Karabiner 98k Country Germany Type Rifle Manufacturer Mauser Introduction 1935 Specifications Weight 3.7–4.1 kg Length 1110 mm Barrel length 600 mm Cartridge 7.92x57mm Mauser Action Bolt-action Muzzle velocity 760 m/s Effective range 500 m (547 yd) (with iron sights) 800+ m (875 yd) (with optics) Feed system 5-round stripper clip, internal magazine

The Karabiner 98 Kurz (often abbreviated Kar98k or K98k) was a bolt-action rifle adopted as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 by the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces). It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles.

The Karabiner 98k was a bolt-action rifle with Mauser-type action holding five rounds of 7.92x57mm Mauser ammunition in an internal magazine. It was derived from the Karabiner 98b, which in turn had been developed from the Mauser Model 1898 (Gewehr 98). Since the rifle was shorter than the earlier Karabiner 98b from which it was derived, it was given the designation Karabiner 98 Kurz, meaning Carbine 98 Short. The rifle was noted for its reliability, good accuracy and an effective range of up to 500 meters (547 yards) with iron sights.

The Mauser Kar98k rifle was widely used by all branches of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. It saw action in every theatre of war involving German forces, including occupied Europe, North Africa, the Soviet Union, Finland, and Norway. Although comparable to the weapons fielded by its opponents at the beginning of the Second World War, its disadvantages in rate of fire became more apparent as American and Soviet armies began to field more semi-automatic weapons among their troops.

The Soviet Union captured millions of Mauser Kar98k rifles and re-manufactured them in various arms factories in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Most of these rifles were eventually shipped to communist or Marxist revolutionary movements and nations around the world during the early Cold War period. A number of non-European nations used the Mauser Kar98k rifle as well as a few guerrilla organisations to help establish new nation-states. One example was Israel which used the Mauser Kar98k rifle. Nations like France and Norway also used the Mauser Kar98k rifle and a number of other German weapons in the years after World War II.