5 . 8×42mm DBP87 The 5 . 8×42mm / DBP87 ( " Dàn ( 弹 ) Bùqiāng ( 步枪 ) Pŭtòng ( 普通 ) , 1987 " ; literally " Standard Rifle Cartridge , 1987 " ) is a rifle cartridge developed in the People ' s Republic of China . There is limited information on this cartridge , although the Chinese military claims 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 weapon s and sniper rifles . The 5 . 8×42mm “ heavy round ” cartridge has the same dimensions as the standard 5 . 8mm cartridge , but utilizes a longer streamlined bullet with a steel core for increased range and penetration . 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 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 . 8x42mm 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 5 . 8×42mm / DBP - 87 / 95 cartridge has a muzzle velocity of 930 m / s from a standard barrel ( Type 95 / QBZ - 95 , 463 mm barrel length ) and 940 to 960 m / s from the Type 95 SAW ( 557 mm barrel length ) , with a 64 - grain bullet weighing 4 . 15 grams . 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 . Furthermore , cheap but corrosive primer and propellant were chosen for DBP - 87 initially . As China ' s military budget increased recently , the newer DBP - 95 variant was loaded with a cleaner - burning propellant and a non - corrosive primer . The 5 . 8×42mm DBP - 88 “ heavy round ” cartridge has a 70 - grain bullet and a muzzle velocity of 870 m / s from the Type 95 LSW / Type 95 SAW / QBB - 95 ( 557 mm barrel length ) and 895 m / s from the Type 88 / QBU - 88 ( 620 mm barrel length ) . It has an effective range of 800 m and can penetrate 3 mm steel plates at a distance of 1000 m . 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 claims that the 5 . 8×42mm DBP87 has better penetration than the 5 . 56×45mm NATO and the 5 . 45×39mm M74 . The newest version , the DBP10 , having been designed to match all currently serving 5 . 8mm caliber weapons , will replace all previous DBP87 / 95 and DBP88 5 . 8x42mm rounds . Major improvements include a streamlined shape , non - corrosive primer , a reduction in the diameter of the steel core , and a change to copper - based alloy for the jacket ( previously copper - coated steel ) . It has a cleaner burning propellant so as not to leave residue inside the weapon after firing , as well as a heavier 77 - grain bullet for better penetration of armor and other hard substances . However , testing of the previous DBP87 / 95 5 . 8mm rounds showed that they were less likely to cause serious wounds . The issue was not addressed with the new DBP10 round .