![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Browning_1900_6971783631.jpg.jpg\")
There has been no official explanation for using such an aged weapon as the model, but in 1909 a Korean officer in their occupied country used one to assassinate a Japanese political official\u2014perhaps sentimentality, then, may lie behind that choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their next effort, the Type 66, was a direct copy of the Soviet Makarov PM pistol of 1951, while the Type 68, copied the Soviet Tokarev TT33 of World War II fame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With those copies providing experience in the art of gunsmithing, the North Koreans set two work on a more or less indigenous design to succeed the imported Chinese NORINCO Type 64 series of pistols that had served as their principal sidearms. The project came to fruition\u2014and achieved acceptance in their armed forces in 1970\u2014as the Type 70. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A simple blowback operated semiautomatic, single action gun with a detached barrel within the slide and an exposed hammer firing a 7.65x35mm .32ACP round, the Type 70 actually combined selected elements from such successful role models as the Makarov, the German Walther PPK and even the old FN 1900. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The muzzle, for example, is similar to the Makarov\u2019s, although the overall configuration of the gun is definitely not. Rounds are ejected out a port on the right side of the weapon, while the safety button above the trigger on the left side also served as the main locking block\u2014pushing the entire crossbar out the right side allows the barrel assembly and recoil spring to come out for disassembly and cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Users of the Type 70 have been impressed with the overall simplicity with which all of its outside influences have been incorporated into a solid, reliable weapon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Vertical grooves along the side of the handle culminating in an engraved star on the upper part\u2014are another Makarov feature, which make for a firm hold on a pistol that is, overall, comfortable to handle. The trigger is likewise solid within the thick trigger guard and the heel release for the seen-round magazine is, like the gun overall, simple and reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Type 70 is 6.3 inches long, with a barrel length of 3.74 inches. Muzzle velocity is 1,035 feet per second for an effective range of 50 meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When introduced, the Type 70 was initially issued to high-ranking senior officers, who also received the symbolically significant Type 64, while the Type 68 and Chinese pistols continued in use by the more junior officers and senior noncommissioned officers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Type 70 is not known to have been exported to other nations, but one is known to have found its way into the hands of the Rock Island Auctions Company in Illinois. Unknown is how it got there and its whereabouts since April 2015. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All that can be said of this unusual indigenous product of the \u201cHermit Kingdom\u201d is that it is still in use, it serves its purpose well and it makes a truly rare collector\u2019s item for any Western gun collector. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" North Korea\u2019s first truly indigenous handgun design, the Type 70 is nevertheless an interesting conglomeration of features from other countries\u2019 guns, combined in a simple, effective firearm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":95104,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[90,16,228],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3236],"class_list":["post-96529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gearscout","category-off-duty","category-tacticool"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"CHOZAONLBRCCXBVYCIRXKNX4SU","arc_canonical_url":"\/off-duty\/gearscout\/irons\/2020\/03\/12\/north-koreas-homemade-handgun-the-type-70\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-528487308.jpg.jpg\")
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