Type Rifle Produced 1987–Present | Designed 1979–1987 | |
Place of origin People's Republic of China Used by People's Liberation Army Designer People's Liberation Army | ||
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.
Contents
History
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.
In June 2004, an improved version of the 5.8×42mm cartridge entered development as the matching ammunition for the revised assault rifle, Type 95-1. Both designs were finalized in 2010 and production began the same year. This new cartridge is known as DBP10.
Performance
The DBP87/95 cartridge with 4.15 g (64 gr) bullets has a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s (3,050 ft/s) from a standard barrel (Type 95 / QBZ-95, 463 mm barrel length), and 940 to 960 m/s (3,080-3,150 ft/s) from the Type 95 LSW (557 mm barrel length). In order to save cost, several compromises were made. In particular, the cartridge case is made of steel, which is cheaper than brass. To reduce the chance of rust, the case is covered in a thin layer of protective paint in dark brown. Steel is less flexible than brass and therefore does not fill the chamber cavity as well when fired, decreasing the performance. A cleaner-burning propellant and a non-corrosive primer is used for the DBP-87.
The DBP88 “heavy round” cartridge has a 5 g (77 gr) bullet and a muzzle velocity of 870 m/s (2,850 ft/s) from a standard barrel (Type 95 / QBZ-95, 463 mm barrel length), and 940 to 960 m/s (3,080-3,150 ft/s) from the Type 95 LSW / Type 95 SAW / QBB-95 (557 mm barrel length), and 895 m/s (2,935 ft/s) from the Type 88 / QBU-88 (620 mm barrel length). It has an effective range of 800 meters and can penetrate 3 mm steel plates at a distance of 1000 meters. It is reported to have very good accuracy at 600 meters.
A new match round has been designed for QBU-88 to improve the rifle's complained accuracy, though no official information has been given.
The People's Liberation Army says that the 5.8×42mm is superior to the 5.56×45mm NATO SS109 and the 5.45×39mm 7N6; stating it has better armor penetration of 10 mm at 300 meters, a flatter trajectory, and more retained velocity and energy at range.
The newest DBP10 version cartridge has a 4.6 g (71 gr) bullet and a muzzle velocity of 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s) and is designed to match all currently serving 5.8×42mm chambered weapons. It will replace all previous DBP87/95 and DBP88 5.8×42mm rounds. Major improvements include a streamlined projectile shape, non-corrosive primer, a reduction in the diameter of the steel core, and a copper-coated steel case with a copper alloy bullet jacket. It has a cleaner burning propellant so as not to leave residue inside the weapon after firing, as well as a heavier 4.6 g (71 gr) bullet for better penetration of armor and other hard substances. However, although testing of the previous DBP87/95 5.8 mm rounds showed that they were less likely to cause serious wounds, the issue was not addressed with the new DBP10 round. DBP10 has an operating pressure of 255 to 289.4 MPa (36,980 to 41,970 psi).