Characteristics
The type 81 incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles.
The rifle is cosmetically influenced on the Type 56 license produced AK-47, but with a SKS-like short-stroke gas-piston design and improvements to reduce the recoil and muzzle jump, giving better firing accuracy.
The Type 81 rifle retains the general layout of AK-47 but isn't an improved variant of the license produced AK-47 (the Type 56); major differences include the positioning of the sights and stock of the rifle.
The most easily distinguishable feature is an exposed muzzle part of the barrel. The foresight is moved back for a modification to fire rifle grenades from the barrel.
There is a significant gap between the trigger guard and the magazine on Type 81 rifles, while on the Type 56 series the magazine is adjacent to the front of the trigger guard. The Type 81 rifle is a short-stroke gas-operated design, while the Type 56 are long-stroke designs.
On Type 81 rifles the non-detachable spike-shaped bayonet was also replaced with a detachable knife-bayonet.
Like its predecessors, the Type 81 is a series of weapons. The Type 81 and Type 81-1 are assault rifles with 30-round magazines and the heavier Type 81 squad machine gun fitted with a 75-round drum magazine is used in the squad automatic weapon (SAW) role =.
The Type 81 was extensively upgraded. It can be fitted with a Picatinny rail, bipod, foregrip, flashlight, and much more.
Read more about this topic: Type 81 Assault Rifle