Type 56-2
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 414 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.90 kg
- Introduced
- 1980
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Type 56-2 is the side-folding-stock variant of Norinco's Chinese-produced Type 56 assault rifle, introduced as a production model in 1980 and developed primarily as an export product. It replaces the fixed wooden stock of the standard Type 56 with an all-new skeletal metal buttstock that folds to the right side of the receiver, lying flat alongside the weapon. Critically, when folded the stock clears the trigger and pistol grip so the rifle can still be fired from the folded position, making it well suited to vehicle crews, paratroopers, and special units operating in confined spaces. As part of the export-oriented redesign the permanently attached folding spike bayonet of earlier Type 56 rifles was deleted. The Type 56-2 is otherwise mechanically a standard AK pattern: gas-operated long-stroke piston action, rotating bolt, select-fire trigger group, 7.62x39mm chambering, and a 30-round curved magazine.
Unlike the under-folding stocks copied from the wartime German MP 40, the Type 56-2's side-folding skeletal stock was a clean-sheet Chinese design that swings flat against the receiver, and because it leaves the trigger fully exposed the rifle can be fired one-handed straight out of a vehicle window with the stock still folded.
The Type 56-2 differs from the earlier under-folding Type 56-1 by using a side-folding rather than under-folding stock. Overall length is 874mm with the stock extended and approximately 654mm folded. Many Type 56-2 rifles feature Bakelite or polymer furniture. The bayonet lug was omitted on this variant to streamline it for the export market. It was widely sold to overseas customers during the 1980s and is encountered in numerous regional conflicts.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Norinco
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- China
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1980
- Variant of
- Side folding stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 414 mm
- Overall length
- 874 mm
- Height
- 190 mm
- Width
- 60 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.90 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 4.38 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated long stroke
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 735 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2010 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 625 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Chrome lined barrel
Chrome lined chamber
Curved magazine
Rotating bolt
Select fire
Side folding stock
Skeletal buttstock
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 3.90 kg | 3.60 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 874 mm | 880 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 57 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 414 mm | 415 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Type 56-2
How much does the Type 56-2 weigh?
The Type 56-2 weighs 3.90 kg (8.60 lb) empty and 4.38 kg (9.66 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Type 56-2?
The Type 56-2 is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Type 56-2 hold?
The Type 56-2 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Type 56-2?
The Type 56-2 is 874 mm (34.4 in) long overall, with a 414 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Type 56-2?
The Type 56-2 is made by Norinco (China).
When was the Type 56-2 introduced?
The Type 56-2 was introduced in 1980.
How does the Type 56-2 operate?
The Type 56-2 uses a gas operated long stroke action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- People's Liberation Army
- 1980
Provenance
Confidence in this record
74%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/type-56-2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "type-56-2", "name": "Type 56-2", "manufacturer": { "id": "norinco", "name": "Norinco", "countryCode": "CN", "foundedYear": 1980, "website": "https://en.norincogroup.com.cn", "logoUrl": null, "description": "China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco), a state-owned enterprise founded in 1980 and headquartered in Beijing. Among the world's largest defense contractors, producing firearms and military equipment.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "5286c8a850a565bc4d9bd2e7a8e4b18084a491b62d93d828ac7de90983853065" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "CN", "year_introduced": 1980, "barrel_length_mm": 414, "weight_empty_g": 3900, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}