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LOT 1352
Chinese Type 56/AK-47 Selective Fire Rifle, Class III/NFA C&R Fully
Transferable Machine Gun, Recorded as the Property of a U.S.M.C.
Veteran of the Battle of Hue, with Extra Magazines - Serial no.
9472501, 7.62x39 mm cal., 16 inch round bbl., blue finish, hardwood
stock. Initially manufactured using equipment and information supplied
by the Soviet Union in the 1950s, the Type 56 is China’s version of the
famous Kalashnikov-designed assault rifle. Manufactured for both
domestic military use and export, the Type 56 was seen at many global
flash points during the Cold War and beyond, probably most famously
in the hands of the North Vietnamese Army and better equipped units
of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Many Type 56 rifles were taken
as war trophies and battlefield pickups by American soldiers, sailors and
marines during the course of the conflict, and while exact numbers are
unknown, some chose to bypass normal channels and bring one home
dismantled and stowed in a duffel bag or otherwise concealed; some
then vanished entirely, while others had their transferability established
during an NFA amnesty period. This rifle, serial number “9472501”, was
registered with the Treasury Department during the November 1968
amnesty as a “Chinese AK-47” by Lieutenant Colonel Frank B. Wolcott of
Atlanta, Georgia, with a copy of the Treasury form included. Born in 1931,
Frank Bliss Wolcott III attended the U.S. Naval Academy in the 1950s and
served as an artillery officer in Vietnam. His overseas service included
participation in the Tet Offensive, in particular the Battle of Hue (January
31 through March 2, 1968), which stands out as one of the most intense
urban battles of the 20th century. The exact circumstances aren’t recorded,
but LTC Wolcott would have had ample opportunities during and before
Tet to find a Chinese 56, stash it among his personal affects, rotate back
to the States, and register it during the November amnesty. Additional
photocopied documents record the transfer of the rifle to Wolcott’s wife
Sandra Gordy Wolcott in 2024, (following Wolcott’s passing in 2023), who
in turn transferred the rifle to the current consignor. This Type 56 uses
an early pattern forged receiver with integral trunnion and has been
outfitted with a Soviet-style front sight base and gas block; it does not
have the traditional integral Chinese “pig sticker” spike bayonet or a lug
for mounting a Soviet knife bayonet. Hooded post front and tangent
rear sights, with a threaded muzzle. The receiver is the fully machined
pattern, with the Factory 66 “66 in triangle” logo on the left side near the
Chinese nomenclature and serial number, “KAB” on the right side, integral
trunnion, and traditional pattern “safe/full/semi” selector configuration
with relevant Chinese markings. Matching serial numbers are present on
the receiver, top cover, recoil spring guide, bolt carrier and bolt head, with
the gas cylinder originally numbered “OF138” and electro-pencil numbered
“2501” on the underside to match the rest of the rifle. Fitted with a smooth
forearm, checkered pistol grip, fixed buttstock and a tan canvas sling.
The left side of the buttstock and the buttplate just above the cleaning
kit trapdoor show damage suggestive of an impact from a high velocity
piece of shrapnel or small caliber bullet penetrating the stock and exiting
through the buttplate. Two extra magazines are included.
CONDITION: Very good, with 50% of the original blue finish, with patches
of brown dark patina and pitting on the left side of the receiver. The wood
is good, with battle scars, some play in the wrist, and mild scratches and
dents. Mechanically excellent. Overall a very desirable Chinese 56/AK-47
Machine Gun with an interesting past! NOTE: This weapon is a National
Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is
classified as a “Curios or Relic” as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons
are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR
part 479.
Provenance: Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Frank B. Wolcott III,
U.S.M.C.; Sandra Gordy Wolcott; Private Collection.
Estimate: 80,000 - 130,000
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