Type 56 assault rifle

The Chinese Norinco Type 56 is a variant of the Russian designed and produced AK-47 and AKM assault rifles. Production started in 1956 at State Factory 66, and continued until 1973. Since then it has been produced by Norinco, who continue to produce the rifle primarily for export.

Service history

The Type 56 is a widely proliferated variant of the AK-47. While the exact production figures are unknown, it is estimated that 10 to 15 million Type 56 rifles have been produced since the 1950s.

During the Cold War period, the Type 56 was exported to many countries and guerilla forces throughout the world. Many of these rifles found their way to battlefields in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and were used alongside other Kalashnikov rifles from both the Soviet Union as well the Warsaw Pact nations of Eastern Europe.

Chinese support for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam before the mid-1960s meant that the Type 56 was frequently encountered by American soldiers in the hands of either Vietcong guerrillas or PAVN soldiers during the Vietnam war. The Type 56 was discovered in enemy hands far more often than regular Russian-made AK-47s or AKMs.

AK 56

A.K. 56 is a Kannada language film by action film director Om Prakash Rao. It is Rao's 25th film. Rao had directed AK-47 (film) starring shivaraj Kumar. The film is produced by the Indian film company Silver Screen Pictures as their premiere venture.

It is Siddanth's second Kannada movie and is estimated to be one of the most expensive Kannada film's ever made. The scheduled release date for AK56 is 10 February 2012. The film is the Big Budget film in Kannada Cinema Industry of 12 crores. RKD Studios have bought the sole and exclusive rights of the film in Hindi & all other Northern Indian languages.

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