Karabiner 98AZ
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 590 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1908
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Karabiner 98AZ (also designated Gewehr 98 AZ) is a German bolt-action carbine derived from the Gewehr 98 service rifle, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser. Introduced in 1908, it shortened the long Gewehr 98 for use by cavalry, artillery, and other mounted and support troops, pairing the proven Mauser controlled-round-feed action with a short-ring receiver, a turned-down bolt handle, and an extended handguard. The 'AZ' designation refers to its provisions for a stacking rod (Aufpflanz) and bayonet lug (Zusammensetzen) that were unusual for carbines of the era. It saw heavy use throughout World War I and directly influenced the later Karabiner 98k.
Soldiers prized the handier 98AZ over the unwieldy full-length Gewehr 98 in the cramped conditions of trench warfare, and the lessons learned from its short-rifle layout were carried directly into the design of the WWII-era Karabiner 98k.
After WWI the Reichswehr retained roughly 100,000 examples under the Treaty of Versailles, often marked with a '1920' property overstamp; the carbine was later redesignated Karabiner 98a. Muzzle velocity is lower than the full-length Gewehr 98 owing to the shorter barrel.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Mauser
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1908 to 1923
- Variant of
- Carbine
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 590 mm
- Overall length
- 1090 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 2000 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Short ring receiver
Turned down bolt handle
Stacking rod
Bayonet lug
Stripper clip loading
Tangent leaf sight
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 409 carbines | 3.50 kg | 3.00 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 407 carbines | 1090 mm | 895 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 423 carbines | 590 mm | 406 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 423 carbines | 5 | 21 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Karabiner 98AZ
How much does the Karabiner 98AZ weigh?
The Karabiner 98AZ weighs 3.50 kg (7.72 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Karabiner 98AZ?
The Karabiner 98AZ is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Karabiner 98AZ hold?
The Karabiner 98AZ holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Karabiner 98AZ?
The Karabiner 98AZ is 1090 mm (42.9 in) long overall, with a 590 mm (23.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Karabiner 98AZ?
The Karabiner 98AZ is made by Mauser (Germany). It was designed by Mauser.
When was the Karabiner 98AZ introduced?
The Karabiner 98AZ was introduced in 1908 and discontinued in 1923.
How does the Karabiner 98AZ operate?
The Karabiner 98AZ uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- German Empire
- 1908
- Reichswehr
- 1920
Provenance
Confidence in this record
82%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/gewehr-98-az' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "gewehr-98-az", "name": "Karabiner 98AZ", "manufacturer": { "id": "mauser", "name": "Mauser", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1874, "website": "https://www.mauser.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "ebf488347439c6088bd29deb6dd22bcc1ca8215e5042f489f4bf5cbea07e3307" }, "category": { "id": "carbine", "name": "Carbine", "description": "Shortened rifles for close-quarters use" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1908, "barrel_length_mm": 590, "weight_empty_g": 3500, "action_type": "bolt_action"}