Karabiner 98 kurz? What's behind the name?

[AjPjSay]

Let's dissect it. "karabiner 98 kurz," or "carbine 98 short." Assuming that the "kurz" refers to the gun's length, why would it be referred to as a carbine as well? Isn't that just redundant?

Someone told me once that "karabiner" refers to the sling position, what with it being side mounted. Someone else told me that it refers to the bent bolt. A third person said that it had something to do with rearmament and legal loopholes under Versailles. No idea who is telling the truth. Can someone give me a definitive answer?

 

[heavy10]

My understanding is that it is generally about sling position. Nothing to do with Versailles, barrel length, or bolt orientation. Definitions were weird long before that. Compare a Kar88 to a Gew91. Compare a Kar98b to an Imperial Radfaherer Gewehr. Standard-Modell and Banner-K variants confuse it further.

 

[heavy_mech]

My understanding is that it is generally about sling position..

Not just in German parlance either. Looking at M95 it defines the difference in a carbine (side mount) or stutzen (under mount). In early Italian production the stutzen correlates well to the TS (bottom mount) vs carbine version (side mount). They also produced a so-called TS carbine with both sling provisions.

 

[tsmgguy]

I'd always understood that the Kar 98 designation referred to the rifle's 600mm barrel length, differentiating it from the earlier Gewehr 98's 740mm. A definitive, original source reference would be much appreciated.

 

[heavy_mech]

..designation referred to the rifle's 600mm barrel length, differentiating it from the earlier Gewehr 98's 740mm.

I'm pretty sure that's the suffix k for kurz and the barrel length specifically as you mentioned.

 

[pzjgr]

I'm pretty sure that's the suffix k for kurz and the barrel length specifically as you mentioned.

I concur...I cannot point to absolute written proof, but its always been my understanding the "karabiner" part refers to as was stated, the sling set up...look at the Kar 98b, which was full length, with a side sling set up, as opposed to bottom mounted swivels...

So the Kar 98k, is a Karabiner type gun with side mounted sling, built on a 98 action, that is kurz, or short, referring to length of barrel/overall length compared to the Gew 98....

I always thought it was odd nomenclature until I found out that Karabiner does not refer to a carbine, or short rifle so much...

And it really is more of a short rifle (compared to the Gew 98) anyway, when you compare the length to actual cavalry carbines, or M95 carbines and such...

 

[Loewe]

This is correct, its about sling arrangement, not length, - that some countries or services used different qualifications is irrelevant to German practice.

My understanding is that it is generally about sling position. Nothing to do with Versailles, barrel length, or bolt orientation. Definitions were weird long before that. Compare a Kar88 to a Gew91. Compare a Kar98b to an Imperial Radfaherer Gewehr. Standard-Modell and Banner-K variants confuse it further.