Credit
ATF.gov, an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:RRT877 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified
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At a glance
Type 56 assault riflelarger figure on 0 of 1
Vz. 58larger figure on 1 of 1
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
QBZ-56C w/ stock extended
Single sourceQBZ-56C w/ stock folded
Single sourceType 56
Single sourceType 56-1/56-2 w/ stock extended
Single sourceType 56-1/56-2 w/ stock folded
Single sourceType 56: 882 mm (34.7 in) Type 56-1/56-2: 874 mm (34.4 in) w/ stock extended, 654 mm (25.7 in) w/ stock folded. QBZ-56C: 764 mm (30.1 in) w/ stock extended, 557 mm (21.9 in) w/ stock folded.[source]
vz. 58 P
Single sourcevz. 58 V stock extended /
Single sourcevz. 58 V stock folded
Single sourcevz. 58 V with bayonet fixed
Single sourcevz. 58 P: 845 mm (33.3 in) vz. 58 V 845 mm (33.3 in) stock extended / 636 mm (25.0 in) stock folded 1,000 mm (39.4 in) with bayonet fixed[source]
stock extended
Single sourcestock folded
Single source57 mm (2.2 in) stock extended 72 mm (2.8 in) stock folded[source]
Effective; Effective firing range
Single sourceEffective; sight adjustments. Effective range
Single source100–800 m sight adjustments. Effective range 300–400 meters[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
Configuration
| Specification | Type 56 assault rifle | Vz. 58 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Assault rifle[source] | Assault rifle[source] |
| Place of origin | China[source] | Czechoslovakia[source] |
| In service | 1956–present[source] | 1959–present[source] |
| Used by | See Users[source] | See Users[source] |
| Wars | Vietnam War Rhodesian Bush War Cambodian Civil War Laotian Civil War Sino-Vietnamese War Soviet–Afghan War Iran–Iraq War Sri Lankan Civil War Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir Somali Civil War Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995) Persian Gulf War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War Kivu conflict Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) War in Iraq (2013–2017) OLA insurgency Russo-Ukrainian war 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict[source] | Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Nigerian Civil War Communist rebellion in the Philippines Cyprus conflicts Lebanese Civil War Cambodian-Vietnamese War Kurdish–Turkish conflict (1978–present) The Troubles South African Border War Eritrean War of Independence Gulf War Burundian Civil War Kosovo War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War Kivu Conflict First Libyan Civil War Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Russian invasion of Ukraine[source] |
| Designed | 1956[source] | 1956–1958[source] |
| Manufacturer | State Factory 66 Norinco PolyTech[source] | Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod[source] |
| Produced | 1956–present[source] | 1959–1982[source] |
| No. built | 10,000,000+[source] | Approx. 920,000[source] |
| Variants | Type 56 Type 56-1 Type 56-2[source] | See Variants[source] |
| Cartridge | Type 56 variants - 7.62×39mm Type 84S – 5.56×45mm[source] | 7.62×39mm[source] |
| Action | Gas-operated , rotating bolt[source] | Gas-operated , hinged locking piece assisted breechblock[source] |
| Feed system | 20, 30, or 40-round detachable box magazine[source] | Staggered 30-round detachable box magazine , weight 0.19 kg (0.42 lb) unloaded[source] |
| Sights | Adjustable Iron sights[source] | Open-type iron sights with sliding rear tangent and shrouded front post 353 mm (13.9 in) sight radius[source] |
| Designer | — | Jiří Čermák[source] |
| Reported operators |
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