MG 08
Water-cooled heavy machine gun derived from the Maxim patent: standard machine gun of the Imperial German Army in World War I, chambered in 7.92×57 mm Mauser and fed by 250-round cloth belts.
MG 08
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- MG 08
- Alias
- Maschinengewehr 08
- Manufacturer
- DWM / Spandau
- Country
- Germany
- Year
- 1908
- Category
- Medium machine gun
- Status
- Historic
Ballistics
- Caliber
- 7,92×57 mm Mauser
- Muzzle velocity
- 893 m/s
- Rate of fire
- ~500 rpm
- Effective range
- 2000 m
- Maximum range
- 3500 m
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 720 mm
- Overall length
- 1175 mm
- Empty weight
- 26.4 kg
Mechanics
- Operating system
- Corto rinculo della canna (sistema Maxim)
- Bolt / action
- Automatica, raffreddamento ad acqua
Feed
- System
- Nastro in tela da 250 colpi
- Standard capacity
- 250 rounds
Fire modes
Historical profile
Development
The Maschinengewehr 08 is the German version of the Maxim machine gun, adopted in 1908 by the German Imperial Army and produced by DWM of Berlin and the Spandau arsenal.
It derives directly from Hiram Maxim's original 1884 patent, with specific modifications for German production.
Design
Chambered in 7.92×57 mm Mauser, it operates on short barrel recoil with a toggle-lock action, fed by 250-round canvas belts.
The barrel is water-cooled through a jacket containing approximately 4 liters, sufficient for about 500 continuous rounds before requiring replacement. Nominal cyclic rate of 450-500 rpm.
Operational service
It was the main weapon of German trench defense in World War I, mounted on a 'Schlitten 08' sledge mount weighing over 60 kg in total.
Allied casualties caused by the MG 08, especially at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, are among the highest ever produced by a single weapon. It remained in service in World War II as a second-line weapon.
Variants
Main users
Impero Tedesco · Germania (Reichswehr, Wehrmacht) · Impero Ottomano · China
Key components
- ●Stock — Calcio in legno con impugnatura a pistola.
- ●Receiver — Receiver con marcatura 'MG 08' e meccanismo Maxim.
- ●Camicia d'acqua — Jacket cilindrico con raffreddamento ad acqua.
- ●Alimentazione a nastro — Slot per nastro in tela da 250 colpi 7,92×57.
- ●Barrel — Canna interna alla camicia d'acqua.
- ●Bipiede/Affusto — Treppiede o slitta Schlittenlafette 08 per uso pesante.
Community
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