The Type 93 Chinese assault rifle is a development of the Type 56 Kalashnikov, produced by the People's Liberation Army of the PRC. While the Type 93 designation suggests that the design originated in 1993, there is no evidence of production before the mid 2020s at the earliest.

Fundamentally, the Type 93 represents a shift towards a rifle more practical for hand-to-hand fighting, as ammunition supplies became scarcer and more expensive with the progression of the Resource Wars of the 2050s, 60s, and 70s. The barrel and has tube were reinforced, and a new RPD-style handguard added which provides a much better grip for bayonet fighting than previous Kalashnikov models used by the PLA/PRC. However, some changes were also made to improve the shooting effectiveness of the rifle, most notably moving the rear sight onto the receiver cover and extending the sight radius.

Perhaps the most unique feature of the TYpe 93 is that it was originally produced in 7.62x39mm, for domestic Chinese use. However, the models found in the United States (which come from the invasion of Anchorage as well as Chinese infiltration efforts in the Washington DC area) are all found in 5.56mm. This change was made to allow use of American ammunition, but limited industrial resources prevented the development of a new magazine by the time this adaptation took place. Instead, the existing 7.62 magazines were kludged to use 5.56mm cartridges, resulting in a capacity restricted to 24 rounds as the basically straight-walled 5.56x45 cartridge does not fit well in a magazine body designed for a more tapered case.

Many thanks to Elder Alex of the Brotherhood of Steel for giving me access to this rifle for today's Holotape!