On a cold winter dawn, a hazy mist slowly rose and enveloped a dense forest. In this seemingly calm forest, a special forces squad is quietly moving through, each soldier's breathing is as low and measured as possible. Their mission is to infiltrate enemy locations and carry out a sophisticated intelligence-gathering operation. Everyone in the ranks was carrying the necessary equipment on their backs, and their main weapon, the Type 79 submachine gun, was loaded and ready for a possible battle.
The Type 79 submachine gun, once highly regarded by Kalashnikov, the father of the AK-47, is known for its short and ferocious firepower.
Development and nomenclature of the Type 79 submachine gun
In 1970, as the needs of modern warfare changed, the Chinese military identified the need for lighter and more efficient submachine guns. This year, the 208 Research Institute, a military scientific research institution in China, received the task of developing a new submachine gun. This is not only a technical challenge, but also a major test of the R&D capabilities of the 208 Institute in the field of small arms.
The 208 Institute formed a team of experienced weapons designers and engineers, who began an in-depth analysis of existing submachine gun technology. In the initial technical demonstration phase, the team focused on improving the reliability, accuracy, and ease of carrying and handling of firearms. To this end, they have collected a wide range of relevant data and the latest research results at home and abroad, and compared and analyzed a variety of weapon systems, including those that have been proven on the battlefield.
After in-depth research of the existing technology, the team at the 208 Institute decided to adopt the gas-guided automatic method, which is a mechanism that uses the gas pressure in the barrel to achieve automatic reloading. At the same time, in order to improve stability and accuracy when firing, they chose the design of the slewing block, which was not common in submachine guns at that time.
Every decision in the design phase is accompanied by detailed experimentation and testing. The team built several prototypes and conducted shooting tests to test the theory in practice. These prototype guns are tested in a variety of extreme environments, including high, cold, and humidity environments for shooting and mechanical operation to ensure that they can work stably in complex and changing battlefield environments.
By 1979, after nearly a decade of unremitting efforts and trial and error, the design of the Type 79 submachine gun was finally finalized. The design of the gun successfully passed rigorous series tests, which involved not only the verification of shooting accuracy and reliability, but also the durability test for long-term continuous firing. The test results proved that the Type 79 submachine gun met the design requirements in all indicators, especially in terms of shooting accuracy and reliability. After the finalization of the design, the Type 79 submachine gun was officially named and included in the equipment sequence of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Technical features and design innovations
A number of innovations in the design and technology of the Type 79 submachine gun reflected the forward-looking and pragmatic nature of the Chinese military industry at that time. The gun's gas-guided automatic mode is a mechanism that uses gas escaping from the unenclosed part of the barrel to push the bolt recoil, thereby completing automatic reloading. This method is widely used in automatic weapons, because it can effectively use gas power to improve the continuity and stability of shooting.
Even more innovative is the 79-style slewing latching design. This locking mechanism realizes the close combination of the bolt and the barrel by making the lugs of the bolt head enter the groove of the barrel extension, so as to achieve the purpose of locking. This design significantly improves the stability and accuracy of the firearm during high-speed shooting, and is a major breakthrough in the design of the Type 79 submachine gun.
As for the firing method, the Type 79 submachine gun adopts a closed-bore design. In this design, the firing pin is locked when the trigger is not pulled, and only when the trigger is fully pulled will the firing pin be released, striking the propellant ring to initiate a shot. This mechanism not only improves the safety of the shot, prevents the possibility of accidental firing, but also ensures that each shot can be completed in a more stable state, thereby improving the reliability and accuracy of the shot.
In addition, the design of the butt of the Type 79 submachine gun also showed its high applicability and portability. The butt can be folded, and when folded, the length of the entire gun body is only 470mm, which greatly facilitates transportation and carrying. This feature is especially suitable for use by scouts and special forces when performing covert missions. With the butt unfolded, the gun has a length of 740mm, which provides better support and stability for combat in open areas. The lightness of the Type 79 was also a big reason for its popularity, and the empty gun weighed only 1.75 kg, making it easier for soldiers to carry for long periods of time and maneuver quickly.
The practical application effect of these design details has been verified in subsequent military exercises and actual combat. The folding butt of the firearm makes it more discreet to carry, especially in urban warfare and jungle warfare, providing soldiers with greater freedom of movement and the ease of surprise movement. The design of the rotary locking and closed chamber to fire ensures the safety and accuracy of shooting in the changing battlefield environment, and significantly improves the combat efficiency.
Structure and appearance
The design of the Type 79 submachine gun was inspired in part by the famous AK series submachine guns, which is evident in its appearance and construction. Its simplicity and durability make it ideal for use in a variety of extreme environments, which are classic features of the AK series of weapons. Therefore, the Type 79 submachine gun was nicknamed "Little AK" in the troops.
In terms of operating system, the Type 79 submachine gun's fast and slow gear design also borrowed from the AK series' large paddle design, which is known for its ease of operation and quick response. The large paddles are located on the side of the gun body, making it easy to operate even with gloves on. This is especially important for soldiers on the battlefield who need to react quickly, being able to quickly switch between firing modes, and making the transition from single-shot to burst-fire mode intuitive and convenient.
In addition, the reliability and durability of the Type 79 submachine gun has always been the focus of the R&D team during its design and production. Made of reinforced plastic and alloy, the Type 79 is lightweight and strong enough to withstand harsh environments, from high temperatures to extreme cold, and these characteristics also inherit the advantages of the AK series.
The international recognition of the Type 79 submachine gun was an important proof by the famous gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov from the Soviet Union. As the designer of the AK-47 assault rifle, Kalashnikov had the opportunity to personally try out the Type 79 submachine gun during his visit to China. He spoke highly of the gun's craftsmanship, performance and ease of operation. Kalashnikov praised the stability and accuracy of the Type 79, which are the most important qualities of military weapons. His evaluation not only adds additional credibility to the Type 79 submachine gun, but also shows the international competitiveness of China's military weapons design and manufacturing.
After Kalashnikov's evaluation, the design and performance of the Type 79 submachine gun was more widely recognized. This evaluation helped to enhance the position of Type 79 in the international military equipment market, and also created opportunities for China's military exports. At the same time, this has also promoted exchanges and cooperation between China and the Soviet Union in the field of military technology and weapons research and development, and has added a new level to the defense relations between the two countries.
Actual combat performance and evaluation
Soon after the Type 79 submachine gun was installed in the troops, it withstood the severe test of actual combat in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam in the early 1980s. The military operation was conducted mainly in jungle and mountainous terrain, and the demands on weapons systems were extremely high, especially for lightness, firepower and adaptability. The Type 79 submachine gun meets these special battlefield needs, so it is widely deployed to front-line special forces and scouts.
The small size of the Type 79 submachine gun became a major advantage in jungle warfare. The butt of the gun can be folded, allowing the soldier to be more agile when navigating dense jungles without getting caught in branches or affecting movement speed. In addition, the full length of the gun is only 740mm when deployed, making it easier to aim and shoot in tight environments. In numerous encounters and skirmishes, this flexibility and portability allows troops to quickly adjust tactics and positions to respond effectively to unexpected situations.
In terms of firepower, the performance of the Type 79 submachine gun was no less striking. With a rate of fire of up to 1000 rounds per minute, it provides dense fire coverage for a short time, which is especially important in assault breakthrough or counter-assault combat. In particular, in a self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, troops often need to suppress enemy firepower in a short period of time to create conditions for further tactical maneuvers such as rapid retreat or shifting positions. The high rate of fire of the Type 79 can quickly change the situation on the battlefield, making it difficult for the enemy to return fire effectively, thus gaining valuable time and space for the troops.
However, the advantages of a high rate of fire also brought certain drawbacks. The Type 79 submachine gun's 20-round magazine was noticeably insufficient in terms of sustained fire support, which became especially noticeable during prolonged firefights. In many battles in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, the troops reported that they often needed to quickly change magazines during continuous firefights, which to some extent slowed down the pace of operations and increased the risks in operations. Especially when the enemy is large in number or firepower, frequent magazine changes may cause our side to be exposed to the enemy's firepower and unable to continuously and effectively suppress firepower.
To alleviate this problem, troops often carry multiple spare magazines in practice, while training soldiers in the art of quick magazine changes. In addition, based on battlefield experience, the unit has also optimized the tactics of using the Type 79 submachine gun, such as quickly moving the position after a short period of high-intensity fire output to reduce the adverse effects of reloading.
Gradually being replaced by fate
Since its installation, the Type 79 submachine gun has proven its usefulness and effectiveness in a variety of battlefield environments. However, with continued use and the passage of time, some key issues began to emerge, especially those related to the production process and quality control. During mass production, despite the fact that the initial samples showed good performance, some batches of firearms showed fluctuations in quality, which led to instability in performance. These problems are manifested in increased component wear, frequent mechanical failures, and reduced reliability in extreme environments.
These deficiencies in production gradually manifested themselves in the specific problems of the use of the troops. For example, some units reported that the locking mechanism of the Type 79 submachine gun was prone to malfunction during continuous use, especially in dusty or humid environments. In addition, jamming can sometimes occur at the magazine interface, especially during quick reloads. These problems have a direct impact on the performance of troops in intense combat, especially in situations where rapid, continuous fire is required, and the unreliability of weapons can lead to significant risks in tactical execution.
In this context, with the successful development of the newly designed Type 85 submachine gun and the beginning of the installation stage, the position of the Type 79 submachine gun was challenged. The Type 85 submachine gun incorporates more advanced technology and design concepts, such as improved firing stability, a higher rate of fire, and enhanced environmental adaptability. The design of this new gun also takes into account user feedback, especially in terms of increasing sustained firepower and improving the magazine design, which has been significantly optimized to solve some of the problems exposed by the Type 79 in actual combat use.
The performance superiority of the Type 85 submachine gun was quickly recognized by the front-line troops. Its reliability has been excellent in a variety of tests, especially in continuous firing and multi-environment operation tests, showing better performance than the Type 79. The adoption of new firearms not only improves the overall combat effectiveness of combat units, but also marks the acceleration of the pace of modernization of China's military equipment.
In addition, the popularization and use of the Type 85 submachine gun also reflects the military's emphasis on equipment upgrading and rapid response capability. With the introduction of new technologies and the phasing out of obsolete equipment, the military is able to ensure that troops are always equipped with the best weapons for the needs of the modern battlefield.
WANG Zhenxing,YUAN Mei Ni,ZHANG Ming,XIANG Fenghua.Reliability analysis of 79-type 7.62mm submachine gun based on FTA method[J].Mechanical Management Development,2015,30(6):23-2672