Karabiner 98k

The Karabiner 98k (in summary Kar98k or K98 ) is a rifle with manual repetition by bolt German conceived by Mauser Waffenfabrik. It was adopted in 1935 by Wehrmacht. It equipped a good part of the troops. More than 15 million units were produced until in 1945.

Historical and technical presentation

The German soldiers defined Karabiner then as a rifle whose strap was fixed laterally. It is about the version shortened, and thus more handy and of a lower weight, rifle Mauser model 1898 used during the First World War. Kar98k takes care by means of a blade-charger of 5 cartridges of 7,92_mm_Mauser. This “rifle” is a weapon very powerful and of good size, handy and simple of design.

During the Second world war it was the functional equivalent of the Springfield M1903 American or of the British Lee Enfield nº4, but was lower than the Garand able to draw in semi-automatic. Kar98k was higher by its ammunition, ammunition heavier and more powerful than 30-06 American. The addition of glasses of shooting in Kar98k (as glasses ZF39) makes it possible to make of it a rifle of very good precision, exceeding by far that of rifle Springfield 1903 used by theplain ones.

The mechanism of the mauser 1898 and 98k is the famous system mauser, he is very appreciated by the hunters and the sporting gunners thanks to the multiple gauges proposed by marks which take again this reliable and simple system that is the system mauser (Parker hauls 1000,1100,1200…). The production of this rifle has be-such that one finds still today quantity formidable of spare part new of origin. The Mauser system is still nowadays a robustness and quality stamp.

Wood used was not a sawn timber the such American garand, but in lamellate-was stuck, i.e. that interior wood was made from agglomerated wood and outside on a thickness of 2.5mm was composed of hot stuck wood plate. This technique allowed him lighter êter while being quite as solid as sawn timber.

Characteristics

Gauge: 8 X 57 JS (7.92 X 57 mm)
Length: 110 cm
Length of the gun: 60 cm
Weight: 3,92 kg
Store: internal store, recharging with the unit or by clip
Capacity: 5 blows
Rate of shooting: roughly 15 shootings per minute
Carried practical: 800 meters, specifies until 1200m, falls of the ball has 1600m.

Use after war

Thus, one finds it after war in Yugoslavia: material confiscated with the Germans, rifle is then repoinçonné with the armorial bearings of the country. (Yugoslavia: corn ears, reference to the Communist regime in place at the time). During the years 1990, the Kar98 Yugoslavians were used by all the factions during the conflict of Balkans. One meets many photographs showing of the soldiers or the marksmen using Kar98 in Sarajevo.

The French Army uses of Mauser 98K of catch (FFI/FFL) and 47000 rifles new (products by Mauser under the war damagees) during the Guerre of Indo-China. She faced fire this types of rifles (often of G24 (T) with false German markings) to the hands of ALN between 1954 and 1962 in Algérie.

The Bundeswehr continues to use of Kar98 in Wachbattalion for the military ceremonies.

Much Third World country has of Kar98 in their arsenals and Kar98 still has many years of service in front of him. The American soldiers in particular captured a certain number of Kar98 in Iraq as well as Russian rifles Mosin Nagant.

K98k today

Mauser Karabiner 98k is still used currently for hunting, as well in the gauge of origin as in one many civil gauge derived from the 8x57JS. Rifle then changes category, it passes from weapon of war (category 1) to hunting weapon, category 5 if the tenon of bayonet is removed and raises it blocked shooting has 300m, or category 4 (arms rechanbré showing all the characteristics with the original weapon of war). It is always of topicality in many countries. One finds also a version " démilitarisée" or " neutralisée" allowing the shooting of cartridges of 8mm white. Rifle is neutralized according to the standard of the manufacture of State of St-Etienne, only authorized by the State to neutralize the weapons officially. The gun is stopped and a casing adaptatrice is used to maintain the cartridge with white in the room of shooting. Kar98 is very popular today among the sporting gunners and the collectors of the whole world because of historical interest and its great quality of manufacture. One finds from now on of Kar98 captured by Soviet during the second world war and altered in the arsenals on the market. They are very popular in the United States in particular, because of their history.

Production during the Second world war

List manufacturing of Mauser 98k with their codes (markings on the thunder of the weapon): 1934

* Mauser, Obendorf- S/42K. * J.P Sauer, Suhl- S/147K

1935

* Mauser, Obendorf- S/42G. * J.P Sauer- S/147G ERMA- S/27G * Mauser, Borsigwalde- S/243G

1936

* Mauser, Obendorf- S/42 * J.P. Sauer- S/147 * ERMA- S/27 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- S/243 * Berlin-Lubecker S/237

1937

* Mauser, Obendorf- S/42, 1937 * J.P. Sauer- S/147, 1937 * ERMA- S/27, 1937 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- S/243, 1937 * Berlin-Lubecker S/237, 1937 * (BSW) Berlin-Suhler-Waffen BSW, date 1937

1938

* Mauser, Obendorf- S/42 1938, or " 42" 1938 * J.P. Sauer- S/147 1938, or " 147" 1938 * ERMA- S/27, 1938, or " 27" 1938 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- S/243 1938, or " 243" 1938 * Berlin-Lubecker S/237 1938, or " 237" 1938 * BSW- BSW 1938

1939

* Mauser, Obendorf- " 42" 1939 * J.P. Sauer- " 147" 1939 or without date nor code. * ERMA- " 27" 1939 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " 243" 1939 * Berlin-Lubecker " 237" 1939 * BSW- BSW 1939, * Steyr- Daimler, Steyr- " 660" 1939

1940

* Mauser, Obendorf- " 42" 1940 * J.P. Sauer- " 147" 1940 * ERMA- " 27" 1940, and also " ax" 1940 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " 243" 1940 * Berlin-Lubecker " 237" 1940, or " duv" 40. * Gustloffwerke- " 337" 1940 Steyr- " 660" 1940, or " bnz" 40.

1941

* Mauser, Obendorf- " byf" 41. * J.P. Sauer- " ce" 41 * ERMA- " ax" 41 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " ar" 41 * Berlin-Lubecker " duv" 41 * Gustloffwerke- " bcd" 41 * Steyr- " bnz" 41

1942

* Mauser, Obendorf- " byf" 42 * J.P. Sauer- " ce" 42 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " ar" 42 * Berlin-Lubecker " duv" 42 * Gustloffwerke- " bcd" 42 * Steyr- " bnz" 42 * Waffen Werke Brown, Bystrica- " dou" 42

1943

* Mauser, Obendorf- " byf" 43 * J.P. Sauer- " ce" 43 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " ar" 43 * Gustloffwerke- " bcd" 43 * Steyr- " bnz" 43 * Waffen Werke Brown, Bystrica- " dou" 43 * Waffen Werke Brown, Brown " dot" 43

1944

* Mauser, Obendorf- " byf" 44 * J.P. Sauer- " ce" 44 * Mauser, Borsigwalde- " ar" 44 * Gustloffwerke- " bcd" 4 * Steyr- " bnz" 44 or " bnz" 4 * * Waffen Werke, Brown, Bystrica- " dou" 44 * * Waffen Werke, Brown, Brown " dot" 1944 *

1945

* Mauser, Obendorf- " byf" 45 * Mauser, Obendorf- " svw" 45 * Mauser, Obendorf- " svw" MB * Gustloffwerke- " bcd" 45 * Steyr- " bnz" 45 * Waffen Werke Brown, Bystrica- " dou" 45 * Waffen Werke Brown, Brown " swp" 45

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