SKS Paratrooper (Type 56 PARA)

About the SKS Paratrooper (Type 56 PARA)

The SKS Paratrooper, also known as the Type 56 PARA, is a shortened-barrel variant of the Chinese Norinco-produced Type 56 SKS carbine. Featuring a 419mm (16.5-inch) barrel - approximately 102mm shorter than the standard Type 56's 521mm tube - the paratrooper variant was produced primarily for export to the US civilian market in the 1980s and early 1990s, with the barrel length deliberately set to clear the US National Firearms Act's 16-inch rifle barrel minimum. Despite the 'Paratrooper' nickname coined by importers, there is no documented evidence that Chinese airborne forces ever fielded the configuration in service; the Type 56-1 underfolding-stock assault rifle was the actual paratrooper-issue weapon. Most paratrooper SKSs feature a folding spike bayonet, retain the standard fixed 10-round internal magazine, and use a milled receiver with a chrome-lined bore. Imports were halted by the 1994 Clinton-era ban on Chinese small arms.

Despite the romantic 'Paratrooper' branding, the Type 56 PARA was almost certainly never carried out the door of a Chinese transport aircraft. The name was a marketing flourish invented by US importers who needed to differentiate the short-barrel variant from the standard SKS - and 'Paratrooper' sold considerably better than 'Export Carbine, NFA-Compliant'.

SKS Paratrooper (Type 56 PARA) specifications

Often called the 'Para SKS' or '16-inch SKS'. The shortened barrel produces noticeably more muzzle blast and flash than a full-length SKS but does not significantly degrade ballistics inside 200 meters. Some examples were also produced or rebuilt by Norinco with synthetic 'Cowboy Companion' style stocks for the US sporting market.