Karabiner 98 Kurz, bnz 45
Data
Make: German Mauser |
Model: 98K |
Arsenal: bnz45 (Steyr) |
Serial #: 729T |
Caliber: 7.92X57mm (8mm Mauser) |
Date of Manufacturer: 1945 |
Action: Bolt action |
Capacity: 5 rounds. |
Barrel Length: 23.6" |
Overall Length: 43.7" (1110mm) |
Other Numbers: 5704, 1487, 3035, 3493, 9694, 9092 |
Import Mark?: none |
Weight: 8.6 lb. |
Information
Close up Views
Visible Numbers and Markings
History
Karabiner 98k
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle
adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht, and was one of
the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles.
Description
The Karabiner 98k was a bolt-action rifle with Mauser-type action holding five
rounds of 7.92 x 57 mm (also known as 8 mm Mauser or 8 x 57 IS) on a stripper
clip, loaded into an internal magazine. It was derived from earlier rifles,
namely the Karabiner 98b, which in turn had been developed from the Mauser Model
1898. The Gewehr 98 or Model 1898 took its principles from the Lebel Model 1886
rifle with the improvement of a metallic magazine of five cartridges. Since the
rifle was shorter than the earlier carbines, it was given the designation
Karabiner 1898 Kurz, meaning "Short Carbine Model 1898". The standard Karabiner
98k iron sights could be regulated for ranges from 100 m up to 2000 m in 100 m
increments.
The rifle was noted for its good accuracy and effective up to 500 meters (547
yards) with iron sights. For this reason, rifles selected for being
exceptionally accurate during factory tests, were also fitted with a telescopic
sight as sniper rifles. Karabiner 98k sniper rifles had an effective range up to
800 meters (875 yards) when used by a skilled sniper. The German Zeiss Zielvier
4x (ZF39) telescopic sight had bullet drop compensation in 50 m increments for
ranges from 100 m up to 800 m or in some variations from 100 m up to 1000 m.
There were also ZF 42, Zeiss Zielsechs 6x and other telescopic sights by various
manufacturers with similar features employed on Karabiner 98k sniper rifles.
The 98k rifle was designed to be used with a S84/98 III bayonet[2] and to fire
rifle grenades. Most rifles had laminated stocks [3], the result of trials that
had stretched through the 1930s. Plywood laminates resisted warping better than
the conventional one-piece patterns, did not require lengthy maturing and were
less wasteful.
The 98k had the same disadvantages as all other turn-of-the-century military
rifles in that it was comparatively bulky and heavy, and the rate of fire was
limited by how fast the bolt could be operated. Its magazine had only half the
capacity of Great Britain's Lee-Enfield rifles, but being internal, it made the
weapon less uncomfortable to carry. While the Allies (both Soviet and
Anglo-American) developed and moved towards standardization of semi-automatic
rifles, the Germans maintained these bolt-action rifles due to their tactical
doctrine of basing a squad's firepower on the unit's light machine gun and
possibly their problems of mass producing semi-automatic rifles.
In close combat, however, submachine guns were often preferred, especially for
urban combat where the rifle's range and low rate of fire were not very useful.
Towards the end of the war, the Kar98k was being phased out in favor of the
StG44 assault rifle, which fired a round that was more powerful than that of
submachine guns, but that could be used like a submachine gun in close-quarters
and urban fighting. Production of the StG44 was never sufficient to meet demand,
being a late war weapon, and because of this the Mauser Kar98k rifle was still
produced and used as the standard infantry rifle by the German forces until the
German surrender at the end of World War II in May 1945.
World War II
The Mauser Kar98k rifle was widely used by all branches of the armed forces of
Nazi Germany during World War II. It saw action in every theatre of war
involving German forces, including occupied Europe, North Africa, the Soviet
Union, Finland, and Norway. Resistance forces in German-occupied Europe made
frequent use of captured German 98k rifles. The Soviet Union also made extensive
use of captured Kar98k rifles (and other German infantry weapons due to the Red
Army experiencing a critical shortage of small arms during the early years of
World War II) and rifle factories during World War II, as they were somewhat
familiar with the weapon's technology after buying the licenses and machinery
necessary to manufacture them from the Nazi Germany during the time of the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. However most of these factories were converted to
produce Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines as Soviet forces gained stable
territory and were able to establish supply lines for production. Many German
Soldiers used the verbal expression "Kars" as the slang name for the rifle.
Post-World War II
During World War II, the Soviet Union captured millions of Mauser Kar98k rifles
and re-arsenaled them in various arms factories in the late 1940s and early
1950s. These rifles were originally stored in the event of future hostilities
with the Western democracies.
Most of these rifles were eventually shipped to communist or Marxist
revolutionary movements and nations around the world during the early Cold War
period. A steady supply of free surplus military firearms was one way that
Moscow could support these movements and states without giving them the latest
Soviet infantry weapons until these movements and states gained the trust of
Moscow to warrant the supply of modern Soviet infantry weapons.
One example of the Soviet Union providing the Mauser Kar98k rifle (as well as
other infantry weapons captured from the Germans during and after World War II)
to its communist allies during the Cold War period occurred during the Vietnam
War with the Soviet Union providing military aid to the armed forces of North
Vietnam and to the NLF in South Vietnam.
A considerable number of Soviet-captured Mauser 98k rifles (as well as a number
of 98k rifles that were left behind by the French after the First Indochina War)
were found in the hands of NLF guerrillas and VPA soldiers by U.S. and Allied
forces alongside Soviet-bloc rifles like the Mosin-Nagant, the SKS, and the
AK-47.
In the years after World War II, a number of European nations that were invaded
and occupied by Nazi Germany used the Mauser Kar98k rifle as their
standard-issue infantry rifle, due to the large numbers of German weapons that
were left behind. Nations like France and Norway used the Mauser Kar98k rifle
and a number of other German weapons in the years after World War II. Firearms
manufacturers like Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium, Česká Zbrojovka (CZ) in
Czechoslovakia (as P-18 or puška vz. 98N, the first being the manufacturer's
cover designation of the type, the second official army designation - rifle
model 98, N for německá - German) and the Zastava plant in Kragujevac, Serbia,
Yugoslavia, continued to produce the Mauser Kar98k rifle after 1945 as M48. In
Romania, the Czechoslovak version was known under the informal name of ZB, after
Zbrojovka Brno - the Czechoslovak main state producer of small weapons and
munitions (now closed) - and, since a large surplus of this version was
available, it was used to arm Romania's Patriotic Guards, before sufficient
numbers AKMs were available for them. From 1950 to 1965, Zastava produced a
near-identical copy of the Kar98k called the Model 1948 (M48) which differed
only from the German rifle in that it had the shorter bolt-action of the Model
1924 series of Mauser rifles. Yugoslavia sold many of these rifles to Algeria,
Egypt and Iran during the 1950s and '60s. Many surplus M48s have been sold in
the United States, Australia and Canada in recent years.
The Persian Brno
The Czechoslovak variant of the Mauser rifle found its way into Iran very
quickly where it became known as the 'Brno', following the name of the city of
Brno, Czechoslovakia where the rifles were originally manufactured. The Mauser
rifle was selected for the Iranian Army during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi,
however Iran never ordered any from Germany, instead preferring the Czechoslovak
variant.
Israeli Mauser Kar98k rifle
A number of non-European nations used the Mauser Kar98k rifle as well as a few
guerrilla organizations to help establish new nation-states. One example was
Israel who used the Mauser Kar98k rifle from the late 1940s until the 1970s.
The use of the Kar98k to establish the nation-state of Israel often raises a lot
of interest among people and rifle collectors today. Many Jewish organizations
in Palestine acquired them from post-war Europe to protect various Jewish
settlements from Arab attack and used them to carry out guerrilla operations
against British Army forces in Palestine.
The Haganah, who later evolved into the modern-day Israeli Defense Forces, was
one of the Jewish organizations in Palestine that brought large numbers of
Mauser Kar98k rifles and other surplus arms (namely the British Lee-Enfield
bolt-action rifle, which was used on a large scale by these organizations
alongside the Kar98k rifle) from Europe during the post-World War 2 period.
One of most important purchases was a January 14th 1948 $12,280,000 worth
contract with Czechoslovak Government including 4,500 P 18 rifles, as well as
50,400,000 rounds of ammunition.
The Israeli version of the Mauser Kar98k rifles differ from the original German
version in that they have had all of the Nazi Waffenamt markings and emblems
defaced with over stamped Israeli Defense Force and Hebrew markings as part of
an effort to ideologically "purify" the rifles from their former use as an
infantry weapon of Nazi Germany. The Mauser Kar98k rifles produced by Fabrique
Nationale post-World War II have Israeli Defense Force markings on the rifle as
well as the emblem of the IDF on the top of the rifle's receiver. The FN-made
Kar98k rifles with the IDF markings and emblem on the rifle were produced and
sold to Israel after Israel established itself as an independent nation in 1948.
During the late 1950s, the Israeli Defense Force converted the caliber of their
Mauser Kar98k rifles from the original German 7.92 mm round to 7.62 mm NATO
after the Israeli Defense Force adopted the FN FAL rifle in 1958. The Israeli
Mauser Kar98k rifles that were converted have "7.62" engraved on the rifle
receiver. Rifles with original German stocks have "7.62" burned into the heel of
the rifle stock for identification and to separate the re-chambered Kar98ks from
the original 7.92 mm versions of the weapon then in service or held in reserve,
though some 98k rifles were fitted with new, unnumbered beech stocks of recent
manufacture. All of these converted rifles were proof-fired for service.
The Kar98k rifle was used by the reserve branches of the Israeli Defense Force
well into the 1960s and 1970s and saw action in the hands of various Israeli
Army support and line-of-communications troops during the 1967 Six-Day War and
the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. After the rifle was retired from reserve military
service, the Israeli Mauser Kar98k was given to a number of Third World nations
as military aid by the Israelis during the 1970's and 1980's (there is evidence
that a number of Israeli Mausers were sent to Latin America during this period
of time) as well as being sold to civilian gun owners across the world.
Usage today
The Kar98k rifles that were used by Germany during World War II are highly
sought after collector's items in many circles.
The Mauser Kar98k rifle is very popular among many rifle shooters and military
rifle collectors due to the rifle's historical background, as well as the
availability of both new and surplus 7.92mm ammunition, also known as 8mm
Mauser. The military version of the Mauser does NOT fire the 7.62 NATO or .308
caliber ammunition. Some of the sporter variants are available in other
chamberings, but most are large-bore hunting calibers. The exception to this is
the Israeli version of this rifle, which was re-chambered in the 7.62 NATO
round. Since the Israeli Mauser Kar98k rifle is chambered in 7.62mm NATO, the
rifle has been very popular with many rifle shooters the world over due to the
low cost nature and wide-spread use of the 7.62mm NATO/.308 Winchester round
among rifle shooters. Also, the unique history behind the Israeli Mauser Kar98k
rifle is another factor for the rifle's ongoing popularity with rifle shooters,
especially military rifle collectors.
As of 2005, the Mauser Kar98k rifles that were captured by the Soviets during
World War II and refurbished during the late 1940s and early 1950s have appeared
in large numbers on the military surplus rifle market. These have proven popular
with buyers in the United States and Canada, ranging from ex-military rifle
collectors to target shooters and survivalists, due to the unique history behind
the Soviet capture of Mauser Kar98k rifles.
The Bundeswehr still uses Kar98k rifles in the Wachbataillon for military
parades and show acts.
During the 1990s, the Yugoslavian Kar98k rifles and the Yugo M48 and M48A rifles
were used by all warring factions of the Yugoslav wars, alongside modern
automatic and semi-automatic rifles. There are a number of photographs taken
during the war in Bosnia, showing combatants and snipers using Yugoslavian-made
Mauser rifles from high-rise buildings in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo. Many
Third World nations still have Kar98k rifles in their arsenals and it will most
likely be encountered in regional conflicts for years to come.
Since 2003, the Mauser Kar98k rifle (along with the Mosin-Nagant series rifles
and carbines) has also been encountered in Iraq by US and Allied forces in the
hands of Iraqi insurgents alongside more modern infantry weapons like the AK
series rifles and the SKS carbine. The extra range afforded by the 7.92
cartridge still makes it a viable low-cost sniper rifle.
Civil use
The widespread availability of surplus Mauser 98k rifles and the fact that these
rifles could, with relative ease, be adapted for hunting and other sport
purposes made the Mauser 98k popular amongst civilian riflemen. When German
hunters after World War II were allowed again to own and hunt with full bore
rifles they generally started to "rearm" themselves with then abundant available
and cheap former Wehrmacht service rifles. Civilian users changed these service
rifles often quite extensively by mounting telescopic sights, aftermarket
hunting stocks, aftermarket triggers and other accessories and changing the
original military chambering. Gunsmiths re-chambered and re-barreled Mauser 98K
rifles for European and American sporting chamberings such as the 6.5 x 55
Swedish Mauser, 7 x 57, 7 x 64, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06
Springfield, 8 x 60 Spitz, etc. The magnum hunting cartridges 6.5 x 68, 8 x 68 S
and 9.3 x 64 were even specially developed by German gunsmiths for the standard
military Mauser 98 action. Some surplus Mauser 98K actions were used by Schultz
& Larsen in Denmark as the basis for target rifles. Some of these are still in
competitive use today although with the benefit of new barrels.
Other web sites with information about the German Mauser K98 Rifle
Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia (contains a number of pictures of the Mauser Kar98k rifle from the movie)
Nazarian's Gun Recognition Guide - Video of the Mauser Kar98k rifle in action
cagedlion.com (K98k page concerning production in occupied Czechoslovakia)
Reference
(1) Standard Catalog of Collector's Price and Reference Guide, 3rd Edition, p. 157.
(2) Standard Catalog of Collector's Price and Reference Guide, 3rd Edition, p. 161.