Karabiner 98k

Karabiner 98 kurz
Karabiner 98k in mint condition, made in 1940. From the collections of the Swedish Army Museum
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1935–45 (as German service rifle) 1935s–present (other countries)
Used by	See Users
Wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Second Sino-Japanese War Greek Civil War 1948 Arab–Israeli War Korean War First Indochina War Chinese Civil War Suez Crisis Portuguese Colonial War Algerian War Vietnam War Six-Day War War of Attrition Yom Kippur War Soviet war in Afghanistan Iran–Iraq War Yugoslav Wars Romanian Revolution Iraq War Syrian Civil War (and most wars that involve countries that were Soviet supported post-WWII)
Production history
Designed	1935
Manufacturer	Mauser (augmented by several other makers)
Produced	1935–45
Number built	14,600,000+
Variants	Kriegsmodell, scoped
Specifications
Weight	3.7–4.1 kg (8.2–9.0 lb)
Length	1,110 mm (43.70 in)
Barrel length	600 mm (23.62 in)
Cartridge	7.92×57mm Mauser
Action	Bolt-action
Muzzle velocity	760 m/s (2,493 ft/s)
Effective firing range	500 m (550 yd) with iron sights 1,000 m (1,090 yd) with telescopic sight
Maximum firing range	4,700 m (5,140 yd) with s.S. Patrone
Feed system	5-round stripper clip, internal magazine
Sights	Iron sights or telescopic sight.

1935–45 (as German service rifle)

The Karabiner 98 kurz (carbine 98 short, often abbreviated as Kar98k, or K98k) is a bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge that was adopted on 21 June 1935 as the standard service rifle by the German Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles. Although supplemented by semi- and fully automatic rifles during World War II, it remained the primary German service rifle until the end of the war in 1945. Millions were captured by the Soviets at the conclusion of World War II and were widely distributed as military aid. The Karabiner 98k therefore continues to appear in conflicts across the world as they are taken out of storage during times of strife.

In February 1934 the Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Agency) ordered the adoption of a new military rifle. The Karabiner 98k was derived from earlier rifles, namely the Mauser Standardmodell of 1924 and the Karabiner 98b, which in turn had both been developed from the Gewehr 98. Since the Karabiner 98k rifle was shorter than the earlier Karabiner 98b (the 98b was a carbine in name only, a version of Gewehr 98 long rifle with upgraded sights), it was given the designation Karabiner 98 kurz, meaning "Carbine 98 Short". Just like its predecessor, the rifle was noted for its reliability, great accuracy and an effective range of up to 500 metres (550 yd) with iron sights and 1,000 metres (1,090 yd) with an 8× telescopic sight.

The desire for adapting new shorter barreled rifles and introduction of the Karabiner 98k, featuring a 600 mm (23.62 in) long barrel, were reasons for changing the standard German service ball rifle cartridge. The 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone produced excessive muzzle flash when fired from arms that did not have a long barrel like the Gewehr 98. It was found that the s.S. Patrone, originally designed for long range machine gun use, produced less muzzle flash out of rifles that had a less long barrel and also provided better accuracy. Because of this the S Patrone was phased out in 1933 and the s.S. Patrone became the standard German service ball cartridge in the 1930s.