Service Rifle Evolution of a KMT-ruled China (PODs: Mao and Zhou were killed in 1935, National Revolutionary Army captured Manchuria in late 1946)

[Alixanderov]

1) Hanyang Type 88 rifle
Produced from 1888 to 1944
In front-line service from 1888 to 1949
In service as a ceremonial rifle

2) Chiang Kai Shek rifle / Type 24 rifle
Produced from 1935 to 1955
In front-line service from 1935 to 1959
In service as a ceremonial rifle

3) FN-49 rifle / Type 39 rifle
Produced from 1950 to 1969
In front-line service from 1950 to 1974
In service as a ceremonial rifle

4) M16A1 rifle / Type 59 rifle
Produced from 1970 to 1988
In front-line service from 1970 to 2000
In service as a ceremonial rifle and as a rear-line weapon

5) Type 79 rifle
Produced from 1990 to 2007
In front-line service from 1990 to the present day
In service as a standard-issued rifle and as a rear-line weapon

6) Type 100 rifle
Produced from 2011 to the present day
In front-line service from 2011 to the present day
In service as a standard-issued rifle

 

[Retro_Reaction]

Assuming that ROC is Allied to the USA, they might get a tonne (and literal tonnes of Garands), use those as ceremonial weapons and convert them to NATO standard a la the BM-59 to keep weapons manufacture domestic rather than importing European plans.

 

[Alixanderov]

Assuming that ROC is Allied to the USA, they might get a tonne (and literal tonnes of Garands), use those as ceremonial weapons and convert them to NATO standard a la the BM-59 to keep weapons manufacture domestic rather than importing European plans.

China has a ton of 7.92mm ammo lying around. The ROC Armed Forces did not want to re-tool their guns to .30-06 unless there was a good reason to do so. In 1948, they already had plans to develop a Chinese-made 7.92mm Bren gun that came with a 30-round magazine. They were also cranking out a shit-ton of Chiang Kai Shek rifles by 1949.

 

[Alixanderov]

Assuming that ROC is Allied to the USA, they might get a tonne (and literal tonnes of Garands), use those as ceremonial weapons and convert them to NATO standard a la the BM-59 to keep weapons manufacture domestic rather than importing European plans.

ITTL, the ROC purchased a shit-ton of steeply discounted weapons and machinery from America and Britain during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. However, the weapons were mostly heavy weaponry like tanks, planes, and vessels, excluding a lot of 7.92mm M1919A4 machine guns and M2 browning machine guns. They did buy a few Garands, albeit they were used to arm soldiers who could not receive FN-49s due to slow production.

 

[Alixanderov]

Good news, I have slightly retconned the timeline. This will be the retconned evolution of the service rifle of a KMT-ruled China.

1) Hanyang Type 88 rifle
Produced from 1888 to 1944
In front-line service from 1888 to 1947
In service as a ceremonial rifle

2) Chiang Kai Shek rifle / Type 24 rifle
Produced from 1935 to 1951
In front-line service from 1935 to 1959
In service as a ceremonial rifle

3) Locally made M1 Garand rifle / Type 40 rifle
Produced from 1951 to 1961
In front-line service from 1951 to 1975 (Deliveries of surplus American Garands began in 1948)
In service as a ceremonial rifle

4) Locally made M16A1 rifle / Type 59 rifle
Produced from 1970 to 1986
In front-line service from 1970 to 2000 (Deliveries of brand new American-made Colt M16A1s began in 1967)
In service as a ceremonial rifle and as a rear-line weapon

5) TTL equivalent of Type 65 rifle / Type 75 rifle
Produced from 1986 to 2007
In front-line service from 1986 to the 2016
In service as a rear-line weapon

6) TTL equivalent of Type 91 rifle / Type 90 rifle
Produced from 2001 to the present day
In front-line service from 2001 to the present day
In service as a standard-issued rifle and as a rear-line weapon