Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1944
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell ("war model") is a late-war simplified version of the standard German Karabiner 98k bolt-action rifle, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser. Introduced in 1944 to accelerate production amid material and labour shortages, it stripped away every feature deemed non-essential to a working infantry weapon: the bayonet lug, cleaning rod, stock takedown disc, and milled fittings were deleted, the buttplate was simplified to a flat stamping, and stocks were often left in rough, unfinished wood. While its core action remained as safe and reliable as earlier rifles, the Kriegsmodell embodied the austerity of Nazi Germany's collapsing war economy. Full-specification Kriegsmodell rifles were produced by only a handful of factories (notably bnz and byf/svw coded) before the war's end.
The Kriegsmodell embodied the argument that an infantry rifle never needed the fit and finish of a fine sporting arm. Critics later noted these simplifications should have been adopted from the start to conserve resources, yet the rifle's bolt and barrel remained fully functional and safe even as its cosmetic and ancillary features fell away in 1944-45.
At least two transitional Kriegsmodell variants existed that incorporated only some of the simplification features; some factories never fully converted. Fully-realised Kriegsmodell rifles incorporating all simplifications are comparatively rare.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Mauser
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1944 to 1945
- Variant of
- Wartime simplified
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Overall length
- 1110 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.60 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.90 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 760 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3700 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 4700 m
- Rate of fire
- 15 rpm
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.
Stripper clip loading
Controlled feed
No bayonet lug
No cleaning rod- No takedown disc
Simplified buttplate
Rough finished stock
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 36 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 3.60 kg | 4.00 kg | Among the lightest tenth |
| Overall lengthAmong 35 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 1110 mm | 1105 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 35 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 600 mm | 600 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 36 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell
How much does the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell weigh?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell weighs 3.60 kg (7.94 lb) empty and 3.90 kg (8.60 lb) loaded. It is the 1st lightest of 36 7.92x57mm Mauser rifles in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell hold?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell is 1110 mm (43.7 in) long overall, with a 600 mm (23.6 in) barrel.
Who makes the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell is made by Mauser (Germany). It was designed by Mauser.
When was the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell introduced?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell was introduced in 1944 and discontinued in 1945.
How does the Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell operate?
The Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is hammer 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
- Wehrmacht
- 1944
- Volkssturm
- 1944
Provenance
Confidence in this record
80%
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/k98k-kriegsmodell' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "k98k-kriegsmodell", "name": "Karabiner 98k Kriegsmodell", "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": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1944, "barrel_length_mm": 600, "weight_empty_g": 3600, "action_type": "bolt_action"}