The Gewehr 98 or Mauser model 1898, was the standard rifle of the German army from 1898 to 1935, when the Karabiner 98k replaced it.
History
The 1898 model from the Mauser firm is the latest descendant of a line that began in the early 1890s. . It is one meter twenty five long and weighs 4.09 kilograms, loaded. The weapon inherited the breech mechanism, gradually developed by Mauser, this mechanism will be appreciated for its operational safety and its robustness. It includes a three-position safety at the rear of the breech, on the right the firing pin and the breech are blocked, in the middle the breech is released, but not the firing pin, which makes it possible to introduce a blade-loader in complete safety , finally on the left the weapon is ready to fire. In the event of a cartridge case breaking, large vents have been provided to evacuate the gases, without risking injury to the shooter. The bolt lever is straight and the extraction of the cases is done with few incidents thanks to a non-rotating extractor on the side of the bolt. The ammunition used is the 7.92x57mm Mauser.
On April 5, 1898, the commission in charge of the armament of the German army decided to adopt the Mauser rifle, as an orderly weapon of the army, replacing the Gewehr 88 or Judenflinte. The weapon is first supplied to the expeditionary force in the Far East and to the first three Prussian army corps. The weapon therefore received its baptism of fire during the Boxer Rebellion. In 1904, contracts were made with Mauser, for two hundred and ninety thousand rifles, and with DWN, for two hundred and ten thousand. In 1905, the round ball cartridge called I-Patrone began to be replaced by a brand new one equipped with a pointed ball, the S-Patrone (S for "Spitzer"), which had the advantage of being precise at longer distance.
Variants
* Karabiner 98
* Karabiner 98a
* Karabiner 98b