Type 63 assault rifle

Type 63
A Type 63 from a National War College file photo
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Service history
In service	1969–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War[1] Cambodian Civil War[1] Sino-Vietnamese War[1] Cambodian–Vietnamese War[1] Tuareg rebellion (1990–1995)[2] Kosovo War[1]
Production history
Designed	1959–1963[3][4]
Produced	1969–1978[5]
No. built	1,000,000[6]–6,000,000[5]
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	3.49 kg (7.7 lb)[7]
Length	1.029 mm (0.0405 in) (with bayonet folded)[7]
Barrel length	521 mm (20.5 in)[7]
Cartridge	7.62×39mm[5]
Action	Gas-operated (rotating bolt)[7]
Rate of fire	750 rounds/min[7]
Muzzle velocity	730 m/s (2,400 ft/s)[7]
Effective firing range	400 m (440 yd)[7]
Feed system	20-round detachable box magazines[7][6]

The Type 63 (Chinese: 63式7.62mm自动步枪) is a Chinese 7.62×39mm assault rifle. The weapon's overall design was based on the SKS (known in Chinese service as the Type 56 carbine), but with select fire capability and a rotating bolt system adapted from the Type 56 assault rifle, a derivative of the AK-47.^[7] It was originally introduced to replace the SKS as the standard service rifle of the People's Liberation Army, but was prematurely withdrawn from service due to numerous production difficulties.^[8] The Type 63 was originally manufactured with a milled steel receiver, although later production models had pressed and riveted steel receivers.^[7]

The Type 63 is occasionally misidentified in Western literature as the Type 68.^[3]