MG 08
Sign in to saveAlso known as HMG Type 24, Spandau MG 08, Type 24 light machine gun
7.9 mm heavy machine gun
Key facts
- Type
- Heavy machine gun
- Place of origin
- German Empire
- In service
- 1899–1945 (Germany) 1911–1980s (Switzerland) 1935–1960s (China)
- Used by
- 25+ countries, See § Users
- Wars
- See § Conflicts
- Designer
- DWM Mauser (MG 18 TuF)
- Manufacturer
- See § Manufacturers
- Developed from
- Maxim MG
- Number span no built
- German Maxims :, 225,000 MG 08 : 72,000 MG 08/15 : 130,000 LMG 08/15 : 23,000 MG 18 TuF : 50 Swiss MG 11 :, 10,000 DWM : W+F Bern :
- Variants
- See § Variants
- Mass
- 69 kg (152.12 lb), (Complete Gun) Gun body :, 26.5 kg (58.42 lb) Tripod :, 38.5 kg (84.88 lb) Water :, 4 kg (8.82 lb)
- Length
- 1,175 mm (46.26 in)
- Barrel length
- 721 mm (28.39 in)
- Cartridge
- 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.65×53mm Mauser 7×57mm Mauser
- Action
- Short recoil , toggle locked
- Rate of fire
- 450–500 rounds/min
- Muzzle velocity
- 878 m/s (2,880 ft/s), ( S. Patrone ) 765 m/s (2,510 ft/s), ( s.S. Patrone )
- Effective firing range
- 2,000 m (2,190 yd)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- MG 08 noBG.png
Show 5 more facts
- total produced
- 173000
- service retirement
- 1945-01-01
- Commons category
- MG08
- Commons gallery
- Maschinengewehr 08
- service entry
- 1908-01-01
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~39 min read
Article
The MG 08 (German: Maschinengewehr 08, lit. 'Machine gun 08') is a heavy machine gun (HMG) which served as the standard HMG of the Imperial German Army during World War I. It was an adaptation of Hiram Maxim's 1884 Maxim gun design, and was produced in a number of variants during the war. The MG 08 also saw service during World War II in the infantry divisions of the German Army, although by the end of the war it had mostly been relegated to second-rate "fortress" units.
Designated after 1908, the year it was adopted by the Imperial German Army, the MG 08 was a development of the license-made MG 01, which was a slight development of the MG 99 The MG 08's rate of fire depends on the lock assembly used and averages 500 rounds per minute for the Schloss 08 and 600 rounds per minute for the Schloss 16. Additional telescopic sights were also developed and used in large quantities during World War I to enable the MG 08 to be used in long-range direct fire and indirect fire support roles.