Type 58 assault rifle

Type 58
Type 58
	The Type 58
Type	Assault rifle
Place of origin	North Korea
Service history
In service	1958–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War; Laotian Civil War; See other conflicts and wars;
Production history
Produced	1958–present
Number built	+ 50,000
Specifications
Weight	3.8 kg (8.4 lb)
Length	890 mm (35 in)
Barrel length	415 mm (16.3 in)
Cartridge	7.62×39mm
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	715 m/s
Effective firing range	400 m
Feed system	30-round detachable AK magazines
Sights	Iron sights

The Type 58 is an assault rifle made in North Korea. It uses a 1958 cartridge 7.62×39mm. It is a North Korean version derived from the Soviet AK-47 designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is the longest version of the rifle at 890 mm, while the AK-47 is 870 mm.

History

After the Korean War (1950–1953), North Korea allied with the Soviet Union and adopted their guns. President Kim Il Sung ordered the fabrication of the Type 58.

The gun was used in the Vietnam War, along with the AK-47, AKM and China's Type 56 by Vietcong and North Vietnam Army (NVA) of North Vietnam forces between 1964 and 1975. It was used by the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (AGIR) and the militia Basij of Iran against the Army and the Republican Guard of Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88). In Nicaragua the Sandinista Popular Army (SPA in English language and EPS in the Spanish language) used Type 58 weapons against the Contras in the Sandinista Revolution (1980–90).