Type 58 assault rifle

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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 Salvadoran Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution United States invasion of Grenada[1] Syrian Civil War[2]
Production history
Designer	Mikhail Kalashnikov[a]
Manufacturer	Factory 61/65
Produced	1958–1968[3]
No. built	800,000[4]
Specifications
Cartridge	7.62×39mm
Action	Gas-operated
Rate of fire	600–650 rounds/min[3]
Feed system	30-round detachable AK magazines
Sights	Iron sights

The Type 58 (Korean: 58식자동보총) is an assault rifle made in North Korea derived from the Soviet AK-47^[4] designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. This was the first weapon made in North Korea alongside the PPSh-41, made under license as the Type 49.^[5] It was made in Factory 61 and 65^[5] in Chongjin.^[3]

After the Korean War (1950–1953), North Korea was allied with the Soviet Union and continued to receive military support from them throughout the Cold War.^[6] President Kim Il Sung ordered the fabrication of the Type 58. The assault rifle was first produced in 1958.^[5] These were made initially with Soviet components until the North Koreans were able to make the parts on their own.^[5]

Before production of the Type 58 ceased, it's reported that around 800,000 were made.^[4] North Korea eventually turned production towards the Type 68 since it was getting too much time-consuming to make the Type 58 even though the cost of labor to make the assault rifle is not a problem.^[4] Production eventually was halted in 1968^[3] and shifted to the Type 68 in the same year.

The Type 58 was exported to Cuba and Vietnam in the 1960s before it showed up in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South America.^[5]

The Type 68 was reported to be exported to the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front covertly in the 1980s.^[3]

While the Type 58 is based on the AK-47 with the milled receiver,^[5] the difference between the two assault rifles is that the former has identifying marks such as the five-point star in a circle and Type 58 in hangul.^[5] The Type 58 has a firing rate at 600-650 RPM.^[3]

The Type 58's quality of finish bluing depends, which usually ranges from average to poor.^[3]

Initial production models were not made with bayonet lugs.^[7] Later models were produced with said bayonet lugs.^[7]

The Type 68 was made with features from the Type 58 with features such as the solid catalpa wood stock, wood pistol grip, handguards and smooth sheet-steel top covers.^[3] It has a swivel retaining bracket spot-welded on the left side of the receiver.^[3] The pistol grip stud and lower stock tang are riveted in place.^[3] The milled gas block is flat on both sides and, like the Type 58, has a sling swivel that extends outward from the left side.^[3] The folding stock variant of the Type 68 has the Soviet underfolding design with stamped steel struts and buttplate.^[3] The rear sights are graduated to a distance of 800 meters.^[3] The trigger group is not based on the Soviet AKM. Instead, the trigger is a double-hook design based on milled receiver-based AKs.^[5]

The rifle has a barrel length of 415 mm with a velocity of 715 m/s.^[8] Its practical rate of fire is at 40-100 RPM.^[8] While it has a sight range of 800 meters, its effective range is at 300 to 400 meters.^[8]

While Type 68s used hangul markings in the fire selectors, exported versions uses non-hangul markings^[3] with 1 for semi-auto and an infinity symbol for automatic fire.^[5] The markings consist of a five-point star in a circle and Type 68 in hangul.^[5]

A variant of the Type 58 with a folding stock.^[4]

The Type 68 also known as Type 68 NK, is a North Korean version of the AKM, it was adopted in 1968 to replace the Type 58.^[8] It has no rate reducer.^[9] It has its own bayonet, which is based on the AK-47 bayonet, but it has a different pommel mount for it.^[10] These bayonets were also issued in Cuba, which have green scabbards instead of tan scabbards, which is used in the Korean People's Army.^[11]

The Type 68-1 features an underfolding stock like the AKMS with holes in it to help reduce overall weight.^[4][12]

•  Cuba: Known to have the Type 58 in the 1960s.^[5] It also received the Type 68.^[4]
• Grenada: Recovered by US troops after Operation Urgent Fury.^[1]
•  Nicaragua: Sandinista Popular Army/Ejército Popular Sandinista. In addition to receiving Type 58s and Type 68s, they also received Type 68 magazine pouches and slings.^[13]
•  North Korea^[4]
•  Peru: Type 68 used by Peruvian National Police, most refurbished by Desarrollos Industriales Casanave.^[14] Around 200 were modernized by DC as of 2012.^[14]
•  Syria: Imported Type 68 rifles or components prior to the Syrian Civil War.^[2] Produced under license in Syria.^[15]
•  Vietnam: Reported to be used by the former North Vietnamese military in the 1960s.^[5][4]

• Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front:^[3] Also received Type 68 slings and ammunition pouches, probably from Nicaragua.
•  Islamic State: At least 18 Type 68 rifles were found in a weapons stash in northeast Syria in 2022^[2]

• 
  Type 58 on top Type 68 on bottom
• 
  Type 68 in DPRK service
• 
  Type 68 in DPRK service
• 
  Type 68 in DPRK service
• 
  Type 68 in DPRK service

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Type 58 assault rifle.

• Roodhorst, Cor (2015). The Kalashnikov Encyclopedia: Recognition and Weapon Forensic Guide for Kalashnikov Arms and Derivatives II: Italy-Russia. Netherlands: Roodhorst Publications. ISBN 978-90-9027549-9.