MG 08

*Maschinengewehr* 08
Maschinengewehr 08
	MG 08 deployed in sandy terrain
Type	Heavy machine gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1899–1945 (Germany); 1911–1980s (Switzerland); 1935–1960s (China);
Used by	25+ countries; See § Users
Wars	See § Conflicts
Production history
Designer	DWM; Mauser (MG 18 TuF);
Manufacturer	See § Manufacturers
Developed from	Maxim MG
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
Specifications (MG 08)
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)
Crew	4
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)
Maximum firing range	3,700 m (4,050 yd); (S Patrone); 4,700 m (5,140 yd); (s.S. Patrone);
Feed system	250-round cloth belt; 500-round cloth belt (aircraft);

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.