Did you mean: Máuser 98

The Mauser 98 or Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98 or M98 b>) is a German bolt-action rifle designed by Paul Mauser in 1898. This rifle uses the 7.92 x 57 cartridge from a fixed internal magazine fed by five-cartridge combs. Its advanced features were quickly adopted in the Anglo-American M1917 Enfield rifle and the Japanese Arisaka Type 38 and Type 99 rifles. The Mauser 98 replaced the previous Gewehr 1888 as the standard rifle of the German Army, being used for the first time in combat during the Boxer uprising, and was the main rifle of the German infantry in the First World War. The Mauser 98 was also used by the Ottoman Empire and Franco's Spain. Many of these rifles were modified for hunting or target shooting.^{[citation required]}

History

The Mauser 98, named for the year it was adopted by the German armed forces, replaced the previous Gewehr 1888 as the standard rifle. The bolt design used in the Mauser 98 was patented by Paul Mauser on September 9, 1895. This was the last in a series of Mauser rifles introduced in the 1890s.

The German Gewehr-Prüfungskommission (G.P.K.) adopted the Mauser 98 on April 5, 1898. Its bolt action was a derivative of the experimental Gewehr 96 rifle. In 1901, the first troops equipped with the Mauser 98 were the East Asian Expeditionary Force, the Imperial Navy and three elite corps of the Prussian Army. The Mauser 98 was first used in combat during the Boxer Uprising (1898-1901). In 1904 contracts were signed with the Waffenfabrik Mauser for 290,000 rifles and the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) for 210,000 rifles.

In 1905, the 8 mm M/88 cartridge that had been introduced in 1888 and fitted a 14.6 g (226 grain) bullet with a round nose, was replaced by the 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridge that fitted a 7.92 mm 9.9 g (154 grain) spitzer bullet. Cartridge conversion was indicated by a small "S" stamped on the barrel, between the base of the rear sight and the chamber. This was done because the 1888 M/88 cartridge and the 1905 spitzer cartridge are different and cannot be interchanged. Since the new cartridge had a flatter trajectory, the Lange Visier rear sight had to be changed for another of the same type adapted to it.

Design details

The Mauser 98 or Gewehr 98 is a tank-fed bolt-action rifle, with a length of 1,250 mm and a weight of 4 kg. It has a 740 mm long barrel and its fixed internal magazine carries five cartridges. It also has two rings for the rifle strap, an open front sight and a curved tangential rear sight, known as Lange Visier.

The controlled feed bolt of the Mauser 98 is its most distinctive feature, being considered one of the leading bolt designs.^{[citation needed]}

Lock with controlled feed

The controlled-feed bolt action of the Mauser 98 is a simple, strong, secure and well-planned design that inspired other military and hunting/shooting rifle designs that were available during the century XX. One disadvantage of the Mauser 98 bolt is that it cannot be mass produced at low cost. Other bolt-action rifles (such as the Lee-Enfield) offered trained shooters a faster rate of fire.^{[citation needed]}

Features

The Mauser 98 system is made up of a receiver that serves as the system cover and a bolt, whose body has three locking lugs, two main ones in its head and a third safety one in its rear part that serves support in case the main locking lugs fail. This third lug is a distinctive feature and was not present on the bolts of previous Mauser rifles. The two main locking lugs are located opposite each other and have a surface area of 56 mm², while the third lug does not take part in locking to avoid asymmetrical and unbalanced thrust forces. The diameter of the receiver was also enlarged compared to previous models for more resistance and safety. The bolt handle is attached to it, in that of the Mauser 98, being straight and protuberant.

Another distinctive feature of the Mauser 98 system is the controlled feeding mechanism, which consists of a large non-rotating extractor claw, which grabs the cartridge flange as soon as it leaves the magazine and holds it tightly until the case Vacuum is expelled by the ejector, which is mounted inside the receiver. Combined with a slight retraction of the bolt in the last stage of its opening cycle, produced by the surface projections of the rear bridge of the receiver, results in positive removal of the bushing. The bolt of the Mauser 98 will function correctly regardless of whether the rifle is moved or positioned during the bolt operation, or whether the cartridge has been fired or not. Only if the bolt is not pulled back far enough in a single movement on a controlled-feed bolt-action rifle will the case not eject properly and a jam may occur. A cartridge manually inserted into the chamber, rather than from the magazine, will not be caught by the extractor claw.

The bolt houses the firing pin mechanism, which is cocked when the bolt is opened and the cocking piece protrudes from the rear of the bolt in a visible and tactile way, indicating that the weapon is ready to fire. This bolt sleeve safety was not present on previous models of Mauser rifles and reduced the stroke of the firing pin as well as the firing time.

The bolt sleeve has two large gas escape holes and a gas shield, designed to protect the shooter in the event of a primer or cap breakage, or detonation. When the system suffers a catastrophic failure, these safety features divert escaping gases and potential debris away from the shooter's face.

The bolt of the Mauser 98 can be easily removed from the receiver by simply pulling the bolt stop, located on the left side of the receiver, then rotating and pulling the bolt outward. The metal disc embedded in the stock serves as a bolt disassembly tool.

The metal parts of the rifle are blued, a process in which the steel is partially protected against corrosion by a layer of magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Such a thin black oxide layer offers minimal corrosion protection unless it is treated with a water-displacing oil to reduce moisture and galvanic corrosion.

Secure

A three-position safety attached to the back of the bolt, the lever of which can be rotated from the right (safety on, bolt locked), center (safety on, bolt can be opened to reload), and left (weapon ready to fire), but only when the rifle is cocked, otherwise the safety will not move. The safety locks the firing pin. It can only be released by firing the rifle with the safety lever in the firing position, or by closing the cocked bolt while holding the trigger. It is only possible to deactivate the safety when closing the bolt with it in the firing position. The safety lever is quite large, being easy to operate but causing problems when mounting telescopic sights low on the receiver and maintaining its functionality.

Deposit

The fixed internal magazine of the Mauser 98 is a box integrated into the receiver, whose dimensions correspond to the cartridge for which the rifle is calibrated, with a removable base and containing up to five cartridges. The magazines of the German military Mauser 98 have an internal length of 84 mm to store 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridges with an average length of 82 mm and thus avoid dimension problems. The cartridges are stored inside the magazine in a zig-zag column, inclined at 30°, so that when viewed from behind, the three cartridges resting on each other form the points of an equilateral triangle. The tank can be loaded with individual cartridges, by pressing them against the lifting plate, or by means of combs. Each comb has five cartridges and to fill the tank it is inserted into guides carved into the rear bridge of the receiver. After loading, the empty comb is ejected when the bolt is closed. The tank can be unloaded by operating the bolt (for safety reasons, the safety must be in the central position) or in case of mechanical failure by opening the base of the tank, which is aligned with the handguard, with the help of the tip of a bullet.

Modern civilian descendants of the Mauser 98 bolt action

Although production of the Mauser 98 system for the German Army ceased in 1945 at the end of World War II, production of the Mauser M 98 and Magnum rifles of the same model for civilian users was restarted in 1999 by Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH, according to the original plans from 1936 and the respective Mauser patents. These rifles sell for approximately 6,800 euros (2009) for the basic version of the Mauser M 98, but the addition of (luxury) options can make them much more expensive.^{[citation needed]} Various gun manufacturers and custom gun manufacturers also produce new clones of the Mauser 98 system or bolt-action hunting/shooting rifles inspired by it.^{[citation needed] sup> Many derivatives of the Mauser 98 have technical modifications to simplify their production.[citation required]}

Trigger

The rifle has a two-stage trigger, with considerable travel before it activates the firing pin retainer. This feature helps prevent premature firing in combat conditions.^{[citation needed]}

Aiming mechanisms

Originally, the Mauser 98 had an open front sight and a ramped tangential rear sight with a "V" aperture, known as the Lange Visier. The sight was graduated for the 1888 M/88 cartridges, from 300 to 2,000 m in increments of 100 m. The M/88 cartridge mounted a jacketed bullet with a round nose.

Standard aiming mechanisms were composed of relatively crude elements, being suitable for rough handling and use in low light conditions, but less suitable for aiming at small targets. The aiming mechanisms were designed to engage distant and scattered targets, such as charging cavalry units, so they could be adjusted for very long ranges. Military doctrine at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the XX considered shooting at distant, scattered targets, usually with an officer indicating the distance and soldiers firing in groups.

Later the Mauser 98 sighting mechanisms were modified for the 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridge of 1905. The 7.92 mm spitzer bullet was lighter, sharper and had an improved ballistic coefficient. The new cartridge had a flatter trajectory and was therefore easier to estimate the range. With the introduction of the 7.92 x 57 Mauser, the rear sight graduation was changed and could be adjusted from 400 m to 2,000 m in 100 m increments.

While the modified aiming mechanisms for the 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridge have a minimum range of 400 m and the shot can hit higher when aimed at close range, the pillars formed by the sight rails allow quickly position nearby targets, an aiming method that compensates for the high point of impact when normally using aiming mechanisms.

Cylinder head

The stock of the Mauser 98 has a semi-pistol grip. A protective barrel shroud was standard on all rifles and extended from the base of the rear sight to the lower brace. A steel bolt was mounted transversely to distribute the forces and effects of recoil across the stock and forend, reducing the chance of cracking. The stock had a quick release eyebolt on the bottom of the stock, another eyebolt located under the bottom clamp, and a stop hook mounted under the top clamp at "H". Stocks produced before World War I were made from walnut wood, dried for an average of 3 years to stabilize it. Since 1917, the shortage of walnut wood prompted the use of beech wood. The stocks of rifles produced at the end of World War I were less durable and heavier than the original walnut stocks.^{[citation needed]}

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Accessories

The rifle was supplied with a leather rifle strap. Due to a leather shortage during World War I, canvas rifle slings were produced.^{[citation needed]}

He could fire rifle grenades. During the First World War, various models of attachable grenade launchers were designed.

The Mauser 98 was designed to be used with a bayonet. For this the rifle has an "H" with a 4. cm long bayonet rail. The long bearing surface of the Mauser 98 eliminated the need for a muzzle ring. The advantage of this solution lay in the fact that the muzzle rings can interfere with the oscillation of the barrel and significantly alter the accuracy of the rifle. The rifle was originally supplied with the Seitengewehr 98 bayonet. This sword-type bayonet had a 500 mm long blade. By the end of 1905, it began to be replaced by the more robust and practical Seitengewehr 98/05, with a 370 mm long blade. It was called "butcher knife" by the Allies due to its characteristic shape, being initially intended for artillerymen and engineers both as a tool and as a weapon. Towards the end of the First World War, the Seitengewehr 84/98, with a 250 mm long blade, was introduced as a measure to save materials and because longer models were not suitable for fighting. in narrow trenches; This model was the standard bayonet during the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. The serrated-back versions of the aforementioned models were designed for use as saws by the German Pioniere (military combat engineers).

Variants

Sniper models

In the spring of 1915 it was decided to equip 15,000 Mauser 98 rifles, selected for being exceptionally accurate during factory tests, with telescopic sights for use by snipers, although the Mauser 98 was not designed for use with telescopic sights. To mount a telescopic sight on the rifle, the bolt handle (which in its original design was straight) had to be bent down. A notch had to be made in the handguard to accommodate the bent handle of the modified bolt. Telescopic sights were 2.5x and 3x magnification models manufactured by companies such as Goerz, Gérard, Oige, Zeiss, Hensoldt, Voigtländer and various civilian models from companies such as Bock, Busch and Füss. Several different mounts were used, produced by various manufacturers. Even with a bent-handle bolt (unless it is low profile, as on modern hunting rifles), telescopic sights mounted low above the receiver do not leave enough space between the rifle and the scope body. telescopic to operate the bolt and the 3-position safety lever. This ergonomic problem was solved by mounting the telescopic sight at a relatively high height above the receiver. By the end of the war, 18,421 Mauser 98 rifles had been modified and fitted with telescopic sights, and were supplied to German snipers during World War I.

Karabiner 98a

The Karabiner 98a (K98a), not to be confused with the later Karabiner 98k, was a shortened version of the Mauser 98 originally manufactured for Cavalry and support units. The original Karabiner 98, with a shorter barrel than the Mauser 98, was produced from 1899 to 1908, but was not successful. In 1908 the Karabiner Model 1898AZ was approved. Its new features were a smaller external diameter chamber, a barrel with a smooth rather than graduated contour, an L-hook attached to the handguard near the muzzle, a bolt with a downward-bent handle, and a notch in the handguard. type than that of sniper rifles. The "A" meant "with bayonet", the "Z" It meant pyramid of rifles, that is, a Model 1898 carbine with bayonet rail and L-hook for stacking. In 1923 the AZ was replaced by an "a", as Germany sought to differentiate this model from the new "b" and "k".

During World War I, the Karabiner 98a was supplied to Cavalry, mountain troops and later to assault units. It was appreciated because it was lighter and shorter than the Mauser 98, making it more suitable for use in trench assaults.^{[citation required]}

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Karabiner 98 b

The Karabiner 98b was technically not another 'carbine' variant, but rather a rifle designated as a carbine to comply with the clauses of the Treaty of Versailles, which only allowed Germany to produce carbines. The Karabiner Model 1898b It was introduced in 1923. The 98b had a tangential rear sight, as opposed to the 'Lange' ramp rear sight. original, a wider lower clamp with a bar for attaching the rifle sling, an attachment point for the rifle sling on the side of the stock and a bolt with a bent handle. It was only a modified form of the Mauser 98, from which the Karabiner 98k was derived.

Combat History

The Mauser 98 was used mainly in the First World War, as well as in various colonial conflicts in the preceding years. Like contemporary bolt-action rifles, it was an accurate and powerful rifle with a long range that was inadequate for the close combat of trench warfare. Its considerable length and the minimum distance of 400 m from its sight (well above the usual range of trench combat) were major disadvantages.

Its successor, the Mauser Kar 98k, would become the standard rifle of the German infantry during World War II. Some Mauser 98s were used in World War II, although most of these older rifles were converted to the K98b or 98k standard.

The Mauser 98 after the First World War

Shooting and hunting

M 98

The Mauser M 98 was a civilian version of the M98 adapted for hunting and target shooting. Vaguely similar in appearance to the military rifle, the M 98 was offered for various hunting cartridges, not like the original rifle. The Mauser M 98 series rifles had several standard features and options, which are also typical of 'civilized' military rifles, encompassing various technical modifications and including noble wood stocks, precious metal inlays, engravings and different finishes for metal parts. Some of the options available were originally developed and introduced by John Rigby & Co. on Rigby Mauser hunting rifles.^{[citation needed]}

M 98 magnum

The John Rigby & Co. commissioned Mauser to develop the M 98 magnum bolt at the beginning of the 20th century. It was designed to use the large caliber cartridges usually used for big game. For this type of specialized hunting, where the absolute reliability of the rifle under adverse conditions is very important, the controlled feeding system of the M 98 continues to be the standard according to which other types of bolts are rated. This same company introduced in 1911 the cartridge.416 Rigby, which due to its dimensions can only be used in M 98 magnum bolt-action rifles.

Recalibrated rifles

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles restricted Germany's military power. Civilians were not allowed to use standard military ammunition or weaponry. Since the 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridge was so powerful and popular for hunting, people did not want to stop using it and it was redesigned for the civilian market, giving rise to the 8 x 60 S, which had a longer case.. The 8 x 60 S retained the average length of 84.4 mm so that it can fit into the tank of a standard military Mauser 98 without any modification.

The also rare 8 x 64 S cartridge offers a comparable recalibration option for the Mauser 98 and Karabiner 98k rifles. Due to its high-capacity case, the 8 x 64 S has better ballistic performance than the 8 x 60 S. Some rifles were modified from the Mauser 98 and later recalibrated to use the 9 x 57 Mauser cartridge.

Since the purpose of these rifles was hunting and sport shooting, the bolt handle was bent downward and gradually became standard until it replaced the old straight design (although this was not always the case). The standard military sight was replaced by a pivoting one graduated for 100 and 200 m. The military handguards were replaced with new handguards, which did not include the additional length needed for the bayonet rail.

Nowadays these sporting rifles are extremely rare and the 8 x 60 S, 8 x 64 S and 9 x 57 Mauser cartridges are almost obsolete, so few ammunition manufacturers and small companies continue to produce them. When the correct cartridge is used in a modified rifle, a Mauser 98 using these cartridges can be a powerful and inexpensive long-range big game rifle.^{[citation needed]}

In addition, several Mauser 98 rifles captured as trophies by Allied forces during the war and brought to the United States were modified to use the 7.92 mm-06 wildcat cartridge, replacing the original 7.92 x 57 Mauser with the 7.92 mm-06 wildcat cartridge..92 x 63 that used the.30-06 Springfield case with a 7.92 mm bullet. Without careful examination, such modifications are indistinguishable from an original rifle and can be quite dangerous to use the 7.92x57 Mauser cartridge, as its case will expand to fit the elongated chamber and possibly break in the process, producing a very dangerous high-pressure propellant gas leak. However, the bolt on the Mauser 98 is specifically designed to divert gas away from the shooter in the event of a case breakage.^{[citation needed]}

The American company Rhineland Arms began producing.45 ACP conversion kits for Mauser rifles, which used magazines from the M1911 pistol.

Shotgun conversions

Many Mauser 98 rifles were converted into shotguns, typically 12 and 16, as well as a few 20s. When making the conversion, usually both locking lugs were removed. The magazine was modified to allow a single cartridge in reserve. Many experts recommend against shooting these weapons, especially using modern Magnum cartridges.

In the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany

The Weimar Republic, the successor state to the German Empire, implemented a program to upgrade remaining batches of Mauser 98 rifles for the Reichswehr in the years following World War I. The rifles that were allowed to enter service with the first security forces of the Republic were stamped with the date "1920" about the bedroom. Other upgrades to Weimar Republic Mauser 98s frequently included the replacement of the "Lange Visier" with one similar to that of the Kar 98k, a hole cut through the side of the stock to install a sling mounting system similar to that of the Kar 98k and sometimes, a shortening of the barrel to the length of the Kar 98k. Many also had the bolt handle bent, replacing the original straight-handled bolt. Rifles that received these modifications often have markings from the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, as well as the "S/42" stamped behind the base of the rear sight. Some of these rifles were used in World War II, but mainly in second line units because the shortened and improved Kar 98k was the standard rifle of the time. Sometimes the receiver was removed from Mauser 98s and used to make new Kar 98k. Some German police were seen using the Mauser 98 when the Allies entered Germany in the final months of the war.^{[citation needed]}

In addition, Adolf Hitler initially chose to equip his Schutzstaffel bodyguards with modified Mauser 98 rifles. These rifles obtained by the SS normally have had their original markings totally or partially removed, being replaced by stylized totenkopf markings.^{[citation required]}

The Volkssturm also used the Mauser 98, it being probably the best rifle in its diverse arsenal because it used the standard 7.92 x 57 Mauser cartridge and a soldier who had trained with the Kar 98k could easily use the Mauser 98, since that both rifles used the same type of bolt.^{[citation required]}

Ottoman Empire

Large quantities of Mauser 98 rifles were also supplied to the Ottoman Empire both during and after the war, including most of the 1916 batch from Waffenfabrik Oberndorf. Many of these rifles were converted to the "M38" by the Republic of Turkey in the interwar period, during and after World War II. These rifles are currently available in the United States and Canada, along with other Turkish Mausers.^{[citation needed]} Careful observation is usually necessary to differentiate an ex-Mauser 98 from the many Turkish M38s.^{[citation needed]} The Turkish Mauser 98s that were not modified are easily identified by the crescent moon stamped above the breech.^{[ citation required]}

Mexican Revolution

By 1910, the Mauser 98 was the standard rifle (along with the Winchester.30-30 carbine) of the Federal Army led by the dictator Porfirio Diaz. When the Revolution broke out that year, the revolutionary armies obtained Mauser 98 rifles by capturing them from the enemy or acquiring them by smuggling, even buying them in the United States or directly from Germany. Although it was generally used by both the revolutionaries and the federalists, the armies that used this rifle the most were Francisco Villa's Northern Division and Emiliano Zapata's Southern Liberation Army. The Mauser 98 continued to be used in the following armed conflicts, such as the Delahuertista rebellion, the Cristero War and during World War II. Currently, the Mauser 98 is used in Mexico as a training weapon, sniper rifle and ceremonial rifle.^{[citation required]}

Spanish Civil War

This rifle was used in the Spanish Civil War, mainly in the hands of Franco's Nationalists and the German volunteer legions. Most of these rifles were purchased and exported to the United States by Interamrco in the 1960s as cheap hunting rifles.

China

After 1935, the National Revolutionary Army used the Kungshien Type 24. This rifle was used in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War (with Chinese volunteers).

Israel

During Israel's military organization process after World War II, the Haganah (Jewish militia) purchased large quantities of Karabiner 98k rifles from any European source they could find. Some of these rifles were modified Mauser 98s, which apart from the German Empire markings are identical to all other Israeli Mauser rifles. Like other Israeli Mausers, most of these rifles were recalibrated to use the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge after it was adopted as standard ammunition in 1958.

Jubiläum 98 model (1998)

In 1998, the Mauser factory in Oberndorf produced the Jubiläum 98 model (Jubilee 98), a functional replica of the original Mauser 98, to celebrate the rifle's centenary. 1998 rifles were produced.^{[citation needed]}

Users

• Germany
  • German Empire
  • Republic of Weimar
  • Nazi Germany
• Argentina, Argentine variant, (Mauser 1909 Argentine model), currently used as a ceremonial rifle in the Argentine Armed Forces.
• Belgium
• Brazil, Brazilian variant Model 1908 of 7 mm (7 x 57 Mauser).
• Chile, Mauser Chilean mod. 1912 in 7 mm calibre, manufactured by Steyr in Austria. Currently used as a ceremonial rifle by the military, armed, air force and Carabineros schools.
• Czechoslovakia
• Colombia
• Spain
• Ottoman Empire
• Mexico
• Peru
• Poland: Made in Warsaw by the Państwowa Fabryka Karabinów and in Radom by the Łucznik Weapons Factory.
• Republic of China: Under the form of the Chiang Kai-shek rifle.
• Uruguay
• Venezuela