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Gewehr 98

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Gewehr 98

The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a bolt-action rifle made by Mauser for the German Empire as its service rifle from 1898 to 1935. The Gewehr 98 action, using a 5-round stripper clip loaded with the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, successfully combined and improved several bolt-action engineering concepts which were soon adopted by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan. The Gewehr 98 replaced the earlier Gewehr 1888 as the main German service rifle. It first saw combat in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and was the main German infantry service rifle of World War I. The Gewehr 98 saw further military use by the Ottoman Empire and Nationalist Spain. It was eventually replaced by the Karabiner 98k, a carbine version using the same design, for the Wehrmacht under Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945.

Infobox

Type
Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin
German Empire
In service
1898-1945
Used by
See Users
Designer
Paul Mauser
Designed
1895
Manufacturer
Mauser Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken Haenel Sauer & Sohn Waffenwerke Oberspree V. Chr. Schilling Co. Steyr Simson Imperial Arsenals of Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt, Leipzig, and Spandau
Produced
1898–1918
No. built
9,000,000
Variants
K98a, K98b, Kar98az
Mass
4.09 kg (9.0 lb) with empty magazine Gewehr 983.50 kg (7.7 lb) Karabiner 98a
Length
1,250 mm (49.2 in) Gewehr 981,090 mm (42.9 in) Karabiner 98a
Barrel length
740 mm (29.1 in) Gewehr 98590 mm (23.2 in) Karabiner 98a
Cartridge
M/88 until 1903, 7.92×57mm Mauser later
Action
Bolt action
Rate of fire
15 rounds/minute
Muzzle velocity
639 m/s (2,096 ft/s) with M/88878 m/s (2,881 ft/s) with 1903 pattern 9.9 g (154 gr) ball ammunition
Effective firing range
500 m (550 yd) (with iron sights) 1,000 m (1,100 yd) (with optics)
Maximum firing range
3,735 m (4,080 yd) with S Patrone
Feed system
5-round stripper clips in an internal box magazine
Sights
Iron sights

Tables

· Variants › Variants comparison
Overall length
Overall length
Feature
Overall length
Gewehr 98 (1898)
1,250 mm (49.21 in)
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
1,090 mm (42.91 in)
Karabiner 98b (1923)
1,250 mm (49.21 in)
Karabiner 98k (1935)
1,110 mm (43.70 in)
Barrel length
Barrel length
Feature
Barrel length
Gewehr 98 (1898)
740 mm (29.13 in)
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
600 mm (23.62 in)
Karabiner 98b (1923)
740 mm (29.13 in)
Karabiner 98k (1935)
600 mm (23.62 in)
Sight radius
Sight radius
Feature
Sight radius
Gewehr 98 (1898)
650 mm (25.59 in)
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
500 mm (19.69 in)
Karabiner 98b (1923)
650 mm (25.59 in)
Karabiner 98k (1935)
500 mm (19.69 in)
Weight
Weight
Feature
Weight
Gewehr 98 (1898)
4.09 kg (9.0 lb)
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
3.7 kg (8.2 lb)
Karabiner 98b (1923)
4.0 kg (8.8 lb)
Karabiner 98k (1935)
3.7–4.1 kg (8.2–9.0 lb)
Other notable features
Other notable features
Feature
Other notable features
Gewehr 98 (1898)
straight bolt handle, Lange ramp rear sight
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, L-shaped stacking rod near the muzzle, small ring action, tangent rear sight, wing guarded front post
Karabiner 98b (1923)
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, tangent rear sight
Karabiner 98k (1935)
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, tangent rear sight
Feature
Gewehr 98 (1898)
Karabiner 98AZ / Karabiner 98a (1908)
Karabiner 98b (1923)
Karabiner 98k (1935)
Overall length
1,250 mm (49.21 in)
1,090 mm (42.91 in)
1,250 mm (49.21 in)
1,110 mm (43.70 in)
Barrel length
740 mm (29.13 in)
600 mm (23.62 in)
740 mm (29.13 in)
600 mm (23.62 in)
Sight radius
650 mm (25.59 in)
500 mm (19.69 in)
650 mm (25.59 in)
500 mm (19.69 in)
Weight
4.09 kg (9.0 lb)
3.7 kg (8.2 lb)
4.0 kg (8.8 lb)
3.7–4.1 kg (8.2–9.0 lb)
Other notable features
straight bolt handle, Lange ramp rear sight
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, L-shaped stacking rod near the muzzle, small ring action, tangent rear sight, wing guarded front post
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, tangent rear sight
turned down bolt handle and recess in the stock, tangent rear sight
Minimum acceptance standard for the Gewehr 98 with 198 gr s.S. Patrone 7.92×57mm ammunition · Military accuracy standard
100 m (109 yd)
100 m (109 yd)
Range
100 m (109 yd)
Vertical accuracy of fire (R50)
6 cm (2.4 in)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50)
6 cm (2.4 in)
Range
Range
Range
Range
Vertical accuracy of fire (R50)
Vertical accuracy of fire (R93.7)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R93.7)
100 m (109 yd)
100 m (109 yd)
Range
100 m (109 yd)
Vertical accuracy of fire (R50)
12 cm (4.7 in)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50)
12 cm (4.7 in)
Range
Vertical accuracy of fire (R50)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R50)
100 m (109 yd)
6 cm (2.4 in)
6 cm (2.4 in)
Range
Vertical accuracy of fire (R93.7)
Horizontal accuracy of fire (R93.7)
100 m (109 yd)
12 cm (4.7 in)
12 cm (4.7 in)
US & British service rifle minimum acceptance accuracy requirements · Military accuracy standard
M1903 Springfield (1903)
M1903 Springfield (1903)
Rifle (design year)
M1903 Springfield (1903)
Range
100 yd (91 m)
Shotgroup diameter
3 in (7.6 cm) [3 MOA]
Lee–Enfield No.4 (1941)
Lee–Enfield No.4 (1941)
Rifle (design year)
Lee–Enfield No.4 (1941)
Range
100 ft (30 m)
Shotgroup diameter
Four of five shots within 1 in wide by 1.5 in high 2.5 cm × 3.8 cm rectangle [3.03 x 4.54 MOA]
M1 Garand (1936)
M1 Garand (1936)
Rifle (design year)
M1 Garand (1936)
Range
100 yd (91 m)
Shotgroup diameter
5 in (12.7 cm) [5 MOA]
M14 (1959)
M14 (1959)
Rifle (design year)
M14 (1959)
Range
100 yd (91 m)
Shotgroup diameter
5.5 in (14.0 cm) [5.5 MOA]
M16 series (1964)
M16 series (1964)
Rifle (design year)
M16 series (1964)
Range
100 yd (91 m)
Shotgroup diameter
4.5 in (11.4 cm) [4.5 MOA]
Rifle (design year)
Range
Shotgroup diameter
M1903 Springfield (1903)
100 yd (91 m)
MOA]
Lee–Enfield No.4 (1941)
100 ft (30 m)
Four of five shots within 1 in wide by 1.5 in high 2.5 cm × 3.8 cm rectangle [3.03 x 4.54 MOA]
M1 Garand (1936)
100 yd (91 m)
MOA]
M14 (1959)
100 yd (91 m)
MOA]
M16 series (1964)
100 yd (91 m)
MOA]

References

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    https://archive.today/20120709040034/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_12_50/ai_n6275754/pg_2/?tag=content;col1
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    https://archive.org/details/schiessvorschrif00prus/page/n19/mode/1up
  25. "Das Gewehr 98 mit S-Munition und seineVerwendung, mit Benutzung des Entwurfeseiner neuen Schiessvorschrift von 1905 bearb. / v. Estorff"
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  35. Grant 2015, pp. 19–20.
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  37. Smith 1969, p. 406. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSmith1969 (help)
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  39. Ball 2011, p. 389.
  40. Karabiny i karabinki Mauser 98 w Wojsku Polskim w latach 1918-1939
  41. Vietcong Weapons On Show In Australia (1967)
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  54. "Gew. 98"
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  56. Smith 1969, p. 528. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSmith1969 (help)
  57. Wielki leksykon uzbrojenia: Wrzesień 1939. Karabiny i karabinki Mauser 98
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  59. "The Geweh 98 - Before 1919 ..."
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  60. The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces
  61. The Russian Civil War (1): The Red Army
  62. Puške: dva veka pušaka na teritoriji Jugloslavije
  63. Ball 2011, pp. 427–428.
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