Type 88
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1988
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Type 88 is a select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.45x39mm, produced by North Korean State Arsenals since 1988. Featuring a 30-round magazine capacity, this assault rifle offers generous firepower for duty use and home defense. The 16.3-inch barrel maximizes accuracy potential and ballistic performance, making this an excellent choice for target shooting, competition, or field use. At 3100g (109.3 oz), this is a substantial firearm whose weight contributes to reduced felt recoil and enhanced stability during precision shooting. The steel frame provides a solid, premium feel with the durability to withstand decades of regular use and thousands of rounds. Safety features include manual safety selector, hammer notch, reflecting modern design standards that prioritize safe handling and operation. This firearm represents its manufacturer's commitment to delivering a well-engineered, reliable product that serves the needs of discerning shooters seeking quality, accuracy, and dependable performance from a proven platform. As a recognized participant in the global firearms industry, North Korean State Arsenals applies modern manufacturing technology and quality control processes to deliver products that compete effectively in a market where reliability and performance are non-negotiable requirements for both civilian and professional end users.
The Type 88's all-black cosmetic finish was a deliberate aesthetic choice by the DPRK to make the weapon appear modern and visually competitive with South Korea's Daewoo K2 and the American M16. North Korea also developed a unique 75-round helical drum magazine for the Type 88-2, a distinctly North Korean innovation not found on any other AK variant.
The Type 88 is shrouded in secrecy typical of North Korean military equipment, with limited independently verified technical data. Most specifications are inferred from its AK-74 parentage and external examination of captured or displayed examples. The Type 88-1 variant features a side-folding stock for paratrooper and vehicle crew use. The Type 88-2 is a modernized variant with a steel top-folding stock and upgraded furniture, sometimes seen fitted with a distinctive 75-round helical drum magazine - a uniquely North Korean development that provides high ammunition capacity without the width of a conventional drum. In 2017, North Korea displayed a heavily modified Type 88-2 variant configured as an Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) with an integrated grenade launcher and optical sight system. Manufacturing quality is uncertain, with some analysts noting inconsistencies in finish and fit compared to Soviet or Russian-produced AK-74s. The rifle is standard issue throughout the Korean People's Army, which numbers approximately 1.2 million active personnel.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- North Korean State Arsenals
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- North Korea
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1988
- Variant of
- Foreign production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 415 mm
- Overall length
- 940 mm
- Height
- 195 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.10 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.45 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
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 900 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1391 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 650 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.
Rotating bolt
Select fire- Ak-74 derivative
Locally produced steel magazines
All black finish
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 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 3.10 kg | 3.40 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 940 mm | 940 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 415 mm | 415 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Type 88
How much does the Type 88 weigh?
The Type 88 weighs 3.10 kg (6.83 lb) empty and 3.45 kg (7.61 lb) loaded. It is the 6th lightest of 25 5.45x39mm assault rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Type 88?
The Type 88 is chambered in 5.45x39mm.
How many rounds does the Type 88 hold?
The Type 88 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Type 88?
The Type 88 is 940 mm (37.0 in) long overall, with a 415 mm (16.3 in) barrel.
Who makes the Type 88?
The Type 88 is made by North Korean State Arsenals (North Korea).
When was the Type 88 introduced?
The Type 88 was introduced in 1988.
How does the Type 88 operate?
The Type 88 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
- Korean People's Army
- 1988
- Korean People's Army Special Operations Force
- 1988
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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-88' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "type-88", "name": "Type 88", "manufacturer": { "id": "north-korean-state-arsenals", "name": "North Korean State Arsenals", "countryCode": "KP", "foundedYear": null, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:40", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:48", "version": "a9dda2d04adf878344d3240dbf7e2875a611937eddcbb52d34b9a2ed3b9f2266" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "KP", "year_introduced": 1988, "barrel_length_mm": 415, "weight_empty_g": 3100, "action_type": "gas_operated_long_stroke"}