The German Karabiner Model 98a,Not to be confused with the Karabiner 98K of World War II, the Karabi

The German Karabiner Model 98a,Not to be confused with the Karabiner 98K of World War II, the Karabiner 98a was a short rifle or carbine version of the Gewehr 98.  First introduced in 1908, the K98a used the same type of action as a Gewehr 98, but was designed to be significantly shorter and lighter.  At an overall length of 37 inches it was a whole foot shorter than the Gewehr 98 and 1 pound lighter.  Other than size and weight, the K98a had several other differences and features.  The 98a had a tapered barrel rather than the stepped barrel common on Mauser rifles.  The 98a had a turned down bolt, whereas the Gew 98 rifle had a straight bolt.  The 98a also lacked a cleaning rod, a feature to save weight.  Finally the 98a had a stacking rod located at the end of the muzzle, so that soldiers could stack the carbine against others in a cone or pyramidal shape.The K98a was used extensively by the German Army in World War I, where it was issued to engineers, artillerymen, cavalry, and rear echelon troops.  As the war dragged on, it was also issued to elite stormtrooper units.  Stormtroopers were special shock troops who specialized in trench warfare.  Due to the tight confines of World War I trenches, lighter and more compact equipment was needed.  Thus the K98a was the primary arm of the German stormtrooper.The idea of a carbine version of the Gew 98 continued after World War I.  During the interwar period several succeeding models were developed, eventually leading the the creation of the popular Karabiner 98k, which became the standard arm of the Germany Army during World War II.Source,Mauser Bolt Rifles by Ludwig Olson, P.112-114. -- source link

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