The result was the K98k (the “k” stands for “ kurz,” which means “short” in German). What the Wehrmacht wanted was a universal service rifle rather than different models for the infantry, cavalry, and artillery and support troops. The German military, now renamed the Wehrmacht, was, of course, very interested in a semi-automatic service rifle, but they concluded that development would take several years, at a time when they felt they desperately needed a new rifle.
But in 1934, one year after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came into power, a comprehensive rearmament program that included updating the Model 98 began in earnest. Scarce resources were funneled into secret programs that were a higher priority-particularly planes and to tanks. The armament restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles and the economic deprivation of the Weimar era stalled any further development of new service rifles. After the war, both guns remained the standard service arms of the Reichsheer. In the muddy trenches of the Western Front, the Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98AZ proved reliable under the worst conditions imaginable. The reasons for the defeat of Imperial Germany and her Axis allies are almost too numerous to list, but the lack of good service rifles and carbines was not one of them. Built for maximum durability and reliability, the Model 98 came to be appreciated by sportsmen and military shooters alike.ĭuring the Great War, Imperial Germany’s standard infantry rifle, the Gewehr 98, and cavalry carbine, the Karabiner 98AZ, were based on the Model 98. Also, its huge claw extractor controlled the cartridge from the moment it was presented by the follower until the spent case was kicked out by the ejector.
In addition to the clip slot in the rear receiver bridge, a semi-circular cutout in the right-hand receiver wall for the firer’s thumb helped ensure that the rounds were deeply and positively seated in the magazine. Another quality that defined Mausers in general, and the Model 98s in particular, was their rapid reloading. The Model 98’s three-position mechanical safety set the standard for fail-safe design and ease of use. A gas escape port and a flared striker shield protected the shooter’s eyes from hot propellant gasses in the event of a case-head failure. He incorporated multiple redundant safety features that protect the shooter: In addition to the two fixed lugs at the front of the bolt, a third safety lug at the root of the bolt handle served as a backup. Mauser’s classic bolt-action rifle is a portrait of defensive engineering at its best. And one look at the Mauser Model 98 will tell you that Peter Paul Mauser was a belt-and-suspenders man. The K98k was the fruit of a tree with deep roots. They provide a rich field for collecting, a hands-on connection with history and an opportunity for enjoyable shooting. K98ks are legendary bolt-action rifles-the last in a long line of military Model 98s. The last stockpiles of surplus Karabiner 98 Kurz (K98k) rifles are drying up, even as demand from collectors, hunters and shooters continues to rise.
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