The Type 79 () but more commonly known as () is the first generation indigenous submachine gun made in China. This development came in coincidence after the start of the Sino-Soviet split.
The submachine gun was certificated in 1979 and entered mass production in 1983.
History
In August 1965, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Department issued a requirement for a weapon that could be used by the Chinese military in a jungle environment. The weapon was certificated in 1979, hence the name.
The Type 79 entered service with the People's Liberation Army after initial production was made from 1981 to 1982. During the war with Vietnam, Chinese soldiers on recon operations used the Type 79 as their main weapon, together with the Type 64. The PLA decided to drop the Type 79 as the main submachine gun. and subsequent modifications to the design resolved many earlier reported problems.
Due to the large production run, Type 79 and its modernized variants are ubiquitous in Chinese police forces. In the early 2000s, Type 79s still in service were retrofitted with railed fore-ends to equip them with tactical accessories like attachable sights and new muzzle brake devices. This was first seen with the Guangzhou Public Security Police.
Replacement
The JH-16-1, BJC-16 and CS/LS7 were part of a weapon development program initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security to acquire a new type of submachine gun, replacing the Type 79. All three submachine guns were introduced around 2017 and chambered in 9x19mm.
After trials, the CS/LS7 was selected to be the next-generation submachine gun for the Chinese police force, and was first showcased on the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China parade.
In PLA service, the Type 79 was replaced by the QCW-05 in 2001.
Design
From 1971 to 1975, the prototypes failed twice in various torture tests, forcing the design committee to redesign it. This was mainly because the design of the chamber could not handle the pressure of 7.62x25 Tokarev ammunition. is built with provisions for MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails and can have an OKO 8W red dot sight attached on the upper receiver. The kit features a new lightweight M-LOK handguard, three new buttstocks, a new muzzle brake, a new pistol grip, an extended magazine, and a new ambidextrous magazine release mechanism for the magazine well. The Chengying kits drastically improved the ergonomics of the Type 79.