Gewehr 98
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gewehr 98 | |
|---|---|
 Gewehr 98 with bayonet and 5 round clip on the side |
|
| Type | Service rifle |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1898-1935 |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | Boxer Rebellion, World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Mauser |
| Designed | 1897 |
| Manufacturer | Mauser, Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken |
| Variants | Kar 98a, Kar 98b, Kar 98k |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4.09 kg |
| Length | 1250 mm |
| Barrel length | 750 mm |
|
|
|
| Cartridge | 7.92x57 mm Mauser |
| Caliber | 7.92 mm |
| Action | bolt-action |
| Feed system | 5 round clip in internal magazine |
The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98 or Gew 98) was the standard German infantry rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k.
Contents |
[edit] General information
The Gewehr 98, named for 1898, the first year of its manufacture, superseded the earlier Model 1888 Commission Rifle (also known as Gewehr 88 or Judenflinte) in German service. 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 had a 75 centimeters long rifled barrel and carried 5 rounds of 7.92 x 57 mm Mauser ammunition in an internal magazine.
The German Rifle Testing Commission adopted the Gewehr 98 on 5 April 1898. The action was derived from the experimental Gewehr 96 Rifle. In 1901, the first troop issues of the Gewehr 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 Gewehr 98 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 Gewehr 98 is straight and protrudes out (although on Gewehr 98s 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 Gewehr 98 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 98k, the Karabiner 98a (K98a) was a shorter version of the Gewehr 98 originally made for cavalry and support unit use. The original model Karabiner 98, with a shorter barrel than the G98, was produced from 1899-1908 but it was not successful. In 1908 the Karabiner Model 1898AZ was approved. The new features were a small diameter receiver ring, tapered rather than stepped barrel contour, an L-shaped stacking rod attached to the stock near the muzzle, a turned-down bolt handle and excavation in the stock in the same fashion as sniper Gewehr 98s. The "A" stood for "with bayonet", the "Z" stood for stacking pyramid, meaning carbine Model 1898 with bayonet attachment point and stacking rod device. In 1923 the AZ was dropped for 'a' as Germany sought to distinguish the model from the newer models 'b' and 'k'.[1]
During World War I The Karabiner 98a 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 than the Gewehr 98, and was thus better suited for use in trench assaults.
[edit] Karabiner 98b
The Karabiner 98b was another "carbine" variant. The Karabiner Model 1898b was introduced in 1923.[2] The new rifle had a long Gewehr 98 type barrel, tangent rear sight as opposed to the original ramp sight, wider lower band with side sling attachment bar with a side butt attachment point, and a turned down bolt handle. It was essentially the same length as the Gewehr 98 and was designated as a carbine to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles which only allowed Germany to produce carbines and no rifles.[3]
[edit] Combat service
The Gewehr 98 saw service primarily in World War I. It saw little service in World War II, though many Gewehr 98s 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 790 meters (864 yards). Sniper Gewehr 98s, chosen during production for being unusually accurate, were even more ideal for distant snipers. Of course, in World War II, the rifle models were too specialized, their accuracy being their strongpoint. More balanced rifles, such as the semiautomatic Gewehr 43 and M1 Garand were better overall with a better firing rate, a major advantage in frantic battle.
[edit] The Gewehr 98 after World War I
After the World War I, 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 Gewehr 98s to accommodate the new longer case. Since the purpose was hunting and sporting, the bolt was professionally 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. 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.
Also, many Gewehr 98 rifles acquired as trophies by Allied forces during the war and brought home were converted to the 8mm-06 cartridge, a modification of the chamber from 57 mm to 63 mm to accommodate the use of common and inexpensive surplus .30-06 cartridges, with their 7.62 mm (.30 caliber) bullet replaced by a 8 mm (.32 caliber) bullet more appropriate to the bore of the rifle. Such conversions are indistinguishable from unmodified rifle without careful examination, and can be quite dangerous if fired with the shorter 8 x 57 mm ammunition, as the cartridge case will stretch to fit the elongated chamber and possibly rupture in the process, spraying the shooter with leaked propellant gas.
However, when correct ammunition is used in a converted rifle, an 8mm-06 modified Gewehr 98 can be an extremely potent and inexpensive long-range big-game rifle.
[edit] References
- ^ Smith, Randy D. (2005). Old Mausers. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- ^ Graf (2005). The Kar.98a. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
- ^ Smith, Randy D. (2005). Old Mausers. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
[edit] Sources
- Mauser model 98 at guns.ru
- Mauser Military Rifles of the World, third ed. Ball, Robert W.D. Krause Publications.
