Type 59 pistol

Lore & Background

The Type 59 was adopted as the replacement of the Type 52, a copy of the East German P1001 pistol (itself a copy of the Walther PP), and as a partial replacement of the Type 51 and Type 54, which were copies of the Tokarev TT-33. First produced at Factory 626 in Bei'an, Heilongjiang Province, trials were conducted. However, the quality of later copies is poor because Soviet technicians were withdrawn from China during the Sino-Soviet split.

The pistol was used by the People's Liberation Army and the People's Army of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Though the QSZ-92 (Type 92) has supplemented the Type 59 in the army, the weapon remains in service in some Chinese armed forces, such as the People's Armed Police and some People's Liberation Army troops.

Type 59 pistols have minor cosmetic differences, including the width of the slide's sight rail and configuration of the safety lever. The military version, produced from 1959 to 1963 at Factory 626, features a characteristic shield embossed with five stars on the grip shell. It has 10 grasping serrations on the left side of the slide and 17 on the right side, matching early Russian versions (late versions have 13 serrations on both sides). Some Type 59s with "八一" (August 1st) engravings were made as gifts.

Reader's Guide

The Type 59 pistol represents China's adaptation of the Soviet Makarov design during a period of close military cooperation, and its subsequent decline in quality after the Sino-Soviet split illustrates the impact of geopolitical shifts on small arms production. As a standard sidearm of the People's Liberation Army alongside earlier Tokarev copies, it saw combat in the Vietnam War, marking its use in a major Cold War conflict. Although largely supplemented by the QSZ-92, the Type 59 remains in service with the People's Armed Police and some PLA troops, indicating its continued relevance. The pistol's civilian export variants—the Norinco M59 in 9x18mm, .32 ACP (NP 39), and .380 ACP (NP 19)—extended its reach beyond military use. The Vietnamese-produced K-59 (SN9) further demonstrates the design's regional proliferation. The Type 59's legacy is thus tied to Chinese military history, the Sino-Soviet relationship, and the global spread of the Makarov platform.

Did You Know?

• The Type 59 is also known as the 'Red Star' pistol.
• Some Type 59s were engraved with '八一' (August 1st) as gifts.
• The Vietnamese version is called the K-59, with industrial name SN9.