Submachine gun: yesterday, today, tomorrow. It often happens that the topics for the next articles to the authors of "VO" are suggested by its readers. So this time it was the same: "And where are the Chinese !?" And indeed, where are they and what are their successes in creating new submachine guns? This is our story today.
Armory of the world
This is the name that should be given to China, bearing in mind its position on the world stage over the past century, but with a certain proviso. We are not talking about the production of weapons, not at all. It's about consuming it. Yes, it was China, with an underdeveloped industry, but a lot of tea and rice fields, and people, taxes from which you can squeeze out with sticks on the heels, who bought large quantities of weapons from leading manufacturing countries and armed their armies with not old stuff! In the 1930s, Mauser rifles and pistols, Czech ZB.26 light machine guns, German tanks and Soviet aircraft were ordered (and about this on "VO"). Later, the Chinese received all the Japanese arsenals, and then also Soviet and American weapons. Therefore, it was very easy for them to create "new items" from the very beginning. I took, for example, a Thompson submachine gun, put the barrel under the Soviet Tokarev cartridge, remade the bolt and the magazine, and … here's a new China Gun.
In the 1920s, the Soviet Union supported the Chinese troops, fearing the expansion of Japanese influence. Moreover, even anti-communist nationalists received weapons and equipment from the USSR. But aid to China also came from the United States, where they dreamed of making China their ally after the war. Therefore, one should not be surprised that supplies went there under the lend-lease agreement of February 1941, and in total until the end of World War II, China received goods from the Americans worth more than $ 1.6 billion. Not bad, isn't it? Among other things, United Defense UD-42 submachine guns were supplied, the legendary Thompson and various models of the M3 submachine gun were also supplied there. From the USSR, the Chinese received PPSh-41 and PPS-43. Japanese "types" also fell into service with the PLA. Gradually, however, Chinese experts began to think about creating their own weapons based on everything they studied. And they created it!
Chinese "type"
In both Japan and China, weapons receive brands by years. So the Type 64 submachine gun is a weapon created in a certain year. What happened? The result was a PP, similar and even very much like the Soviet PPS-43, with a free shutter and a fire translator. The trigger was borrowed from the Czech ZB-26 machine gun, but it was greatly simplified. The most important thing is the purpose for which this Chinese submachine gun was created. But she was somewhat unusual. The fact is that the "Type 64" was originally designed as a silent one, and was not a conventional submachine gun, on which a silencer could be installed. Therefore, the muffler on this PP has become an integral part of its design and cannot be removed.
The barrel is simply inserted into the muffler, which in turn is attached to the receiver using a threaded sleeve. It is interesting that there are two fuses on it at once. One is similar to the AK-47 fire translator, and the second is made in the form of a button that locks the trigger when the bolt is cocked. Moreover, the translator of fire on this submachine gun allows you to fire both single shots and bursts. And this is very unusual for a silent weapon, since such a fire leads to rapid wear of the silencer. The sight has only two positions "10" and "20", that is, markings for shooting at 100 and 200 m. The stock, as you can see in the photo below, is foldable.
New time, new submachine gun
A new submachine gun "Chan Feng" was created in the Chinese company "Chan Feng Group" under the program of developing a new model of a submachine gun for the PLA in the late 90s of the twentieth century. At the same time, it was created in two versions at once: the first - for the new 5, 8-mm pistol cartridge of its own Chinese design (5, 8x21-mm) and the second, also for its own, the Chinese version of the old "Luger" cartridge 9x19-mm. Moreover, the first option was calculated for use in the army, and the second - in the police and … for export.
The design of the new submachine gun was more than original. We can say that here the Chinese engineers were certainly "ahead of the rest of the planet." The fact is that they received a double feed system with cartridges and, in addition to pistol magazines for 15 9-mm or 20 5, 8-mm cartridges, traditionally inserted into the pistol grip, they also received a screw magazine with a capacity of 50 rounds located on top, which was an analogue earlier created in the United States store from the submachine gun "Calico". All this, of course, complicated the design, so it could not stand the army tests and the 5, 8-mm sample lost the competition. But the 9-mm analog is offered by the development company to the Chinese police, and also, as it was conceived, for export. And they buy it!
The construction of this Chinese submachine gun itself is very simple, and its design is reminiscent of the French experienced ADR submachine gun. The bolt is free, running with the front part on the barrel, so that it is located above its chamber. There are two modes of fire, their translator is located above the rear pistol grip. The receiver is plastic, made in one piece with both pistol grips. The auger magazine is also made of translucent plastic, so it is very easy to control the ammunition consumption. The stock is telescopic and can be adjusted in length. The sighting devices are the simplest, however, both a collimator and a night sight can be installed. Installation of a quick-detachable muffler is provided. The weight without cartridges is quite small - 2.1 kg, the barrel is 250 mm long, the rate of fire is 800 rds / min. Effective range of fire 100-150 m.
In bullpup fashion …
Then, in 2005, China developed the Type 05 submachine gun, which was worked on by engineers at the PLA Research Institute 208 (where Chinese army small arms are being developed) and specialists from the Chinese company Jian She. They began to develop it for a new cartridge of 5, 8-mm caliber, with a bottle-shaped sleeve of 21 mm. The mass of its pointed armor-piercing bullet is only 3 grams, the initial mass is 480-500 m / s. This time the development was put into service under the name "Type 05 submachine gun". And again, the second version was made, chambered for 9x19 mm. And again, he went into service with the Chinese police and for export.
And this submachine gun has experienced the creativity of Chinese engineers who designed it according to the bullpup principle. Many parts, like the previous model, are made of plastic. The shells, however, are thrown only to the right, so it is better not to shoot from the left shoulder. A safety-translator of fire modes is located above the fire control handle and allows you to fire with single shots, give bursts with a cut-off of 3 shots, and conduct continuous fire as long as the trigger is pressed. An additional automatic safety device is installed on the pistol grip on its rear side. The bolt handle for the military version is located inside the upper handle for carrying weapons; but in the 9-mm version, it is on the right, since the top of the receiver was occupied by the Picattini guide bar. The military version "Type 05" has open sights, but there is a mount for optical or collimator sights on the carrying handle. For submachine guns, new box magazines were also developed - a four-row magazine for 50 rounds for an army 5, 8-mm submachine gun "Type 05" and two-row magazines for 30 rounds for a 9-mm police submachine gun. And shops from the German MP5 are also suitable for it.
In general, the Chinese made three original PP models at once: "with a silencer for all time", with a screw-rotor magazine "a la" "Calico" and a very traditional in design (even shoots from an open bolt!) Bullpup submachine gun. Naturally, all these weapons kill, and it is natural that they are sold and someone even buys them. Why not? But this is still more a matter of price, and not the perfection of all these designs. Work at … "level", but nothing more!
