The Type 77 is China’s first independently developed 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun (AAMG), replacing the older Type 54 and Soviet Dshk-38/46 for infantry fire-support and air-defence roles. The weapon was certified for design finalisation in 1977, and entered the PLA service in 1980. It has now been replaced by the more capable Type 85 and Type 89.
The Type 77 is an automatic, belt-fed, gas-operated, air-cooled, crew-served weapon designed to engage both airborne and ground targets. The gunner uses an iron sight for engaging ground targets, and a X2 optional aiming sight for engaging airborne targets. The gun barrel features a large 'pepper-pot' muzzle break and longitudinal grooves to help cooling. The machine gun is mounted on a tripod, and can be carried by soldiers with limited ammunitions over short distances.
