Mauser K-98k

Mauser K-98k

Length:                                         approximately 44 inches

Barrel length:                              approximately 24 inches

Caliber:                                         usually 7.92x57mm

The K-98k is a bolt action rifle that was built on the Model 98 system in the 8mm Mauser caliber.  This rifle became the main German battle rifle of World War II, and was exported by the Germans to several other countries.  After the war, these rifles ended up in the arsenals of many nations giving rise to many interesting varieties and variations which are too numerous for treatment here.

The example shown here is a Russian capture K-98k.  A Russian capture is the most commonly commercially available K-98k in the United States.  The Russians “refurbished” these captured rifles after the war re-bluing the metal and refinishing the wood with a kind of deeply stained shellac.  The Russians loved to electropencil non-matching parts as if they were matched and would mark each capture with an “X” mark on the receiver.  A nice example will be priced at around $350.

Mauser Code quick reference:

Some high quality replica parts can be found here: