the barrel. The front sight has been moved back as a modification to be able to fire 22mm rifle grenades, which are slid over the unobstructed barrel muzzle now formed into a spigot-type rifle grenade launcher. There is a significant gap between the trigger guard and the magazine on Type 81 rifles, while on the Type 56 rifle series the magazine is adjacent to the front of the trigger guard. The non-detachable swing-out spike-shaped bayonet of the Type 56 rifle was also replaced on Type 81 rifles with the detachable Type 81 knife-bayonet. Like its predecessors, the Type 81 is a series of weapons. The Type 81 (fixed stock) and Type 81-1 (folding stock) are 7.62×39mm caliber assault rifles with 30-round magazines, and the heavier Type 81 light machine gun (LMG) fitted with a 75-round drum magazine is used in the squad automatic weapon (SAW) role. Its sight remains at the front of the LMG barrel. The Type 81 can be fitted with a Picatinny rail, bipod, foregrip, and flashlight. One such attempt to market Picatinny rails for the Type 81 came from Bao Wa, a Hong Kong-based law enforcement supplier. Variants Type 81: 7.62×39mm rifle with a fixed wooden buttstock. 400,000 were produced before it was replaced by the Type 81-1. Type 81-1: 7.62×39mm rifle with a foldable buttstock. Originally intended for paratrooper use, the Type 81-1 replaced the Type 81 with its fixed wooden buttstock as the standard issue rifle for the PLA. Type 81 LMG: 7.62×39mm squad machine gun Type 81 MGS: Semi-automatic only version of the Type 81 LMG. Type 81S: Early semi-automatic only model intended for the (civilian) U.S. market. Only 20 were imported in January 1989 before further importation was blocked by executive order. EM356: 5.56×45mm variant of the Type 81S, intended for the (civilian) U.S. market. Only 3 Tool room prototypes were completed and imported for the 1989 SHOT show before importation was banned along with the Type 81S by executive order. No magazines were ever made for them so modified 5.56×45mm AK magazines must be used instead. T81SA: Semi-automatic variant in 7.62×39mm. T81-1SA: Same as above, but with folding buttstock. Type 87: Served as a development platform for the next generation of PLA small arms, being used as a test-bed for the then new 5.8×42mm DBP87 ammunition. The rifle has plastic furniture and an L-shaped folding stock. It never went into full-scale