Gewehr 98
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The Gewehr 98 was the standard German infantry rifle from 1898 to 1935, when the Karabiner 98k replaced it.
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[edit] General information
The Gewehr 98, or G98, named for 1898, the first year of its manufacture, superseded the earlier Model 1888 Commission Rifle (also known as Gewehr 88 or Judenflinte) in German service.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.
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.
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'.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 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.
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.
[edit] Sourcing
http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl02-e.htm
Mauser Military Rifles of the World, third ed. Ball, Robert W.D. Krause Publications.
