Newbie question on Mauser K98k: Why is everybody else different?

[--Terry--]

I have been looking for a K98k.

Through all the research and browsing, I notice a significant visual difference between K98k and all other similar rifles: the upper handguard. German military K98k rifles all seem to have a shorter handguard which ends right before the rear sight, and the chamber section of the barrel behind the rear sight is exposed.

On the other hand, all other manufacturers' (Yugo, Czech, Swedish) and even those made by the Germans for other countries (Spain, Argentine, Brazil) all have an extended upper handguard that goes all the way to the ring behind the chamber.

Could anybody tell me why all these other "Mauser type" rifles are made different here from the very Mauser K98k? Is there a reason why that part of barrel is exposed on the K98k? Or is there a reason why it is covered in all other models?

Any replies will be much appreciated.

 

[Nyles]

Can't tell you why the Germans didn't, though I'll tell you why most everyone else did - after a few rounds, that chamber gets hot! Also, not just the Germans did the short handguard, the Turkish Model 1890 and Argentine 1891 both have it, the Chinese Chiang Kai Shek (which is admittedly more or less a straight copy of the German 1935 Standard Modell), and the Belgian M1935 and M1889/36 all have it, just off the top of my head.

 

[--Terry--]

Can't tell you why the Germans didn't, though I'll tell you why most everyone else did - after a few rounds, that chamber gets hot! Also, not just the Germans did the short handguard, the Turkish Model 1890 and Argentine 1891 both have it, the Chinese Chiang Kai Shek (which is admittedly more or less a straight copy of the German 1935 Standard Modell), and the Belgian M1935 and M1889/36 all have it, just off the top of my head.

Thanks for the quick post.

I guess the heat there is the cause of cracks on the upper handguard around that area on many used and surplus rifles?

And thanks for the list of models that are more faithful copies of the K98k. It seems that the Portuguese M.1937 Mauser Short Rifle could be one of them, too, although I don't see any of these in the Canadian market.......

 

[Nyles]

Well, I wouldn't say that they're faithful copies of the 98K, most of them are actually very different, they just happen to have short handguards.

 

[trebor2880]

Is the Yugo M48 BO Mauser a good copy of the 98K?

 

[albayo]

If you ever have a chance to pick up a Portuguese 1941 they are beautiful rifles and still retain all the German markings.

Back when the 7.62 Israeli K98 Mausers came into the country we would clean them up and go to the range. On a warm day after heating them up the cosmoline that soaked into the wood would bubble out between the hand guard and the stock.

Most Mausers have a hand guard that starts at the middle barrel band and goes back to the receiver ring.

For some reason the Czech VZ 24s and some of the Yugoslavian rifles have hand guards that start from the front barrel and goes back to the receiver ring.

The K98s manufactured for the Germans over the years only have the short hand guard as illustrated in your first picture. The K98 short hand guard carried over from the Gew 98s of WWI.

If you want a K98 design and want to shoot it regularly buy an Israeli model in 7.62.

 

[Nabs]

The VZ-24 was a Czech amalgamation of design characteristics from three primary firearms fielded during WW1. The overall appearance and general design from the action comes from the German Gewehr 98, the sling swivels and lower bands are from the Austrian M1895 rifles, and the shortness of the rifle comes from the German Kar98AZ.

The Kar98k is a development modification of the earlier Kar98b/Gewehr 98bs used by Reichswehr during the 1920s which were further modifications upon the earlier Gewehr 98 design fielded during WW1.

To understand the Kar98k, just look at pictures of the Kar98b and then at the Gewehr 98 and you can see what Mauser was thinking in terms of general design. Although Paul Mauser died in 1914, his design of the Model 1898 still carried on. Other countries would either purchase or manufacture licenced copies of the M1898 with their respective design changes to suit whatever needs were required at the time.