The ASh-78 () is an Albanian assault rifle developed in the 1970s. It is a licensed derivative of the Type 56 assault rifle.
History Albania started a domestic small arms production program in 1962, by starting the construction of a state arsenal at the town of Gramsh. This was done with Chinese assistance. Prior to this, the country relied entirely on imported weapons (mostly from the Soviet Union before the Albanian–Soviet split). The Albanians first produced copies of the Type 56 carbine in 1966, and in 1974 the Um Gramsh arsenal obtained a license from Norinco to produce a copy of the Type 56 assault rifle, which was accepted into service in 1978 as the Automatiku Shqiptar 78 (ASh-78).
According to Albanian sources, as many as 26,000 rifles were produced annually, but by mid-1990s only a few weapons were produced; In 2004, the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs stated that there was no longer any effective state-run military production facilities in Albania. According to Jones and Ness, the Um Gramsh arsenal kept production of these rifles running until 1997.
Design Chambered in 7.62×39mm, the Albanian ASH-78 is a variant of the AK family of rifles, specifically modeled after the Type 56 assault rifle. The design was heavily influenced by the Chinese AK models due to Albania's close ties with China during the Cold War, particularly after its split from the Soviet Union.
The ASH-78 does not have a magazine guide depression on either side of the stamped receiver. There are markings for “Auto” (A) and “Single” (1) select-fire capabilities.
The ASH-78 is considered to have moderate accuracy, in line with similar AK-pattern rifles. It is capable of effective fire at ranges of 300 to 400 meters.
Variants ASh-78 Tip-1 − A direct copy of the Type 56 assault rifle, complete with folding bayonet. The rear sight is calibrated to ASh-78 Tip-2 − A rifle grenade launcher variant fitted with a longer barrel, a spigot-type grenade launcher, and a gas cut-off lever on the right side of the gas port. The rear sight is calibrated to . It also lacks a bayonet ASh-78 Tip-3 − A modified Tip-2 rifle, it has a provision for gas cut-off during grenade firing and can be fitted with a bipod. According to Jones and Ness, it was possibly intended to be deployed as a squad automatic weapon
Users
Current − Original manufacturer and primary user of the ASh-78 rifle, produced for the Albanian Armed Forces.Forgotten Weapons. "Albania's Rather Odd Grenade Launching AK". https://www.forgottenweapons.com/albanias-rather-odd-grenade-launching-ak/Armadni Zpravodaj. "ASH-78". https://armadnizpravodaj.cz/vyzbroj/ash-78/ − Albania exported approximately 30,600 ASh-78 rifles to Afghan security forces in 2002 and 2010. The rifles were used by the Afghan National Army and later some entered Taliban possession after the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.The Firearm Blog. "An Albanian Kalashnikov in Kabul". https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/05/02/an-albanian-kalashnikov-in-kabul/Militant Wire. "Weapons Used and Captured by the Islamic State Khurasan Province After the Taliban's Takeover of Afghanistan". https://www.militantwire.com/p/weapons-used-and-captured-by-the
Former − Used by the Afghan National Army before the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2021. Some ASh-78 rifles were subsequently captured by the Taliban. − Bosnian government forces reportedly received weapons from Sali Berisha's government during the Bosnian War.Balkan Insight. "From Albania to Bosnia: Brothers Need Arms". 1 June 2015. https://balkaninsight.com/2015/06/01/from-albania-to-bosnia-brothers-need-arms-1/btj/
Non-state actors Taliban − ASh-78 rifles have been observed in Taliban possession, including weapons believed to have originated from Afghan government stocks.
Kosovo Liberation Army − Reported user; citation needed.
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