| Type 59 | |
|---|---|
 The early Type 59 pistol was identical to the Makarov pistol | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Used by | SeeUsers |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Nikolay Makarov |
| Manufacturer | Factory 626 |
| Produced | 1959–present |
| Variants | SeeVariants |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | 9×18mm Makarov |
| Action | Blowback |
| Effective firing range | 50 m |
| Feed system | 8-round detachable boxmagazine |
| Sights | Front blade, rear notch 156 mm (6.1 in) sight radius |
TheType 59 (simplified Chinese:59式手枪;traditional Chinese:59式手槍) is the Chinese copy of the SovietMakarov pistol. It's also known as the "Red Star" pistol (Traditional Chinese: 紅星手槍,Simplified Chinese: 紅星手枪).
The Marakov was adopted as the replacement of the Type 52, the copy of the East German P1001 pistol, itself a copy of theWalther PP; as well as partial replacement of the Type 51 andType 54, themselves copies of theTokarev TT-33.
The Type 59 was first produced at Factory 626 in Bei'an, Heilongjiang Province with trials conducted.[1] The quality of the later copies, however, are poor as Soviet technicians were withdrawn from China during theSino-Soviet split.[1]
The Type 59 was used as one of the standard sidearms used by thePeople’s Liberation Army, alongside the Type 51 andType 54. They were used in the Vietnam War.[2]
Though theQSZ-92 (Type 92) has supplemented the Type 59 in the army, the weapon is still in service in some of the Chinese armed forces (such as thePeople's Armed Police and somePeople's Liberation Army troops).
Type 59 pistols come with minor cosmetic differences (i.e. the width of the slide's sight rail and configuration of the safety lever).
The military version was produced from 1959 to 1963 in Factory 626, and featured a characteristic shield embossed with 5 stars on the grip shell.[1] They have 10 grasping serrations on the left side of the slide and 17 serrations on the right side, the same as the early Russian versions (The late versions have 13 slide serrations on both sides).[3]
Some Type 59s with "八一" (lit. 'August 1st') engravings are made as gifts.[1]
Civilian Type 59 variant for export purposes,[4] available in both 9x18mm, .32 ACP (NP 39)[5] and .380 ACP (NP 19)[6] calibres.
The Type 59 has been produced in Vietnam as the K-59[7] (Vietnamese:Súng ngắn K-59,lit. 'Type 59 handgun') with K meaning "type" (Vietnamese:Kiểu) and SN9 as its industrial name.[8]
People's Republic of China: Known to be used by thePeople's Liberation Army[9] and theMinistry of Public Security (China)[10]
Vietnam: Known to be used by thePeople's Army of Vietnam during theVietnam War.[7][2]