Made at the famous 86 factory

The Chinese Type 53 Rifle has a unique history. A license-built version of the Soviet M1944 Mosin-Nagant carbine for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), it only saw Chinese service for a few years as it had already been superseded by the SKS and AK-47 when it was introduced. By the time it entered service in 1953, the Korean War was over so it probably saw little, if any, combat with the PLA, though some Type 44 carbines supplied by the Soviets were used. Then, by the early 1960s, it was being replaced by either the Chinese Type 56 version of the SKS or the Type 56 version of the AK-47.

For the next 20 years, the Type 53 was used to arm the Chinese People’s Militia. It was eventually replaced in 1982. It was in the hands of Chinese surrogates, especially the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or Viet Cong, that the Type 53 saw most of its combat. Type 53s have turned up in the hands of other insurgents as well, especially in Africa and Latin America.

$500