Chinese T81SA Rifle - Bench Top Review 

Can you post the link?

Having fired the Type 81 and also Chinese stamped receiver AK I really think any advantage of one over the other is more theoretical than practical.

Thanks, glad you liked it.

Thanks.

The dust cover is actually put together incorrectly by the original owner, and in the assembly/disassembly video, you can also see it put together wrong (can't blame the poster here however if it got into his hands that way). It is easy to put it back incorrectly, and it has to be put in at just the right angle. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done when you have to fumble around with having the tab lock into the back of the dust cover

Thanks.

I would be only fitting for a US manufacturer to copy these as the Chinese certainly have copied lots of US designs over the years.

Thanks.

Thanks for that info on the top cover fit. I was wondering if they were all like that or if that was just this example. Chinese made guns do often exhibit some variation in build quality.

Thanks Dave. I think the Chinese were attempting to design and produce a "more accurate" rifle than the AK, but also national pride was in play as they wanted to have a domestically designed weapon and not one from the Soviet Union.

I see that too. I don't believe that the AK design is going away anytime soon. as far as small arms for battlefield arena engagements it is compact, tough, accurate enough, and logistically it makes sense to outfit an army with them. any size person would not have difficulty using it and the recoil of the 7.62X39 is manageable without a lot of training. Good subject matter. Dave.

Valmets are legal, for those who wish the real AK experience.

@@7hart2 True but Vamets are an insane amount of money when they do come up for sale.

@@314299 No disagreement there, I was simply countered the premise that there was "no opportunity." That said, gunbroker has some decent deals if one watches the US market; which is saturated with 'normal' AK's. ...It would be cheaper than waiting on Irunguns (Canada) who understand their Canadian market's value: as [they], understandably, take advantage of that.

@@7hart2 Can Canadians easily import guns bought on the American market? Would it be lucrative for me to start selling Valmets to Canadians?

@@2bitmarketanarchist337 It depends on the Valmet model, for one: There are still banned models and desirable barrel lengths - ie, think Californian laws. That said, probably not. It was already a niche market to have a AK in the Canadian market. Rasheeds, SKS, and Zastava bolt-actions were about the only platforms available to the public. And only 2 of them in any useable numbers. That said, Valmets are not the cheapest in either market, which could result in sitting on your, potential, profits for a while; if they were to even sell, the risk being there. Irunguns and Joe Salter seem to already seek them actively as Importers, with businesses on either side - when the price is right. The legal Valmets would have to be collected from small shops without an online presence, to ensure any real profit, versus a Gunbroker/type. Typically, they sell at around $4000+/- Canadian. Let's say... $3500 US at the moment. ...And with a glut of new firearm models coming into the market at $1000 to $3000, Canadian, the allure may have finally faded: New models on the market have basically overturned the Liberals "ban list" that reached all the way to the mid 90's. ...And the latest owners are coming from video games that expect the ability to bolt on flashy bits. Canada also receives unmodified (foreign) firearms quicker, *and cheaper* than the US. Case on point, [our] AK was the CZ 58, and we were buying them around $1000. $750 used. The US got them for a $1000+ at their release. With a dollar that was closer to 20% stronger. ...[We] do not have the protectionist laws that delegate how many components must be of "native" manufacture. There is a market for antique (one year applicable less than the US standard... I think) Webley revolvers in Canada. They do not have the same restrictions as our 'regular' handguns. Typically, they are sold around $1500+. Sorry if this dampens your enthusiasm but, I did not want to leave you with a false expectation. Cheers! ~ Thomas H.

That sounds like a reasonable hypothesis.

I have a disassembly video in the works that shows the "guts" of the rifle in greater detail.

Splendid. Looking forward to it.

The wood work on Chinese rifles has always been one of their weak points.

Chinese military type stuff has never been pretty but has been functional in my experience. With run of the mill military ammo I've never seen any 7.62x39 firearm that was terribly accurate, but I have seen some really good shooting done with hand-loads that used high quality bullets. With surplus ammo I am going to guess this is going to be a 4 MOA rifle. I have fired the rifle before but did not do so with accuracy testing in mind.

Be interesting to see what you get out of it accuracy wise, with the milsurp ammo. Will you try and fettle a few hand loads just to see what the potential is as well?

That ought to work.

Nope, there is no compatibility between the AK and type 81 magazines or vise versa.

@@314299" Wrong." these mags work fine in my sks D that uses AK mags. Just no last round hold open as the SKS D doesn't have this feature.

I've head that a few made it in back in the finial days before the import ban was placed on Chinese rifles and pistols. I expect those guns are pretty valuable now.

I believe they imported something like a thousand of them and that was only in the last year so most folks have not had a chance to see one in the flesh.

I doubt anyone expects 1" groups. Most of the surplus M43 ball is only capable of three to four MOA anyway.

@@314299 exactly my point. So is it so bad at 3-5" groupings, I really don't think so. It's not cheap. But I grab it everytime over my sks. Just for fun factor alone.

Interesting. From what I have heard many of the first batch were sent without all the mags that were ordered. As for the stock it is a bit short and would benefit from at least a 1" extension.

@@314299 There were some that were shipped without all the mags, but these people ordered like 6, 7, 8+ mags.

Thanks for that info. Good to hear that mags can be had at reasonable cost.

Yeah it's quite a gap. Since this is the only one I've seen I'm not sure if that's the way is supposed to be or if it's just this particular one that is this way.

Not surprising as it's rotary bolt locking vs tipping lock, that generally makes for longer actions.

That is highly unlikely to happen in my opinion.

The importer lists them at $999.

Try and find one for $500.

@@314299 Technically thats what its worth when you consider in the states you can get a decent ak47 for under 1000. I paid $2000 for my t81 folder. It is what it is, thats Canada.

Thanks.

Yes.

The owner of this rifle has some plastic AK mags that he plans to modify in that fashion for use in the Type 81.

Certainly inspiration from both those designs is present in the rifle. The original bit seems to be the way the gas cylinder is set up, being neither AK or SKS in design. This will be more apparent in the next video showing the disassembly.

Since the Type 81SA rifle is an evolution of the soviet AK, I find the gas system show's a Soviet SVT-40 influence. Not 100% the same, more simple, but otherwise really close.

I guess that's up to the individual to decide. A new Ruger Mini-30 is selling for almost $1200 in Canada, but an SKS can still be had for the $300 mark. Those guns do pretty much the same thing that the T81 does.

In my view, it is worth it just because it is a Type 81.

I hope to get a range review done soon. Unfortunately every time I get the rifle to the range the wind is blowing like mad and the footage is unusable due to wind noise.

I'm sure they will get around to it eventually....

No worry for you as you cant buy these in the US anyway.

I think so as well, one reason I never bought one.

I've never seen them for sale for less than $999.Did you see them somewhere else for less?

And about 3 grand in the US

3K is a bit much for a gun that should have sold for $700 new.