the Type 81 assault rifle. Its longer 520 mm barrel raises muzzle velocity and extends effective range relative to the 445 mm rifle barrel, while the bipod and heavier profile support sustained automatic fire. Magazine commonality is a defining feature: the 75-round drum is standard, but standard Type 81/AK-pattern box magazines feed it as well. Sources differ slightly on cyclic rate (roughly 650-720 rpm) and muzzle velocity (about 735-750 m/s); the higher figures are used here from the LMG-specific weaponsystems.net entry. Effective range is typically cited around 400 m with a maximum range near 2,000 m. Parts commonality with the rifle (commonly cited around three-quarters of components) was a deliberate logistics choice for squad-level standardization.
Background
The Type 81 family bridged the SKS/Type 56 era and China's first home-grown post-Kalashnikov small arms, drawing on lessons from the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese border fighting. The LMG variant was engineered to share the large majority of its parts (commonly cited as around 75 percent) with the assault rifle, so that a rifle squad could be supported by a belt-free, drum- or box-fed automatic weapon without complicating supply or armorer training.