More than 130,000 Mauser rifles were selected at the factory for their accuracy and then were fitted with telescopic sights. Rate of fire per rifle was not considered as important as the high-cycling MG 34s and MG 42s had the ability to dominate a battlefield. This fact helps clarify Germany’s decision to maintain their use of the bolt-action rifle 98k, despite the development of semi-auto rifles like the Gewehr 41 and Gewehr 43. The 98k was a relatively light (around 8 lbs.) and highly accurate rifle that was generally considered to be accurate out to 500 meters. There is ample evidence of this: many wartime photos show German riflemen carrying ammo cans (and swathed in ammo belts) in order to feed the machine guns in their unit. Image: Patton Museumįrom the German perspective, the machine gun was their primary infantry weapon, and during World War II their riflemen transitioned to supporting the machine gun - the opposite of their role in World War I. Basic tools of the German infantryman: the Gewehr 98k and the M24 “Stielhandgranate” stick grenade. These weapons were used from either a bipod or tripod and were fitted with quick-change barrels to allow continuous fire. By the mid-war period, the MG 42 joined the mix (cycling at 1,200 rounds per minute). The box-magazine equipped MG 13 gave way to the belt-fed MG 34, cycling at 900 rounds per minute. Even before the 98k was adopted, Germany had been refining light machine gun designs into a greater “general purpose machine gun” (GPMG) concept. The harsh lessons of World War I drove the Germans to focus on mobile firepower, particularly for their infantry. Until the development of the specialized FG42, the 98k was the standard rifle for these troops. The 98k in the hands of a German paratrooper. Production of the Karabiner 98ks ramped up, and by September of 1939 most frontline infantry units were equipped with the new rifles. Accuracy and rate of fire increased while size and manufacturing complications went down. The 98k also replaced the complicated “rollercoaster” sight with a conventional leaf sight, and after 1939 the 98k was fitted with a hooded post front sight to reduce glare. The M1 Garand gave American troops a decided advantage against their German foes. The new bolt also allowed telescopic sights to be easily fitted directly above the receiver. The Gewehr 98’s straight bolt handle was replaced by a “turned-down” handle design that increased rate of fire by creating an easier-to-operate bolt. The 98k also included some improvements that were not so readily apparent. Sorry, an error occurred and we could not sign you up. It trimmed down the overall length from 49.2″ to 43.7″ and cut the weight from 9.0 lbs.
Authentic mauser gewehr 98 update#
Image: NARAīy the mid-1930s, Germany looked to update their excellent infantry rifle, and the Karabiner 98k took shape. The 98k fitted with the 30mm “Gewehrgranatengerät” grenade-launching cup. The famously smooth Gewehr 98 action, its internal five-round magazine - easily loaded by stripper clips - and the powerful 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge all contributed to make the G98 a dominant battlefield weapon in the early 20 th century.
The Gewehr 98 then went on to be the primary German service rifle until 1935, gaining considerable fame during the First World War. The Gewehr 98 debuted in combat in China in the hands of German troops participating in the Peking Relief Expedition of 1900. The Karabiner 98k was born of the classic Gewehr 98 (G98), Mauser’s bolt action rifle that set the design standard for battle rifles in a new century of warfare. Image: Author’s collection Born from a Classic The American M1 Garand offered exceptional accuracy and performance, and its semi-automatic operation compared very favorably against rifles such as the German 98k.
Even today, the Kar 98k can be found in the hands of insurgents, militia or second-line government troops, from Ukraine to Syria. It remains one of the most widely used infantry weapons since it became the standard service rifle of the Wehrmacht in June of 1935. Many consider it to be the finest bolt-action rifle ever built. The Mauser Kar 98k is one of the most recognizable battle rifles of all time. The German Gewehr 98k infantry rifle was a capable and refined military bolt-action rifle design. During World War II, on the battlefields of Western Europe, Italy and North Africa, the American M1 Garand rifle faced off against the German Mauser “Karabiner 98 kurz” (Kar 98k) in a bloody fight to the finish between two worthy opponents. The infantry battles of the 20 th century pitted many classic firearms against each other.
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