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PSA "Spiker": A Clone of the Chinese Type 56 AK
🕑 Added 2024-02-18 12:00:02 +0000 UTCPalmetto State Armory (PSA) makes a really wide variety of different guns, but one that they came out with a little while back that appealed to me in particular is their "Spiker". This is a reproduction of the Chinese Type 56 stamped AK with a permanently attached underfolding bayonet. These rifles were available as semiautos directly form China until the late 1980s, when import laws (and Presidential Executive Orders) changed to prohibit their importation. The prices on those original has risen dramatically since, and there has not been any significant source of parts kits or other reproductions until now, with PSA's release.
The Type 56 is a particularly significant model of AK in military history, as China provided them (both models with and without the fixed bayonets) to a wide array of nations and militant forces. They remain very common today in conflict zones around the world. They are also rather distinct from Russian AK patterns. The Chinese were allied with the Soviet Union early on, and received Russian technical assistance in producing milled AKs. By the time the stamped AKM was in production, however, there had been a rift in Sino-Soviet relations, and China was left to reverse engineer the stamped receiver on its own. The result was a hybrid design with some milled AK elements and some stamped AKM ones. PSA has done a remarkably good job (although not completely perfect) job of recreating this hybrid design, and they have done it at a surprisingly good price point.
For more on Chinese AK design, I have a video on the milled Chinese Type 56 here:
https://forgottenweapons.vhx.tv/videos/julia-2016-10-chinese-type-56-ak
Comments
Guido Schriewer
let me guess. tigerstripe chincom 3cell cestrigg jungle boots some brutality match?
Guido Schriewer
joke is those are what in places in i.e. africa? 50$ street? ak's here, those that are available, can cost rather like 1500€! they nailed the furniture color ok it looks. as with sks's. I am kind of a fan of underfolder bayonet. who'll be their wholeseller? cousin harry?
Matt Boyd
Desert Fox Sales has the smooth trap door butt plate that fits. Sorry left that out.
Ian F
That's interesting. And tempting, since I have an original MAK-90 AWB-era AK (with fairly few rounds through it). If I ever manage to make it out to Arizona, I wonder if Ian would be interested in filming something like that. Original packaging, 5 round mag and all.
Infin1ty
I absolutely love PSA. I won't lie, I'm biased since I've considered SC my home for the last 17 years, and I have more lowers than I can count from them, but they really do make very quality firearms.
