Karabiner 98AZ

About the Karabiner 98AZ

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.

Karabiner 98AZ specifications

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.