Posted on 12/07/2017 5:29:37 AM PST by w1n1
The Karabiner 98 kurz is a simple 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. The Karabiner 98k is a controlled-feed bolt-action rifle based on the Mauser M 98 system. Its internal magazine can be loaded with five 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges from a stripper clip or one-by-one.
The straight bolt handle found on the Gewehr 98 bolt was replaced by a turned-down bolt handle on the Karabiner 98k.
This change made it easier to rapidly operate the bolt, reduced the amount the handle projected beyond the receiver, and enabled mounting of aiming optics directly above the receiver.
The highlight of this animation shows the rifle cycling as it loads the brass five round stripper into an internal magazine. Even to this day, the Mauser popularity and reliability transcends the battlefield to the hunting world, (collectors would love to have this as well) a match made in heaven. See how the Mauser 98K works animation here.
I LOVE IT!
Neat video.
I’m curious what mechanism causes the spent casing to eject. There doesn’t seem to be a spring in the video.
Does the next cartridge push it out of the way? If so, how does the last one get ejected?
5??!!! On Combat, they could fire it 15 times without reloading.
there is an extractor claw on the end of the bolt that kicks it out when it retracts...the next one pops up from spring pressure below...
When I was in my late teens, back in 1968, I owned a 98K Mauser. Bought it from Alexandria Arms and it was still packed in grease. Took a lot of work to clean it thoroughly after I got home with it.
First time I fired it was near midnight in the middle of nowhere. Flames shot out of the barrel about 4 feet or so.
Awesomeness.
The ejector box is on the left side of the receiver at the rear. It has a flat style spring that functions it. As the bolt completes its travel rearward the ejector is allowed to extend into the slot in the bolt and catches the base of the round. The extractor on the right hand side of the bolt applies pressure and keeps the round in place (controlled) and the rim of the round pivots around the extractor rim and the round then spins out of the ejection cutout.
Thank you both for the explanation.
***the Mauser popularity and reliability transcends the battlefield to the hunting world,***
Years ago, I saw a list of how each nation’s military rifle stood up.
Mauser 98-Best hunting rifle.
1903 Springfield- Best target rifle
SMLE .303- Best war rifle.
Arisaka-toughest action impossible (they said) to blow up.
The Russian rifle and the Italian Carcano were not tested.
C&Rsenal did this in 2014-15, in its ongoing roundup of WWI weapons. They have such animations of all small arms actions used in WWI (well, they havent done the Mosin yet). Check them out, they are extremely detailed and doing cutting edge historical research - and I mean not previously published.
Their episode on the Canadian Ross is brilliant.
They just did a special episode on the famous-mysterious Pedersen device (semi-auto carbine slide-in to a Springfield) that the US was going to field in great numbers in the big push of 1919. Their conclusion - because of lack of development, it was full of critical flaws that likely would have caused Ross-rifle level disappointment in action.
Check out the C&Rsenal episodes on these and many others.
Their conclusions differ. Often surprisingly.
“Years ago, I saw a list of how each nation’s military rifle stood up.
Mauser 98-Best hunting rifle.
1903 Springfield- Best target rifle
SMLE .303- Best war rifle.
Arisaka-toughest action impossible (they said) to blow up.
The Russian rifle and the Italian Carcano were not tested.”
Some cautions for modern-day owners who choose to shoot one of these relics:
- Both the Mauser and the Carcano have what is called “controlled round feed.” When the round is pushed forward from the magazine, the extractor claw enters the case extraction groove immediately. Do not attempt to single-load these rifles by slipping a round into the chamber directly, then closing the bolt. The extractor will break. Always load the round into the magazine first.
(The US M1903 extractor is very similar to the Mauser, but it can be single-loaded directly to the chamber without damaging the rifle. Many Mausers have been sporterized in the United States and some have been modified to let the extractor snap over the rim and engage the groove of the case.)
- The Carcano will not function without a clip. These were made in a flimsy manner and are now difficult to find, having been dropped from production many years ago.
- Do not attempt to “ease down” the striker on any Arisaka by holding the trigger back while closing the bolt. The configuration of the trigger and the striker will not permit it, and the action can bind in this position, requiring the services of a technician skilled in troubleshooting and experienced with Arisakas. The action functions in a “cock on closing” manner vaguely resembling the British Enfields; US shooters do not like this feature and some have been modified to function in “cock on opening” fashion. Be careful with these: welding may have compromised the action’s heat treatment and created unsafe conditions. The safety catch on a rifle so modified may not work properly.
- Examine any Mosin-Nagant you might consider buying. Many recent imports have been refinished and the bolt cocking pieces are often heavily polished, which can compromise the staking that holds the cocking piece immobile on the rear end of the striker: the strike may unthread spontaneously in use, causing excessive firing pin tip protrusion. If the slot on the rear end of the striker does not align with the stake marks on the cocking piece, there can be problems.
- None of these rifles had good trigger pulls when issued. Many have been modified after being sold to the public. Modifications are not always easy to detect, and are rarely safe. It’s prudent to check over any former military rifle you might wish to buy - whether sporterized or in original configuration.
No, there is a blade that slides in a slot in the bolt on the left side, the base of the cartridge hits it when the bolt is pulled back. You’re talking extractor, he’s talking ejector.
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