5.8×42mm DBP87

5.8×42mm
DBP87 round
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	People's Republic of China
Service history
Used by	People's Liberation Army
Production history
Designer	People's Liberation Army
Designed	1979–1987
Produced	1987–Present
Variants	5.8×42mm DBP-87 5.8×42mm DBP-95 5.8×42mm DBP-88 heavy round 5.8×42mm DBP10
Specifications
Parent case	None
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	6.00 mm (0.236 in)
Neck diameter	6.65 mm (0.262 in)
Shoulder diameter	9.35 mm (0.368 in)
Base diameter	10.40 mm (0.409 in)
Rim diameter	10.42 mm (0.410 in)
Rim thickness	1.42 mm (0.056 in)
Case length	42.2 mm (1.66 in)
Overall length	58 mm (2.3 in)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 4.15 g (64 gr) DBP87/95 FMJ 930 m/s (3,100 ft/s) 1,795 J (1,324 ft·lbf) 5 g (77 gr) DBP88 FMJ 870 m/s (2,900 ft/s) 1,892 J (1,395 ft·lbf) 4.6 g (71 gr) DBP10 FMJ 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s) 1,926 J (1,421 ft·lbf)
Test barrel length: 557mm (21.9 in) Source(s): Anthony Williams

The 5.8×42mm / DBP87 ("Dàn (弹) Bùqiāng (步枪) Pŭtòng (普通), 1987"; literally "Standard Rifle Cartridge, 1987") is a military rifle cartridge developed in the People's Republic of China. There is limited information on this cartridge, although the People's Liberation Army says that it is superior to the 5.56×45mm NATO and 5.45×39mm Soviet cartridges. Another variant called the 5.8×42mm “heavy round” was designed specifically for squad automatic weapons and sniper rifles. The 5.8×42mm “heavy round” cartridge has the same dimensions as the standard 5.8×42mm cartridge, but utilizes a longer streamlined bullet with a heavy steel core for increased range and penetration.

China started development of the 5.8×42mm / DBP87 in 1979 and finished in 1987. The 5.8×42mm / DBP87 was designed to replace the Soviet 7.62×39mm cartridge used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The Type 95 / QBZ-95 (Chinese: 轻武器,步枪,自动, 1995; Pinyin: Qīng wǔqì, Bùqiāng, Zìdòng, 1995; literally "Light weapon, Rifle, Automatic, 1995") 5.8 mm caliber assault rifle, firing the 5.8×42mm / DBP87 or the improved DBP95, is now the standard issue weapon in the PLA.

The 5.8×42mm is an example of an international tendency towards relatively small sized, light weight, high velocity military service cartridges. Cartridges like the American 5.56×45mm NATO, Soviet 5.45×39mm and 5.8×42mm allow a soldier to carry more ammunition for the same weight compared to their larger and heavier predecessor cartridges, have favourable maximum point-blank range or "battle zero" characteristics and produce relatively low bolt thrust and free recoil impulse, favouring light weight arms design and automatic fire accuracy.

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