Rifle · Military
5.8x42mm DBP87
Standard Chinese military rifle cartridge adopted for the QBZ-95 assault rifle, designed to replace both the 7.62x39mm and 7.62x54mmR in PLA service..
- Caliber
- 0.2283″ · 5.8 mm
- Introduced
- 1987
- Case
- Rimless
- Primary use
- Hunting
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1987
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- China
- Inventor
- PLA (Chinese military)
- Manufacturer
- China state arsenals
- Standard
- Military
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 31.9 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:14
- Primer
- Boxer Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 41,000 psi, CIP transducer
- Eff. range
- 400 yd
- Max range
- 3650 yd
- Recoil
- 4.3–4.4 ft·lb
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for 5.8x42mm DBP87, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.80 | 0.228 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.65 | 0.262 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 9.35 | 0.368 | · |
| Shoulder angle | 18.7° | — | ~ |
| Base ⌀ | 10.40 | 0.409 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 10.42 | 0.410 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.42 | 0.056 | · |
| Neck length | 4.00 | 0.157 | ≈ |
| Case length | 42.20 | 1.661 | · |
| Overall length | 58.00 | 2.283 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. 5.8x42mm DBP87 is highlighted below.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in 5.8x42mm DBP87
Connected reference
History
Developed in the 1980s as China sought a high-velocity intermediate cartridge comparable to 5.56x45mm NATO and 5.45x39mm Soviet. The DBP87 designation refers to the standard ball loading; the enhanced DBP10 armor-piercing variant followed. Chambers the QBZ-95, QBZ-03, and Type 88 sniper rifle.
FAQs
- What twist rate does 5.8x42mm DBP87 use?
- 5.8x42mm DBP87 typically uses a 1:14 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is 5.8x42mm DBP87?
- 5.8x42mm DBP87 uses a 0.2283″ (5.8 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 5.8x42mm DBP87 still in production?
- 5.8x42mm DBP87 is active; typical availability is rare.
- What is 5.8x42mm DBP87 used for?
- 5.8x42mm DBP87 is primarily used for hunting.
Sources & provenance
- Secondary Guns & Ammo (David Fortier) — DBP87 5.8x42mm: China's High-Velocity Cartridge · grain weights, bullet ⌀, year, velocity archived
- Secondary Wikipedia — 5.8x42mm · velocity, grain weights, bullet ⌀, year archived
- Secondary The Firearm Blog (Nathaniel F.) — Modern Intermediate Calibers 016: The 5.8x42mm Chinese archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
