Karabiner 98a
- Category
- Carbine
- Barrel
- 590 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.42 kg
- Introduced
- 1908
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Karabiner 98a (Kar98a, also catalogued as the Karabiner 98AZ) is a German bolt-action carbine derived from the Gewehr 98, chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser and fed from a five-round internal magazine via stripper clips. Adopted by the Imperial German Army, it shortened and lightened the long Gewehr 98 for cavalry, artillery, signal and assault troops, featuring a turned-down bolt handle and a stacking rod with bayonet lug. It is the WWI-era predecessor of the later Karabiner 98k.
Issued to cavalry, artillery and the Stormtroopers of the late-war German offensives, the handier Kar98a foreshadowed the universal short-rifle concept that Mauser would finalize two decades later as the Karabiner 98k.
Confusion exists in collector literature between this WWI carbine and the WWII Karabiner 98k; the 'AZ' suffix referenced the Aufpflanz- und Zusammensetzvorrichtung (bayonet lug and stacking rod) that distinguished it from earlier short rifles. The Kar98a is noticeably longer than a true carbine, sitting between a full rifle and the later short rifle in length.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Mauser
- Category
- Carbine
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1908 to 1935
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 590 mm
- Overall length
- 1090 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.42 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Internal
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
- 850 m/s
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 3700 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.
Controlled round feed
Stripper clip loading
Turned down bolt handle
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 | 3.42 kg | 3.00 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| 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 98a
How much does the Karabiner 98a weigh?
The Karabiner 98a weighs 3.42 kg (7.54 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Karabiner 98a?
The Karabiner 98a is chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser.
How many rounds does the Karabiner 98a hold?
The Karabiner 98a holds 5 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Karabiner 98a?
The Karabiner 98a is 1090 mm (42.9 in) long overall, with a 590 mm (23.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Karabiner 98a?
The Karabiner 98a is made by Mauser (Germany). It was designed by Paul Mauser.
When was the Karabiner 98a introduced?
The Karabiner 98a was introduced in 1908 and discontinued in 1935.
How does the Karabiner 98a operate?
The Karabiner 98a uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is rotating bolt.
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
- Imperial German Army
- 1908
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
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/kar98a' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "kar98a", "name": "Karabiner 98a", "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": 3420, "action_type": "bolt_action"}