Type Assault rifle In service 1958–present Produced 1958–present | Place of origin North Korea Used by See Users | |
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Wars Vietnam War
See other conflicts and wars | ||
The Type 58 is an assault rifle made in North Korea. It uses a 1958 cartridge 7.62×39mm. It is a North Korean version derived from the Soviet AK-47 designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is the longest version of the rifle at 890 mm, while the AK-47 is 870 mm.
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History
After the Korean War (1950–1953), North Korea allied with the Soviet Union and adopted their guns. President Kim Il Sung ordered the fabrication of the Type 58.
The gun was used in the Vietnam War, along with the AK-47, AKM and China's Type 56 by Vietcong and North Vietnam Army (NVA) of North Vietnam forces between 1964 and 1975. It was used by the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (AGIR) and the militia Basij of Iran against the Army and the Republican Guard of Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88). In Nicaragua the Sandinista Popular Army (SPA in English language and EPS in the Spanish language) used Type 58 weapons against the Contras in the Sandinista Revolution (1980–90).