This Old Gun: Gewehr 98

by
posted on December 23, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
The Mauser Model 1898, or Gewehr 98, is arguably one of the the most important bolt action military rifle designs of the 20th century, if not all time. It earned a notable reputation for being accurate, reliable, strong and most importantly safe for the user. The design elements of the Gewehr 98 can still be found today in several modern bolt action rifle designs currently being manufactured.

The design was the brainchild of Paul Mauser, a German designer who had experience in the development of artillery. Mauser and his brothers worked on small arms designs and placed special interest on what was then the cutting edge of repeating military rifles, the bolt action. Mauser started working on his bolt action designs in the late 1860s, looking for a design to replace the Dreyse needle rifle design being used by the German States at the time.

A cutaway view of the Gewehr 98 action.
A cutaway view of the Gewehr 98 action.

Through the decades leading up to the turn of the 20th century, Mauser continued to develop his bolt action rifle designs incorporating the newest trends of the time. Yet there was one key trend that was pursued in each successive design, user safety. Paul Mauser had lost an eye during an accident with one of his designs, which gave him a personal initiative to develop a rifle with several safety features that would prevent such injuries to users.

Shooting the Gewehr 98 with bayonet attached.
Shooting the Gewehr 98 with bayonet attached.

With each successive design Mauser added more safety features, until finally arriving at the Model 1898 chambered in 8 mm Mauser. The Model 1898's bolt featured three locking lugs, two at the front and an emergency lug further back. These lugs were designed to be sturdy and resist most overpressure issues, and the emergency lug would spare the user's face should a failure of the main lugs happen. There were also two gas relief holes cut into the receiver to vent out any excess gas safely away from the user.

Extracting and ejecting an empty cartridge from the Gewehr 98.
Extracting and ejecting an empty cartridge from the Gewehr 98.

The bolt of the Model 98 mostly cocks on opening and fully clocks upon closing. The bolt also features a large "claw" extractor that grips the rim of the cartridge as it feeds from the magazine and into the chamber in a process called controlled round feed. This is a feature found on rifles like the Model 70 today. The receiver was beefy and designed to withstand overpressure of a failing cartridge upon firing, combined with the safety features to protect the user from such an incident. These features resulted in a strong, reliable and safe bolt-action design.

The Lange Visir tangent rear sight system used on the Gewehr 98.
The Lange Visir tangent rear sight system used on the Gewehr 98.

The Model 1898 was designed with a five-round internal box magazine and was fed by five-round stripper clips, which allowed a user to load all 5 rounds into the magazine with a single push rather than loading each round individually. A unique Lange Visir tangent sight was used on the Model 98, graduated for Spitzer rounds from 400 to 2,000 yds. The design was adopted by Germany in 1898 and designated as the Gewehr 98, becoming the standard service rifle of the German Empire. It's first use in combat with German soldiers was during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion in 1900. 

German soldiers armed with Gewehr 98s.
German soldiers armed with Gewehr 98s.

The Gewehr 98 was extensively used throughout World War I by German and Ottoman forces, where it proved to be an accurate and reliable military rifle. Around two and a half million rifles were in German inventory at beginning of the war, with another seven million of the rifles made throughout the course of the war. The design of the Gewehr 98 was modified slightly after the war into a shorter carbine version with a curved bolt, the Karabiner 98K, which would be Germany's primary service rifle throughout World War II. 

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.    

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.