Type 58
Summary
| Country | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
| Category | Light machine gun |
| Manufacturer | Ceská zbrojovka |
Technical specifications
| Type 58 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 750 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 7.62 x 54 mm or 7.62 x 51 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | belt of 50 rounds |
| Length | 1220 mm (48.0 in) |
| Weight | 8.6 kg (19.0 lb) |
| Range | 600 m (1969 ft) |
Description
The Type 58 assault rifle (Korean: 58식자동보총) was the first firearm developed and manufactured in North Korea, along with the Type 49 licensed PPSh-41. Production commenced in 1958 at Factory 61 and 65 in Chongjin, following a directive from President Kim Il Sung. This development was a result of North Korea's alliance with the Soviet Union and its continued military support after the Korean War. Initial production models used Soviet-supplied components before transitioning to domestically produced parts. Production reportedly reached around 800,000 units before ceasing in 1968, when manufacturing shifted to the Type 68, which was considered less time-consuming to produce. The Type 58 was exported in the 1960s to Cuba and Vietnam and later appeared in Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
Based on the Soviet AK-47 with a milled receiver, the Type 58 is identified by a five-point star within a circle and "Type 58" in Hangul characters. Its firing rate is reported to be between 600 and 650 RPM, and the finish quality is described as ranging from average to poor. Early production units lacked bayonet lugs, a feature added to later models. The subsequent Type 68 incorporates features from the Type 58, such as:
- A wood stock
- A pistol grip
- Handguards
- A smooth sheet-steel top cover
It also introduced changes such as a swivel retaining bracket spot-welded to the left side of the receiver and a double-hook trigger design characteristic of milled receiver AK types, rather than the Soviet AKM trigger group. The Type 68 has a barrel length of 415 mm, yielding a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s. Its practical rate of fire is specified at 40-100 RPM, with rear sights graduated to 800 meters, though the effective range is cited as 300 to 400 meters. The Type 68 also features the five-point star in a circle and "Type 68" in Hangul, while export models use non-Hangul selector markings.
Several variants have been noted:
- Type 58-1: A version of the Type 58 equipped with a folding stock.
- Type 68 (Type 68 NK): North Korea's version of the AKM, adopted in 1968 to replace the Type 58; it lacks a rate reducer. It uses its own specific bayonet based on the AK-47 bayonet but with a different pommel mount.
- Type 68-1: Features an underfolding stock similar to the AKMS, designed with holes for weight reduction.
Known state users include North Korea, Cuba (received in the 1960s and later the Type 68), Ethiopia (reportedly received North Korean assistance in the 1980s to establish Type 68 production lines), Grenada (examples recovered by US forces during Operation Urgent Fury), Nicaragua (Sandinista Popular Army/Ejército Popular Sandinista received Type 58 and Type 68 rifles, magazine pouches and slings), Peru (National Police use the Type 68, some modernized by Desarrollos Industriales Casanave), Syria (reportedly imported Type 58 and Type 68 rifles or components and produced them under license), and Vietnam (used by the former North Vietnamese military in the 1960s). Non-state actors documented using the Type 68 include the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (also received slings and ammunition pouches) and the Islamic State (rifles found in a stash in Syria in 2022).