KALASHNIKOV- TYPE ''56-1'' ASSAULT RIFLE

KALASHNIKOV- TYPE ''56-1'' ASSAULT RIFLE

Private collection

Collection

Firearms · Weapons

Year of Manufacture

c. 1970s-1980s

Association

The Chinese Type 56-1, a licensed copy of the AKS-47, has been widely trafficked through illicit arms markets and is strongly associated with European organized crime, where it has been used in numerous gangland shootings. It is also commonly encountered among Mexican drug cartels, armed groups in the Middle East, and other conflict zones worldwide. Owing to its widespread use across criminal and insurgent networks, this rifle is associated with several titles in our library, including HEAVYWEIGHT, which examines the use of military-style firearms within Dutch organized crime, as well as Crime Wave Tehran, Martyrs' Brigade, and multiple publications documenting Mexican drug cartels.

Description

Chinese Type 56-1 AK-pattern rifle featuring an underfolding metal stock, stamped steel receiver, wooden handguards, pistol grip, and a curved detachable magazine. This example has been permanently deactivated to European Union (EU) deactivation standards, rendering it incapable of firing live ammunition.

Notes

All required EU deactivation certification, paperwork, and firearms passport/documentation accompanying this rifle are included, permitting its lawful exhibition and transport within the European Union in accordance with applicable regulations.

KALASHNIKOV- TYPE ''56-1''  ASSAULT RIFLE

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550BC is an independent publishing house based in Amsterdam, founded in 2018. Specializing in the complex realities of organized crime and conflict, we explore these subjects through the lens of visual anthropology. Our photo books provide rare, first-person perspectives from within otherwise inaccessible worlds, often created in direct collaboration with those involved.

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