Type 77 / Type 85
Summary
| Country | 🇨🇳 China |
| Category | Machine gun |
| Manufacturer | China |
Technical specifications
| Type 77 / Type 85 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 650 - 700 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 12.7 x 108 mm |
| Magazine | belt of 50 rounds |
| Length | 2150 mm (84.6 in) |
| Weight | 28.0 kg (61.7 lb) |
| Range | 2000 m (6562 ft) |
Description
Development of a self-defense handgun for officers, armed police, and public security police began in China in 1976 at the Jinan Military Region Ordnance Factory. A design was selected by 1978, and the production design was finalized in 1981, officially designated as the Type 77. This followed the earlier successful development of the Type 64 pistol and its silenced variants.
The Type 77 is a compact, pocket-sized handgun utilizing blowback operation and chambered for the 7.62×17mm Type 64 caliber. It features a striker-fired single-action mechanism and is intended to be carried with a loaded magazine and an empty chamber. Sights consist of a forward blade front sight with a slight taper and a fixed notch rear sight. The single-stacked magazine holds seven rounds and is released by a button on the left side of the frame on the trigger guard. A lanyard ring is present at the bottom of the grip. The frame is covered by a one-piece plastic wrap-around grip, marked with a five-pointed star, held by a single screw. A notable design feature is the Witold Chylewski "Einhand" system, allowing the user to retract the slide and chamber a round single-handedly by pulling the trigger guard backward. The chamber is fluted to reduce slide recoil. A traditional manual safety is located above the left grip panel.
Several variants of the Type 77 have been developed:
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M-77: An export-focused copy of the original.
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M-77B: Developed in 1991, a modified variant primarily for export, heavier and longer than the original, chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum, utilizing gas-delayed blowback, and retaining the trigger guard cocking system. It features thumb and magazine safeties and a nine-round single-stacked magazine.
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NP-20 (1993) and NP-24 (1995): Variants of the M-77B for export, removing the trigger guard cocking system; the NP-24 uses a fifteen-round double-stacked magazine.
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NP-24A (1998): An aluminum alloy version of the NP-24.
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Type 77-1: Introduced in 1988, a variant intended for both export and internal use, characterized by a strengthened grip and an eight-round magazine.
Except for the Type 77-1, other listed variants are designated for export only.
The Type 77 has served as the main sidearm of the People's Liberation Army for over two decades. It is currently being phased out by the QSZ-92 pistol in both military and police service, but remains in widespread use among second line military units and provincial police forces. For the People's Armed Police, the Type 77 has been integrated into a modified version of the Israeli CornerShot system adapted for the Type 79 submachine gun, mounted in a rotating mount under the submachine gun's barrel.
The pistol is in service with all branches of the People's Liberation Army, the People's Armed Police, and various Chinese police forces. The original Type 77 and the Type 77-1 are used domestically, while export-only variants such as the M-77, M-77B, NP-20, NP-24, and NP-24A are not in domestic Chinese military or police use.