Mauser Model 98

The Gewehr 98 was the standard German infantry rifle from 1898 to 1935, when the Karabiner 98k replaced it. Mauser M98 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M98 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... The Karabiner 98k (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht, and was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. ...

General information

German Empire, 1871–1918; Adoption of the G98 included parts of modern day Poland

The Gewehr 98, or G98, named for 1898, the first year of its manufacture, superseded the earlier Model 1888 Commission Rifle (also known as Gewehr 88 or Judenflinte) in German service. This should not be confused with a Mauser Model 1888. The G98 itself was the latest in a line of Mauser rifles that were introduced in the 1890s. It was a bolt-action rifle, 1.25 metres in length and 4.09 kilograms in weight. It carried 5 rounds of 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser ammunition in an internal box magazine. Download high resolution version (1200x1015, 27 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1200x1015, 27 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Gewehr is a German word for a rifle (German: Büchse) or shotgun (German: Flinte). ... The Model 1888 Commission Rifle (a. ... The 7. ... A 30-round STANAG magazine. ...

The German Rifle Testing Commission adopted the Model 98 Rifle on 5 April 1898. The action was derived from the experimental Model 1896 Rifle. In 1901, the first troop issues of the Model 98 Rifles were made to the East Asian Expeditionary Force, the Navy and three premier Prussian army corps. In 1904, contracts where placed with Waffenfabrik Mauser for 290,000 rifles and DWM for 210,000 rifles. In 1905 the 8 mm standard cartridge was changed from an "I" (it has been declared that the common "J" reference was a miscommunication with American intelligence, and it ended up sticking) .318 in (8.08 mm) bullet to the new .323 in (8.20 mm) S-Patrone spitzer bullet which was indicated by a small 's' stamped above the chamber and on the barrel at the back of the rear sight base, the sight was changed to the 'Lange Vizier' which is distinctivly large. The Model 98 Rifle received its baptism of fire in the Boxer Rebellion. Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of bolt-action rifles from the 1870s to present. ... Combatants Eight-Nation Alliance (ordered by contribution): Japan Russia United Kingdom France United States Germany Italy Austria-Hungary Righteous Harmony Society Qing China Commanders Edward Seymour Alfred Gaselee Ci Xi Strength 20,000 initially 49,000 total Over 100,000 Casualties 230 foreigners, thousands of civilians Unknown This article is...

The bolt used in the various Mauser designs was very good, with extra large gas escape holes designed to protect the user in case of a cartridge rupture or explosion, good extraction of fired cartridge cases, shrouded bolt face, guide rib, under-cut extractor, and a three-position safety at the rear of the bolt which can be flicked from right (safety on, bolt locked) to middle (safety on, bolt can be opened for reloading), to left (ready to fire) but only when the rifle is cocked, otherwise the safety will not move. The bolt handle on the G98 is straight and protrudes out (although on G98s equipped with sniper scopes, the bolt was replaced with a model with a turned-down handle, so the scope could be mounted directly over the rifle, and to accommodate the turned-down handle a cavity was cut into the stock). The G98 has two sling swivels, open front sights, and a curved tangent-type rear sight, known as the 'Lange Visier'.

Karabiner 98a

Not to be confused with the later Karabiner 98 Kurz, the K98a was a shorter version of the Gewehr 98 originally made for cavalry and support unit use. It can be identified by its shorter barrel length, tapered rather than stepped barrel contour, its turned-down bolt handle and excavation in the stock in the same fashion as sniper G98s, and an L-shaped stacking rod attached to the stock near the muzzle.

K98a Combat Service

The K98a was issued to cavalry, and also to mountain troops, and later to "established" assault units. It was liked because it was lighter and less bulky, and was ideal for use in trench assaults.

Karabiner 98b

This was another carbine version. It is more related to the later Karabiner 98 Kurz in the 1930s than the A model carbine.

Combat Service

The Gewehr 98 saw service primarily in World War I. It saw little service in World War II, though many G98 were converted to carbines. It was an effective rifle, and although it was slightly too long for ideal trench use, there were rifles much worse in that respect. The Mauser bolt and the pointed "Spitzer" bullets meant that it was a very accurate rifle with a long range. The (Karabiner 98k) model was confirmed with an (effective range) of 2,600 feet (790 m). Sniper G98s, chosen during production for being unusually accurate, were even more ideal for distant snipers. Of course, in World War Two, the rifle models were too specialized, their accuracy being their strongpoint. More balanced rifles, such as the (Gewehr 43) and (M1 Garand) were better overall with a better firing rate, and being semiautomatic was a major advantage in frantic battle. Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The Karabiner 98k (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht, and was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. ... The Gewehr 43 or Karabiner 43 (G43, K43; Gew 43, Kar 43) was a semi-automatic rifle of Nazi Germany developed during World War II that was developed from the G41(W) but using a modified gas system somewhat similar to that of the Soviet Tokarev Tokarev SVT40. ... The M1 Garand (more formally the United States Rifle, Caliber . ...

The Gew 98 after WWI

After the Great War, the Treaty of Versailles left Germany extremely constricted in terms of military power. Civilians were not allowed to have any use of standard military weapons or ammunition. Since the 8 × 57 mm Mauser round was so stout and great for hunting, people did not want to give up on it, so a redesign of the cartridge was made for the civilian market and the 8 × 60 mm (8 × 60 Spitz) was born, by extending the case by 3 mm while retaining use of the same bullet. The Treaty of Versailles (3010) was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allied and Central Powers and the German Empire. ... This quite uncommon rifle cartridge dates back to the interbellum. ...

The extended case had added advantage of allowing more powerful loads for hunting and it was easy to extend the chambers of the G98s to accommodate the new longer case. Since the purpose was hunting and sporting, the bolt was professionaly bent down, gradually the bent bolt became the standard and replaced the older straight bolt (though that was of course not always the case).

The standard military sights were replaced by a 100 m sight, along with a flip-up on the rear sight for 200 m. The military stocks were replaced by newer ones that did not include the extra piece of stock for the bayonet lug. Unfortunately, the 8 × 60 was only popular through the 1930s and 40s. Looking down the iron sight of an M15A4 Carbine (a civilian copy of the M4 carbine) The term iron sights refers to the open, unmagnified aiming system used to assist the aiming of a variety of devices, usually those intended to launch projectiles, such as firearms, airguns, and crossbows; they...

Today this sporter rifle is extremely rare and the 8 × 60 is nearly obsolete, as only two mainstream ammunition manufacturers (RWS and Norma), along with some other smaller companies continue to produce it. Norma is a Swedish manufacturer of ammunition. ...

Sourcing

http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl02-e.htm

Mauser Military Rifles of the World, third ed. Ball, Robert W.D. Krause Publications.