The structure of the rifle is very simple, but it is quite difficult to design and manufacture a good rifle. It is really not easy. A country's mechanical manufacturing technology has many basic considerations. If you want to know the difficulty, you can learn a thing or two from the Chinese Type 63 rifle.
The first automatic rifle developed by China is Type 63, and its design is finalized in 1963. In fact, it has been in a state of improvement, and mass production actually happened in 1969!
The overall structure of Type 63 automatic rifle is based on Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. Its ballistic performance, non-detachable bayonet, long wooden support and aiming device are similar to those of Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. In order to realize single and continuous firing, improve the accuracy of point firing (compared with Type 56 assault rifle), and ensure the action reliability and firing life under various environmental and climatic conditions, its main structure has been redeveloped.
Type 63 rifle is a kind of light weapon that can be fired in single shot or multiple bursts. The whole structure is based on Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, and the automaton draws lessons from the structure of Type 56 assault rifle (imitation AK-47). The distance between the center of mass of automaton and the axis of barrel is close (the development of 8 1 automatic rifle inherited this idea), and the gas guide system was completely redesigned, adopting the structure of gas regulator. Under normal circumstances, small air holes are used to reduce the impact energy to ensure the smooth movement of the automaton, while under bad conditions, large air holes are used to ensure the reliability of the action. Type 63 uses its special detachable magazine with a capacity of 20 rounds (less than 30 rounds of Type 56 assault rifle). Later, the improved Type 63 can use the standard magazine of 30 rounds in Type 56 assault rifle, but the magazine of Type 56 assault rifle needs a little modification (removing the empty magazine suspension device on the bolt machine) to adapt. The speed selector lever is located at the front end of the trigger holder and can be operated with the index finger. The Type 63 rifle adopts the fixed foldable triangular bayonet of the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, and the muzzle device directly uses standard ordinary ammunition or rifle grenades fired from empty ammunition.
In the 1960s, a batch of trial-produced Type 63 automatic rifles received foreign aid, and the evaluation at that time was not bad. They are also considered to be the latest rifles abroad, and they are also called Type 68 by mistake. In fact, when it was finalized and put into production, it was already an outdated design. Just like the M 14 rifle used by the United States in the early Vietnam War in the 1960 s, the form of war has changed greatly compared with that in World War II, and it is more about melee and assault, rather than using rifles in open areas to stop the attack of distant enemies or relying on bayonets as close-range hand-to-hand combat equipment.
Type 63 rifle has the high hit rate and long-range shooting of "old times" rifles, and the gun body is long and heavy. Fully automatic shooting is very controllable, and experienced soldiers can easily shoot very dense short shots, which can be proved in several battles in actual combat, and the PLA's operating experience in this kind of gun also proves this point. The main defect of this type of rifle is that the design idea is too old, and it lacks portability, versatility and functional diversity of modern assault rifles. There is limited room for improvement.
1969, under the guidance of the policy of "preparing for war, preparing for famine and serving the people", Type 63 automatic rifle began to be put into production. In a factory designed to produce only tens of thousands of rifles, the task was to produce hundreds of thousands of Type 63 automatic rifles. In order to ensure that the combat readiness task is completed on time, workers, cadres and technicians work overtime day and night in production preparation, technical preparation and tooling preparation. However, the principle of "quality first in military production" has not been implemented, and some effective quality control rules and regulations have been cancelled. Even if it is not cancelled, it is not followed. For example, the degree of stereotypes of scientific research products, inspection system, technical transformation appraisal system and so on. The Type 63 automatic rifle did not fulfill the production finalization procedure, did not go through all the procedures of test and appraisal, and did not go through the procedures of strict product data approval and process change and modification by the military representatives stationed in the factory. At that time, there was an upsurge of technological transformation aimed at improving production efficiency and saving working hours. At that time, the slogan was "focus on product design and carry out technological revolution", and as a result, the Type 63 automatic rifle that had been designed and finalized was greatly modified. Some modifications are good, or save working hours, or improve performance, but several modifications have caused adverse consequences.
Defects in the original design, quality problems caused by large-scale modification of the rifle due to its own manufacturing technology level, extremely low reliability of the modified gun in use, and great opinions from the troops equipped with Type 63 damaged its reputation.
Finally, the PLA troops came to the conclusion that rifles were unreliable. Although remedial measures were taken, due to poor performance, there were many choices (AK, for example, was copied from China). The Type 63 rifle was finally removed from the PLA troops on 1978, and the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was re-equipped. With the finalization and equipment of the new 8 1 automatic rifle, the 56-type assault rifle finally replaced the 56-type semi-automatic rifle and the 56-type automatic rifle.