page_title: MK 108 cannon
section_title: Ammunition
hierarchical_section_title: MK 108 cannon / Design details / Ammunition
caption_attribution_description: English: 30mm ammunition for the Mk 108 German Machine Cannon, including links. The yellow main body identifies this as a high explosive round, the green band as having a self-destructive fuse. The internal structure may identify it as Mine round (thin-walled high-capacity HE round).
context_page_description: The MK 108 was a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall‑Borsig for use in aircraft.
context_section_description: The cannon used specially-developed 30×90RB mm ammunition—30 mm calibre, 90 mm case length, rebated/reduced rim. Unlike most other weapon rounds, which used traditional brass for the case, the MK 108's ammunition used steel cases. Several types of ammunition were developed, including practice, armor-piercing, high-explosive and incendiary. In operation, however, two major ammunition types were used:  mine shell and high-explosive incendiary. The mine shell was made by drawn steel (the same way brass cartridge-cases are made) instead of being forged and machined as was the usual practice for cannon shells. This resulted in a shell with a thin but strong wall, which hence had a much larger cavity in which to pack a much larger explosive or incendiary charge than was otherwise possible.
caption: 30x90RB ammunition, as used in the MK 108 Machine Cannon
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