Test Your Knowledge: Week of 9/3/07

What is the Chiang Kai-shek rifle?

Chiang Kai-shek rifle
The Type Zhongzheng rifle (中正式), also known as the Chiang Kai-shek Rifle and Type 24 (二四式) after the Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, was a Chinese-made copy of the German Mauser Standard Modell, the forerunner of the Karabiner 98k. The Chiang Kai-Shek rifle entered production in 1935 (year 24 Republican calendar, hence Type 24, but later renamed to Type Zhongzheng) and was in full scale production as early as 1937, interestingly, before the Kar98k rifle became the standard issue for German troops. Although the Hanyang 88 rifle was produced in greater numbers than the Type Zhongzheng, the full production and standardisation of the Type Zhongzheng rifle only started during the Sino-Japanese war.

Service History
The rifle was notoriously known for its inferior quality than the Kar98k, however it served China as one of the standard rifles for the army and also helped in defending China during the early part of the Second Sino-Japanese war before being abandoned in favour of American made guns like the Tommy Gun and Springfield rifle up until the Chinese Civil War, when the rifle was total obsolete. However, some of the Type Zhongzheng rifles managed to reach the exact same quality as the Karabiner 98k. Due to time constraint with the ongoing war most of the better quality rifles were usually issued to Chiang Kai-Shek's favourite divisions while the majority of regulars were issued with the hastily made inferior versions.

Although heavy and often slow to reload compared to the Japanese Arisaka infantry rifle, especially as the enemy tended do a Banzai charge after the first barrage, which usually forced the poorly trained regulars in the NRA into hand to hand combat, the major advantage of the Type Zhongzheng rifle over the Arisaka was that it had better stopping power with the use of 8mm Mauser shells and also the rifle has a faster rate of fire and at greater distance than the Arisaka (approx 2000m). If used tactically correct the result would be devastating (as shown at numerous times in the Battle of Changsha, when the NRA used encirclement against superior IJA forces).

A total of around 500,000-600,000 rifles were produced between 1935 and 1945, and the rifle saw its last war in the hands of People's Volunteer Army troops against the UN forces during the Korean War.

Together with the Broomhandle C96 handgun and the M35 Helmet, these weapons have become the recogniseable look of Chiang Kai-Shek's National Revolutionary Army and also the Chinese army during the turbulent early 20th century of China.

Bayonet attachment 
HY1935 bayonetThe rifle can be attached with a HY1935 Bayonet, replacing the cumbersome yet deadly Dadao (however some divisions and guerilla militias whom did not receive any modern weapons continued using the dadao for close combat).

Bayonet length: 575.5mm
Blade length: 484.5mm
Bayonet weight: .75kg

Service history
In service 1935–1952
Used by National Revolutionary Army, Chinese Red Army, various Chinese Warlords
Wars Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, Korean War
Production history
Designed 1935
Produced 1935–1947
Number built around 500,000-600,000
Variants copy of Germany's Mauser Standard Modell
 
Specifications
Weight 4.08 kg
Length 1,110 mm
Barrel length 600 mm
Cartridge 7.92 x 57 mm (8 mm Mauser)
Action Bolt-action
Rate of fire approximately 15 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity 810 m/s
Effective range 500 m
Feed system 5-round stripper clip, internal magazine