Lindcott Armory 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
- Military service
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1987
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- China
- Inventor
- PLA (Chinese military)
- Standard
- Military
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Rare
- Primer
- Boxer Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 41,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 400 yd
Ballistics
- 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
2 models in the database chamber 5.8x42mm DBP87. Browse all →
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 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.
Sources & provenance
- SecondaryGuns & Ammo (David Fortier) — DBP87 5.8x42mm: China's High-Velocity Cartridge · bullet ⌀, velocity, grain weights, yeararchived
- SecondaryWikipedia — 5.8x42mm · bullet ⌀, velocity, grain weights, yeararchived
- SecondaryThe Firearm Blog (Nathaniel F.) — Modern Intermediate Calibers 016: The 5.8x42mm Chinesearchived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →