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Small arms1956–present
Assault rifle
Type 56 assault rifle is a assault rifle originating in China. It was built by State Factory 66 Norinco PolyTech. Reported operators include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Djibouti, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Gambia, India, Iran, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Laos, Liberia, Mali, Malta, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, North Korea, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
ChinaType 56 assault rifle
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 ↗ · ModifiedTechnical data
Assault rifle
China
1956–present
See Users
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1956
State Factory 66 Norinco PolyTech
1956–present
10,000,000+
Type 56 Type 56-1 Type 56-2
Type 56: 3.8 kg (8.38 lb) Type 56-1: 3.7 kg (8.16 lb) Type 56-2/56-4: 3.9 kg (8.60 lb) QBZ-56C: 2.85 kg (6.28 lb)
Type 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.
Type 56, Type 56-I, Type 56-II: 414 mm (16.3 in) QBZ-56C: 280 mm (11.0 in)
True scale
Sourced dimensions beside a 1.75 m human reference.
Points represent sourced observations, including revisions. Revisions on the same effective date are not separate inventory events. Ranges appear in the table and are not plotted as exact points.
| Observation / report period | Value | Source | Claim state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sept 2026 | 0.882 m | Wikipedia contributors | superseded |
| 28 Sept 2026 | 0.882 m | Wikipedia contributors | approved |
Type 56 variants - 7.62×39mm Type 84S – 5.56×45mm
7.62mm
Gas-operated , rotating bolt
650 rounds/min
Type 56, Type 56-I, Type 56-II: 735 m/s (2,411 ft/s) QBZ-56C: 665 m/s (2182 ft/s)
100–800 m sight adjustments. Effective range 300–400 meters
20, 30, or 40-round detachable box magazine
Adjustable Iron sights
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Burundi
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Congo-Kinshasa
Djibouti
East Timor
Ecuador
Estonia
Gambia
India
Iran
Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan
Ivory Coast
Kosovo
Laos
Liberia
Mali
Malta
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
North Korea
Pakistan
Qatar
Russia
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Ukraine
Uganda
Vietnam
Yemen
Zimbabwe
Reference text from Wikipedia contributors, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Type 56 assault rifle equipment records. Variants, orders and quantities are shown as reported in each inventory source; coverage is incomplete.
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Bangladesh
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Burundi
Cambodia
Central African Republic
Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
East Timor
EcuadorReported count for Type 56. Country-wide list; no individual service specified. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 10,000. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
Ethiopia
FinlandReported count for 7.62 RK 56 TP. Service scope: Finnish Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 100,000. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Guinea-BissauReported count for Type 56. Service scope: Guinea-Bissau Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 20. Origin: Soviet Union China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. Dates are the count-cell citations' stated source period (2021), not the article revision. 2021 cited publication year. Edition or publication years do not claim an exact inventory census day.
Guyana
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Kosovo
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Mali
Malta
Morocco
MozambiqueReported count for Type 56. Service scope: Land Forces; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 12. Origin: Soviet Union China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
North Korea
PakistanReported count for W653. Service scope: Pakistan Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): in service: 175. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
Qatar
Republic of the Congo
Russia
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
TanzaniaReported count for Type 56. Service scope: Tanzanian Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct count cell(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Retired, wholly reserve and on-order rows are excluded; the reported count retains any explicitly mixed stock scope in the quoted row. Count column(s): quantity: 75. Origin: Soviet Union China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.
The Gambia
Uganda
Ukraine
Vietnam
Yemen
ZimbabweAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Djibouti, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Gambia, India, Iran, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Laos, Liberia, Mali, Malta, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, North Korea, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Equipment reference ↗Number column of the Wikipedia list table under "Small arms". The list's own wording applies; it is a compiled secondary source, not an official census.
Reported count for W653. Service scope: Pakistan Army; does not replace a national total. 1 distinct quantity component(s) from the same source list; shared rowspan cells counted once. Explicit source inventory scope: active; no other stock status or total inferred. Count column(s): in service: 175. Origin: China. The listed variants/roles are the scope, not an immediately deployable count. The components do not establish one inventory census date; the stored date is the retrieved source snapshot.