Chinese Type 64 Suppressed Submachine Gun, North Vietnam K-64

The Type 64 is one of those quietly interesting Cold War weapons that doesn’t get much spotlight. Developed in China in the 1960s, it’s a compact submachine gun built specifically for stealthy work. Instead of adding a suppressor later, the Type 64 was designed with one built in from the start, giving it a distinctive long fore-end and a reputation for being unusually quiet for its era. A domestically designed, purpose-built suppressed firearm created specifically for clandestine operations. Developed in the early 1960s and officially adopted in 1964, the Type 64 was China’s first production weapon engineered around an integral suppressor, unlike many contemporaries that were simply fitted with aftermarket cans. The Type 64 treated suppression as a primary design requirement, a choice that shaped its layout, ammunition, and operational use.

The Gun

Built at State Factory 66, the weapon used a simple blowback action and was chambered for the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge. Crucially, the Type 64 was optimized to run a subsonic variant of that round. At the same time, it could fire standard supersonic ammunition, which generated a ballistic crack that negated much of the suppressor’s effect. To further reduce the report, the barrel was vented near the muzzle to bleed gas into the suppressor, thereby lowering the effective muzzle velocity. These measures were intended to maximize sound reduction without compromising reliability and to prioritize stealth over long-range performance.

The Type 64 is compact and deliberately low-profile with an underfolding stock. It accepted detachable box magazines in 20- or 30-round capacities and could be quickly shouldered in confined spaces. One of the design’s most notable technical traits was its exceptionally high cyclic rate, often cited at roughly 1,300 rounds per minute, for when things hit the fan and don’t go as planned.

The weapon’s effective practical range was modest, as it was intended for close-range work, within 100-150 meters, depending on ammunition. With purpose-made subsonic loads, the measured acoustic signature fell to levels reported near 84 dB at point-blank range, a dramatic reduction compared with unsuppressed firearms. Standard supersonic rounds, by contrast, produced much higher sound levels, nearer 150 dB.

Operationally, planners intended the Type 64 for special forces, reconnaissance detachments, and intelligence operatives who required a compact, quiet weapon for infiltration, sabotage, ambush, and other clandestine tasks. Its integral suppressor allowed teams to engage targets while minimizing the risk of immediate detection, an advantage in raids and covert reconnaissance, thereby buying them time if they had to resort to using their weapons. The design also prioritized simplicity and durability, enabling clandestine units operating behind enemy lines to rely on the gun under austere conditions.

Vietnam War

China exported limited quantities of the Type 64 during the Vietnam War; in North Vietnam, it was designated the K-64. Delivered in small batches to reconnaissance and special commando units, the Type 64 or K-64 found a natural use in quiet work and infiltration operations, where the ability to fire quietly could determine mission success by buying time in attacks. Primarily used in the 1968 TET offensive, the 01:30 attack on the South Vietnamese presidential palace by Viet Cong Team 5 Saigon-Gia Dinh Rangers. After the conflict, the weapon continued to see service in regional engagements, including use during the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. It turned up sporadically in other low-intensity conflicts involving Chinese forces or their proxies.

Like all purpose-built suppressed weapons, the Type 64 embodied a series of trade-offs. Designing around an integral suppressor and subsonic ammunition improved stealth but reduced muzzle energy and terminal performance compared with standard ballistics. Its high cyclic rate was unrealistic and reduced controllability if the operation didn’t go as planned.

Despite these compromises, the Type 64 influenced subsequent Chinese approaches to reduced signature weapon designs, such as the Type 85 silenced submachine gun. By treating suppression as an integrated design problem rather than an afterthought, engineers fully leveraged its capabilities, which led to subsequent special-weapon development projects. The Type 64’s existence also signaled broader recognition within the Chinese military and intelligence apparatus that modern conflicts required tools for somewhat deniable, low-signature operations.

Conclusion

The Type 64 remains a niche suppressed weapon and exemplifies a Cold War-era willingness to prioritize specialized capabilities for limited but decisive operations. As a compact, integrally suppressed submachine gun expressly designed for covert warfare, the Type 64 offers a window into the less-visible side of mid-20th-century military innovation, the techniques, trade-offs, and priorities of forces that fought in the shadows rather than on conventional battlefields. The Type 64 stands alongside other Cold War efforts to develop low-signature specialized weapon systems. Still, it is notable for being conceived as an integrated system from the outset rather than as an aftermarket modification. It remains a special chapter in Cold War weapons history.