Out in the Cold: Australia's involvement in the Korean War - Communist Chinese Type 50 sub-machine gun - the "burp" gun

Weaponry and communications

Communist Chinese Type 50 sub-machine gun - the "burp" gun

Nicknamed the "burp" gun by Commonwealth troops because of the sound it made when fired, the Type 50 was the most widely used weapon within Chinese infantry units. It fired 7.62 mm calibre ammunition fed from either 35-round box magazines or 71-round drum magazines and had an effective range of 200 metres. As a short-barreled weapon, the Type 50 was best in close-quarters fighting, a characteristic which suited the Chinese method of mass infantry attacks. Like most North Korean and Chinese weapons of the war, the Type 50 was a locally manufactured copy of a Soviet weapon, the PPSh M1941.

Accession Number: P01813.345

Wearing a Soviet helmet, Private Jim Blackmore, 3 RAR, examines a burp gun during a course in enemy weapons identification. The course was run in Japan for 3 RAR before it left for service in Korea. P01813.345