Norinco Type 86S
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 438 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.59 kg
- Introduced
- 1986
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Norinco Type 86S is a Chinese bullpup assault rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm, developed in the mid-1980s by China North Industries Corporation. It reconfigured the gas-operated, rotating-bolt action of the Type 56 (a Chinese Kalashnikov derivative) into a compact bullpup layout inspired by the Finnish Valmet M82, placing the 30-round magazine behind the pistol grip. With an overall length of just 667 mm despite a full-length 438 mm barrel, it featured an integral carrying handle, aperture sights, and a folding front grip. It was marketed almost exclusively for export in a semi-automatic civilian configuration, and only a limited number reached the United States before the 1994 import ban on Chinese small arms.
Designed primarily for the export market rather than Chinese military service, the Type 86S blended a Valmet-style bullpup body, a Steyr AUG-inspired folding fore grip, and a FAMAS-like carrying handle around a proven Kalashnikov action. Its scarcity in the United States after the 1994 Chinese small-arms import ban turned it into a sought-after collector's piece.
Most components, including the magazine, are interchangeable with standard AK/Type 56 pattern rifles. Imported examples reaching the US before the 1994 Chinese arms import ban became collector items due to their rarity.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Norinco
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- China
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1986 to 1994
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 438 mm
- Overall length
- 667 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.59 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 710 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2010 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
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.
Bullpup layout
Rotating bolt
Integral carrying handle
Folding front grip
Aperture sights
Ak pattern magazine compatibility
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 | 3.59 kg | 3.60 kg | Near the median |
| Overall lengthAmong 58 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 667 mm | 880 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Barrel lengthAmong 57 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 438 mm | 415 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 59 7.62x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Norinco Type 86S
How much does the Norinco Type 86S weigh?
The Norinco Type 86S weighs 3.59 kg (7.91 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Norinco Type 86S?
The Norinco Type 86S is chambered in 7.62x39mm.
How many rounds does the Norinco Type 86S hold?
The Norinco Type 86S holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Norinco Type 86S?
The Norinco Type 86S is 667 mm (26.3 in) long overall, with a 438 mm (17.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Norinco Type 86S?
The Norinco Type 86S is made by Norinco (China). It was designed by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco).
When was the Norinco Type 86S introduced?
The Norinco Type 86S was introduced in 1986 and discontinued in 1994.
How does the Norinco Type 86S operate?
The Norinco Type 86S uses a gas operated 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
- Civilian export market
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
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-86s' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "type-86s", "name": "Norinco Type 86S", "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": 1986, "barrel_length_mm": 438, "weight_empty_g": 3590, "action_type": "gas_operated"}