Mauser Model 1898 (Gew 98)

History

The Mauser Rifle 98 (officially known as the "Model 1898 Infantry Rifle") is a manually operated, magazine-fed, bolt-action rifle that has become one of the most successful military and sporting firearms of all time (sold over 5,000,000 pieces). Patented by Paul Mauser in 1895, the rifle was initially produced from 1898 to 1918 and became the standard German Army rifle used during World War I. The Mauser rifle and its classic bolt-action system set the standard for weapons - a standard that the defense industry still follows today.

The Gew 98 has proven so popular that its design has spawned many offshoots and variants and is served around the world. Such was the historical influence of the Type 1898/Gew Type 98, and other notable foreign developments stemmed from its reliable and robust approach, including the famous American M1903 Springfield series and the Japanese Arisaka Type 38/99 series.

The origins of the Type 1898 can be traced back to its predecessor, the Gew 88 (also Type 1888 or M1888). The rifle developed rapidly in response to the introduction of the new 8-round Lebel bolt-action rifle in France in 1888 - the world's first firearm to successfully use small-caliber smokeless powder ammunition. This development immediately made all other black powder weapons obsolete and ushered in a new era of firearms.

To fight their enemies and longtime neighbors, the Germans used the Committee's approach to formulate the new Type 1888/Gew 88 to use their own brand of smokeless powder in the form of a 7.92x57mm cartridge.

The Model 1888 retains its bolt action in a one-piece stock containing the stock, grip and front end. The magazine is an integral part of the design and protrudes from the bottom of the fuselage as part of the trigger ring.

Sights are centered on the top of the stock and behind the muzzle, while sling loops allow for shoulder straps. The bolt action handle protrudes horizontally for quick access, although this feature increases the chance of hooking (fixed in a future Mauser version). The attachment point of the field bayonet for close combat is contemporary. Reloading is via a Mannlicher-style "magazine" system that requires all 5 rounds to be fired before the magazine is removed, the magazine dropping from the bottom of the rifle. This rifle was enduring during World War I (it was in front-line use until 1915), but apparently lacked many of the front-line qualities required of a service rifle - which often proved unsuccessful and unsuccessful - in part It's a single load/reload capability that uses brand new ammo and lacks a magazine.

This phased-out rifle subsequently entered service with the Austro-Hungarian and Turkish armies after the Germans abandoned it in favor of the newer Gew 98.

The development of a new service rifle handling the same 7.92mm ammunition (with a larger powder charge) gave rise to the Type 1898/Gew 98. The Gew 98 weighs approximately 4.09 kg (9 lb), has an overall length of 1,250 mm (49 in) and is equipped with a 29 in (740 mm) rifled barrel. It holds an internal magazine containing five rounds and is fully contained within the receiver. With the soldier in mind, the rifle is designed to include two sling swivels for the shoulder straps, useful when the infantryman is carrying a weapon or aiming the rifle at a target.

The two swivels attached at the bottom of the butt had a leather sling, but as the war dragged on, the sling was made of canvas. The rifle uses an open rear sight bar and a tangential rear sight mounted perpendicular to the line of sight (LOS). This large bore scope is designed for field use in all lighting conditions and can rapidly fire large targets, such as units or people in groups, in 100-meter increments from 200 meters to 2000 meters.

The Rifle 98 features an oiled rifle stock and a lightweight walnut pistol grip. Although the rifle was an efficient and effective weapon, it exhibited the negative effects found in most other turn-of-the-century rifles - it was too long to be effective at close range. Trench warfare dominated the battlefields of World War I, where gunners could quickly engage the enemy in close quarters. Rifles can become a liability in such battles.

In the end, however, the Gew 98 proved to be a solid, accurate and excellent weapon system.

Every battle rifle is designed to use the last weapon - the bayonet. The Rifle 98 has a top barrel clip with a 4.5 cm (1.75 in) long bayonet lug. The advantage of using a clip instead of a muzzle ring increases the firing capability of the rifle. The rifle was originally equipped with the Seitengewehr 98 bayonet, itself a 500 mm (19.8 in) long sleeve blade.

This bayonet proved too long for trench hand-to-hand combat. By the end of the war, the bayonet had been replaced by the 10-inch bayonet 84/98 blade, introduced in response to complaints from German soldiers in the narrow trenches.

The heart of the Mauser M98 bolt system is the bolt itself. A new larger, more powerful receiver design became the U-shaped cover that held the controlled bolt group, which itself had three locking lugs. Two larger main lugs are installed on the bolt head, while the third lug is used for safety at the rear of the bolt - basically a redundant lug if one of the first two lugs fails . The third tab is a unique feature not found in previous bolt action models. The bolt handle is straight and has a round knob at the end that attaches directly (and permanently) to the bolt.

The firing pin hits the primer on the bottom of each cartridge, igniting the gunpowder and firing the bullet. When the operator opened the bolt, the striker had cocked up. The downside to the M98 is that it is not a simple part of a rifle and cannot be mass produced.

The inner box magazine holds up to five 7.92x57mm rifle Patrone 1898 cartridges, each loaded with the new 8.20mm (0.323in) 9.9g (154g) "pointy" pointed bullet . Almost as impressive as the breech is the cartridge feeding system - as the cartridge exits the magazine, the edge of the cartridge is firmly grasped by a non-rotating "claw". This was established before the round was officially ejected from the receiver. Paper jams may occur when the latch operates slowly. The set of bolts can be easily removed from the receiver by pulling out the bolt stop on the left side of the receiver and then unscrewing the bolts from the receiver itself.

Magazines can be loaded by pushing individual rounds into the receiver with the bolt open, or using a "stripping clip" that holds five rounds vertically, allowing a thumb press to load all five rounds into the magazine in one simple motion . After loading, the empty clip pops out when the bolt is closed. The magazine can be unloaded by manipulating the bolt, an action that causes one round to be ejected at a time.

The safety catch was developed to prevent the weapon from being fired. This is a large lever marked with an "S" to indicate the direction of the safe position. Two-stage triggers do not work when safely turned on.

Mauser used the two-stage approach for two reasons: first, to reduce premature firing in combat conditions, and second, to allow slow fire when firing at distant single-shot targets.

As events unfolded, improvements were made to the rifle, culminating in the equally excellent Karabiner 98a (not to be confused with the WWII-era "Karabiner 98k"). The Karabiner 98a (K98a) is a shorter version of the Gew 98, specifically made for cavalry and assault units, as it is a lighter and shorter version of the Rifle 98 base rifle and is considered more suitable for trench warfare.

The basic design of the Gew 98 underwent few major changes during the First World War and remained unchanged during the conflict. Sights were eventually simplified to improve close range work, and various wooden holders replaced the original walnut, which was designed to meet wartime demands and address supply shortages.

Some experimental forms inevitably emerged, including a variant of the detachable magazine called the "Mauser 18," although this model never appeared.

The Carbine 98b was a further development of the Full Length Rifle 98, but was designated as a Carbine under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty limited Germany's capabilities in wartime, so only carbine molds were allowed to be made. Thus, the Type 98b was introduced in 1923. Although technically a rifle by a different name, the Karabiner 98b was classified as a carbine and led to the development of the Karabiner 98k during World War II.

However, the Gew 98 rifles were still used by the German Armed Forces during World War II due to their easy availability in numbers.

The Gew 98 was first used by the German Army during the Boxer Rebellion of 1898. In 1937, German leader Adolf Hitler decided to equip his SS bodyguards with rifle 98s. The Ottoman Empire purchased many of these rifles during World War I, and for a while thereafter became the Republic of Turkey.

The rifle was also used in the Spanish Civil War in 1936 with troops loyal to Franco nationalists. After World War II, the newly formed State of Israel purchased a certain number of theriffle 98 rifles; an interesting term for each rifle is still marked with the German Reich emblem.

From 1958, they were eventually used to fire 7.62mm NATO cartridges.

The Rifle 98 Sniper conversion model appeared optically during the First World War. The use of optics forced the installation of a new upside-down bolt, as well as a revised stock with pronounced grooves. Scopes had 2.5x and 3x magnifications, but quickly proved to be somewhat problematic with bolt capabilities, so many mounted their optics higher and higher on the receiver.

During World War I, approximately 18,421 Series 98 rifles were converted into sniper form and issued to specially trained German Army snipers.

Some 98 rifles fought during WWII, albeit in improved form. With the outbreak of World War II (1939-1945), the sheer number of Gew 98 rifles and their ilk available ensured their use in major conflicts. By 1939, many longform forms were still in circulation, and so were many foreign powers. Even in this modern conflict, the old rifle has held up well, is as reliable and accurate as ever, and has found a place among officers, infantry and civilians alike. The protruding horizontal bolts on some models are still a limitation in the heat of battle, but few can fault the Mauser for its excellent design.

This led to a revival of the vintage rifle of 1944-45, in which the German Volkssturm ("Sturm des Volkes") was given this type. This group consisted mainly of German civilians who were armed by the authorities to fight and defend Germany in the final months of the war.

Actual production is by Mauser, the German Armed Forces, Hainel, Sauer and Thorn, Waffenwerke Oberspree, BC Schilling, Simson and ammunition from Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt, Leipzig and Spandau library. Notable conflicts involving Gew 98 and related species include the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), the Xinhai Revolution (1911-1912), the First World War (1914-1918), the Finnish Civil War (1918), and the Turkish War for Independence ( 1919-1922), Chinese Civil War (1927-1937), Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), World War II (1939-1945) and Korean War (1950-1953).

Author's Note: I've myself shot targets 1000 yards away with a Gew 98 in a friend's collection, and I've found this weapon to be easy to see and able to form a tight group with minimal practice.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes