Type 77 pistol

Norinco
Industry	Firearms manufacturing
Founded	1981
Headquarters	China
Products	Type 77 pistol and variants

The Type 77 () is a 7.62×17 mm Type 64 caliber semi-automatic pistol utilized across all divisions of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police, and various Chinese law enforcement agencies. It has functioned as the primary sidearm for the PLA for more than twenty years but is gradually being phased out in favor of the QSZ-92 within military and police units. Nevertheless, it continues to see extensive use among reserve military formations and provincial police forces. Since 1990, multiple variants have been introduced targeting international customers.

History

After the creation of the Type 64 pistol along with its suppressed versions, the Jinan Military Region Ordnance Factory initiated the design of a personal defense weapon in 1976 aimed at officers, armed police, and public security personnel. By 1978, a final design was approved, and mass production commenced in 1981 under the designation Type 77.

Design details

The Type 77 is a compact, easily concealable pistol operating on a blowback mechanism and chambered for the domestically developed 7.62×17mm Type 64 cartridge, initially designed for the Type 64 pistol. It employs a striker-fired single action trigger system and is typically carried with a loaded magazine but an empty chamber.

Its sights consist of a tapered front blade and a fixed rear notch. The magazine, inspired by the Czechoslovakian vz. 52 design, is a single-stack box holding seven rounds and is released via a button located on the left side of the frame beneath the trigger. The grip features an integrated lanyard ring at its base and is wrapped in a one-piece plastic covering embossed with a five-pointed star on each side.

A notable aspect of this pistol is its unique operating mechanism originally developed by Witold Chylewski and first manufactured by Theodor Bergmann Waffenfabrik in Germany. Known as the "Einhand" system, it enables single-handed chambering by pulling the trigger guard rearward, which retracts the slide against the return spring; releasing it chambers a round immediately. The fluted chamber design helps reduce recoil by decreasing gas pressure acting on the cartridge base. The trigger functions in single-action mode while the trigger guard locks forward to prevent finger fatigue. This configuration allows quick clearing of misfires using only one hand. For users who prefer carrying with a round chambered, a manual safety switch is positioned above the left grip panel.

China has recently acquired the Israeli CornerShot system for deployment with its People's Armed Police and adapted it for use with the Type 79 submachine gun. The CornerShot Type 79 incorporates a Type 77 pistol mounted on a specially designed rotating bracket beneath the barrel that also houses a tactical flashlight. This setup permits independent firing of both weapons, with the barrel able to pivot left or right; operators can observe around corners through a side-mounted camera feeding an LCD display.

Variants

The Type 77 platform includes five different versions, three of which—NP-20, NP-24, and NP-24A—are derived from the M-77B model. Except for the Type 77-1, all variants are intended exclusively for export markets and are not adopted domestically by Chinese military or police forces.

M-77

The M-77 represents an exact Norinco-produced replica of the Type 77 pistol designed solely for overseas sales.

M-77B

Introduced in 1991, the M-77B represents a significantly altered version of the Type 77 pistol, often promoted as a "Chinese military" sidearm despite not being issued to the People's Liberation Army. This model operates as a single-action handgun, with a weight approximately double and a length exceeding the original by more than 40 mm. Its frame and slide are crafted from forged carbon steel, complemented by polymer grip panels mounted on a contoured backstrap. Chambered for the more potent 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge, the M-77B utilizes a gas-delayed blowback mechanism featuring a fixed barrel to mitigate recoil effects. A gas cylinder positioned beneath the barrel connects to the slide through a piston system. Retaining the distinctive "trigger guard cocking mechanism" of the Type 77, this pistol also incorporates thumb and magazine safeties, fixed front sights, adjustable three-dot rear sights, and employs a single-stack magazine with a nine-round capacity.

NP-20, NP-24 and NP-24A

The NP-20, launched in 1993, is a forged steel adaptation of the M-77B, marketed under the label 'Chinese Police' pistol; however, it has not been officially adopted by any police or People's Armed Police forces. Its primary modification compared to the M-77B is the elimination of the trigger guard cocking system. The NP-24 (also designated as M-77B2), introduced in 1995, similarly omits this cocking feature but upgrades to a double-stack magazine capable of holding fifteen rounds. The NP-24A, released in 1998, is an aluminum alloy iteration of the NP-24 that achieves an 85-gram weight reduction relative to its predecessor.

Type 77-1

The Type 77-1 is both an export and domestic variant of the original Type 77 pistol, debuting in 1988. It distinguishes itself with a reinforced grip design and an eight-round magazine capacity. Detailed information about this particular model remains scarce.

External links