Q&A: Chinese Small Arms w/ Jason Clower from Type 56: The Story of China's Army (Ad-free)
Added 2025-07-26 12:00:11 +0000 UTCMy book "Pistols of the Warlords" is available through Headstamp Publishing:
https://www.headstamppublishing.com/chinese-pistols
Today I am very happy to welcome Jason Clower as our Q&A guest. Jason runs the channel "Type 56: The Story of China's Army" (https://www.youtube.com/@Type56_Ordnance_Dept) where he teaches the history of the PLA and its small arms, combat tactics, strategy, and logistics to a depth found nowhere else in the English-speaking internet. So naturally, today's questions are based on Chinese small arms history...
0:01:00 - The PLA and the bayonet.
0:08:00 - How did the Great Depression impact Chinese arms production?
0:14:03 - Was the Type 63 abandoned before or during the Cultural Revolution?
China’s Deadly Self-Sniper Rifle, the Type 63: https://youtu.be/R6RqP1Wb2IQ
China’s Type 63 Rifle: Better Than an AK-47 and SKS Combined?: https://youtu.be-6VXjMSoc
0:16:49 - Has China just copied guns for the past 100 years or did they develop their own things?
0:23:55 - How does Chinese production quality compare to Eastern bloc nations?
0:29:15 - Different arms for Chiang Kai-shek and Mao?
0:34:46 - If Jason could have one Chinese gun, what would it be?
Chinese FN 1900s: From Wauser to Browningsbrowningsbrownings: https://youtu.be/u0dInANbfDU
0:37:02 - What about the SKS-M with its detachable AK magazine?
0:41:45 - How did it go from Cultural Revolution to massive SKS sales to Western consumers?
0:48:21 - Could the Type 79 have been successful as a concept?
Curse of China’s Type 79: The Gun That Blighted Every Life It Touched: https://youtu.be/bNOFa5__QJM
Type 79 SMG: China's MP7 At Home: https://youtu.be/dWIbsLxqBPc
0:53:18 - Allocating leftover Civil War era guns to the militia vs to foreign military allies
0:58:56 - Did any modernizers survive Mao's purges?
1:03:15 - Why are all the guns "Type 56"?
1:06:24 - What's the "Q" designation all about?
1:07:15 - When did China develop a unique national identity in its small arms?
1:09:36 - Chinese RPD use
1:13:55 - Jason's background
Comments
Great find. Thanks Ian!
Squid556
2025-07-31 02:54:20 +0000 UTCfortunately my sks is tula made.
Guido Schriewer
2025-07-27 17:23:20 +0000 UTCwhat a country. sounds bad from a-z somehow. if I think norincos custom shop... NP762 p226 copy but in 7,62 Tok. actually I rather like heavy slow calibers but I keep wondering about those. the most expensive chincom pistols way more than a 1911 c75 p226 in 9 copy.---strange about the ammo issues. I have a bulkload of uhem.. 70 or 72 made REAL DIRTY 7,62x39. works. messy but works.--- crap guns is one way to explain a bunch of mausers in vietnam in the 60s.-- type 56 helmet type 5... why does that sounds familiar.
Guido Schriewer
2025-07-27 16:52:37 +0000 UTC
