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|Altra denominazione =
|Immagine = [[File:Kar 98K - AM.021488.jpg|300px]]
|Didascalia = Un K98k del 1940 in buone condizioni.
|Tipo = fucile bolt-action
|Origine = {{Bandiera|GER 1933-1945}} Germania Nazista
|Utilizzatori = vedi [[#Utilizzatori|utilizzatori]]
|Conflitti = [[Guerra civile spagnola]], [[Seconda guerra mondiale]], [[Guerra di Corea]], [[Guerra del Vietnam]]<ref name="bishop1998"/>, [[Crisi di Suez]], [[Rivoluzione rumena del 1989|Rivoluzione romena]], [[Guerra del Kippur|Guerra dello Yom-Kippur]], [[Guerra Iran-Iraq]], [[Guerre jugoslave]]<ref name="bishop1998"/>, [[Guerra d’attrito]], [[Guerra dei sei giorni]], [[Guerra civile cinese]], [[Guerra civile greca]], [[Guerra arabo-israeliana del 1948|Guerra Arabo-Israeliana]], [[Seconda guerra sino-giapponese]], [[Guerra d’Indocina]], [[Guerra coloniale portoghese]], [[Guerra d’Algeria]]
==Derivati post-bellici==
Molti paesi dell’Europa continuarono la produzione di fucile basati sul K98k anche dopo la guerra. Ad esempio, la ''Fabrique Nationale de Herstal'' (FN, Belgio) e la ''Česká Zbrojovka'' (CZ, Cecoslovacchia) produssero le proprie versioni del K98k, o addirittura assemblarono K98k grazie alle parti che i tedeschi in ritirata si erano lasciati alle spalle.
Sia la FN che la CZ usarono la variante ''Kriegsmodell'' come base per le loro repliche, con l'unica differenza l'aver reinserito l'attacco per la baionetta facendo a meno dell'astina pulisci-canna. In Cecoslovacchia, l'arma divenne nota con le denominazioni equivalenti '''P-18''' e '''Puška vz.98N''' (dove ''N ''sta per ''Německá'', ovvero ''tedesco''). In Romania la variante ceca divenne nota come ZB (''Zbrojovka Brno'') e fu adottata dalla Guardia Patriottica Romena.
As with post-Nazi occupation service post-war production of derivatives was a stop-gap solution until enough numbers of more modern automatic rifles could be developed and produced. The vast majority of the 98k pattern rifles were soon stored as reserve weapons or given for very low prices to various fledgling states or rebel movements throughout the developing world.
Dal 1950 al 1965 la jugoslava Zastava Arms produsse una copia del K98k che divenne nota come '''Model 1948''' e presentava come caratteristiche peculiari l'adozione del sistema ad otturatore corto tipico del fucile jugoslavo M1924 e un spessore maggiore della canna dovuto al fatto che la jugoslavia non possedeva giacimenti di cromo, e dunque non poteva produrre un acciaio resistente quanto quello prodotto dalle acciaierie Krupp.
Both FN and CZ utilized a modified Kriegsmodell design, with the cleaning rod and stock disk omitted, but the bayonet lug restored. In Czechoslovakia it was known as P-18 or puška vz.98N, the first being the manufacturer's cover designation of the type, the second official army designation - rifle model 98, N for německá - German. In [[Romania]], the Czechoslovak version was known under the informal name of ZB, after Zbrojovka Brno - the Czechoslovak state producer of small weapons and munitions - and it was used to arm [[Romania]]'s [[Patriotic Guards (Romania)|Patriotic Guards]].
Fino al 1957, a La Coruña, in Spagna, si è continuato a produrre una variante el K98k, denominata '''M43 ''': l’arma presentava una leva dell’otturatore dritta e una sagomatura per migliorare la presa sul legno (simile a quanto visto nei ''Reichspostgewehr ''. L’arma, camerata per il proiettile 7,92 x 57 mm Mauser, rimase in servizio attivo fino alla sua sostituzione con il più recente CETME, momento in cui fu denominata FR8 e venne relegata al ruolo di arma da addestramento. ▼From 1950 to 1965, [[Yugoslavia]]n [[Zastava Arms]] produced a near-copy of the Karabiner 98k imported between the wars from Fabrique Nationale called the Model 1948, which differed from the German rifle in that it had the shorter bolt-action of the Yugoslav M1924 series of rifles (not to be confused with the widely distributed Czech Vz 24 which had a standard length action), a thicker barrel profile (Yugoslavia had low [[chromium]] iron ore deposits, so they could not produce steel as hardened as [[Krupp]]- or Sweden-steel used in other variants, and made up for it in adding extra material), and a rear sight enclosed in the wooden hand guard (the German-style hand guard began in front of the rear sight, unlike e.g. exports to [[Sud America|South America]] that had a hand guard and rear sight like the M48).
▲Fino al 1957, a La Coruña, in Spagna, si è continuato a produrre una variante el K98k, denominata M43: l’arma presentava una leva dell’otturatore dritta e una sagomatura per migliorare la presa sul legno (simile a quanto visto nei Reichspostgewehr. L’arma, camerata per il proiettile 7,92 x 57 mm Mauser, rimase in servizio attivo fino alla sua sostituzione con il più recente CETME, momento in cui fu denominata FR8 e venne relegata al ruolo di arma da addestramento.
[[File:Bolt517.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Primo piano dell’azione di un K98k.]]
Anche diversi stati extra-europei hanno fatto uso di K98k, tra cui diversi gruppi di guerriglia, per la creazione di nuovi stati o l’instaurazione di regimi e governi. Un esempio è Israele che ha continuato ad usare i K98k fino agli anni ’70.
Proprio l’uso di K98k per la creazione (ma soprattutto l’affermazione) dello stato di Israele ha suscitato un notevole interesse nei collezionisti. Diversi gruppi ebraici in Palestina acquistarono i fucili come residuati bellici per difendere i propri insediamenti dagli attacchi arabi così come per portare avanti operazioni di guerriglia contro l’esercito inglese in Palestina.
Lo Haganah, che poi divenne il moderno IDF (Israel Defense Forces), fu il gruppo che acquistò il maggior numero di K98k e altri fucili residuati del perioso bellico (da ricordare il Lee-Enfield inglese e il Mosin sovietico). Tutte le armi tedesche subirono un processo di sostituzione della punzonatura: alle marche naziste furono sostituite quelle israeliane.
The [[Haganah]], which later evolved into the modern-day [[Israel Defense Forces]], was one of the Jewish armed groups in Palestine that brought large numbers of Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles and other surplus arms (namely the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Lee-Enfield]] bolt-action rifle, which was used on a large scale by these groups and the [[Mosin-Nagant]]) from Europe during the post–World War II period. Many, though not all, Israeli-used German surplus Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles have had their [[Nazism|Nazi]] [[Waffenamt]] markings and emblems stamped over with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and [[Hebrew alphabet|Hebrew]] arsenal markings.
All'avvicinarsi del conflitto arabo-israeliano, le forze ebree in Palestine cercarono di procurarsi quanti più fucili possibile aggirando l'embrago imposto dalle autorità coloniali britanniche. Uno degli acquisti più massicci fu quello concluso il 14 gennaio 1948, con un passaggio di merce per un valore di 12.280.000 $. Il governo cecoslovacco vendette 4.500 fucili P-18 a Israele, assieme ad uno stock di 50.400.000 munizioni. Più tardi (dopo la fondazione di Israele nel 1948), il nuovo IDF ordinò altri K98k, stavolta prodotti dalla FN. Tali armi presentavano il marcho della FN unito a quello della IDF.
As the Arab-Israeli conflict approached, the Haganah and other Jewish forces in [[Palestine]] tried to get hold of as many weapons as they could in the face of an arms embargo by British colonial authorities. One of most important purchases was a secret January 14, 1948, $12,280,000 worth contract with [[Arms shipments from Czechoslovakia to Israel 1947-1949|Czechoslovak Government]] including 4,500 P-18 rifles, as well as 50,400,000 rounds of ammunition. Later, the newly established [[Israel Defense Forces]] ordered more numbers of Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles, produced this time by [[Fabrique Nationale]]. These have Israeli and Belgian markings on the rifle as well as the emblem of the IDF on the top of the rifle's receiver. The FN-made Karabiner 98k rifles with the IDF markings and emblem on the rifle were produced and sold to Israel after it established itself as an independent nation in 1948. At some point, Israel converted all other Mauser 98-based rifles in their inventory (most commonly Czechoslovak [[vz. 24]] rifles, but small numbers of contract Mausers from sources ranging from Ethiopia to Mexico were also known to have come into Israeli hands) to the now standardized Karabiner 98k configuration. The original receiver markings of these conversions were not altered, making it easy for collectors to identify their origin. The Israeli Karabiner 98k utilized the same bayonet design as in German service, with a barrel ring added. The Israeli bayonets were a mix of converted German production and domestically produced examples.
Alla fine degli anni '50, lo IDF convertì il calibro dei K98k tedeschi dall'originale 7,92 mm al più recente 7,62 mm NATO a seguito dell'adozione del nuovo FN FAL nel 1958. I fucili convertiti presentano la stampigliatura (peraltro molto grezza) ''7,62'' sul castello. La nuova stampigliatura permetteva di distinguere facilmente i modelli convertiti da quelli che invece furono lasciati nel loro calibro originale.
During the late 1950s, the IDF converted the calibre of their Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles from the original German [[7.92×57mm Mauser|7.92 mm]] round to [[7.62×51mm NATO|7.62 mm NATO]] following the adoption of the [[FN FAL]] rifle as their primary rifle in 1958. The Israeli Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles that were converted have "7.62" engraved on the rifle [[Receiver (firearms)|receiver]]. Rifles with original German stocks have "7.62" burned into the heel of the rifle stock for identification and to separate the 7.62 NATO rifles from the original 7.92 mm versions of the weapon still in service or held in reserve. Some Karabiner 98k rifles were fitted with new, unnumbered beech stocks of recent manufacture, while others retained their original furniture. All of these converted rifles were proof-fired for service.
Il fucile tedesco continuò ad essere usato da diversi reparti dello IDF fino agli anni '70 e fu molto impiegato durante la Guerra dei Sei Giorni e il conflitto arabo-israeliano del 1973. Quando il fucile fu ritirato dal servizio, i fucili ancora nei depositi israeliani furono venduti come aiuti ai paesi del Terzo Mondo negli anni '80. Gli esemplari spediti nel Terzo Mondo cominciarono lentamente a spostarsi in America, ma le loro condizioni erano decisamente meno apprezzabili di quelli venduti direttamente da Israele.
The Karabiner 98k rifle was used by the reserve branches of the IDF well into the 1960s and 1970s and saw action in the hands of various support and line-of-communications troops during the [[Six-Day War|1967 Six-Day War]] and the [[Yom Kippur War|1973 Arab-Israeli War]]. After the rifle was retired from reserve military service, the Israeli Mauser Karabiner 98k was given to a number of Third World nations as military aid by Israel during the 1970s and 1980s, and sold as ex-military surplus on the open market, with many Israeli Mausers being exported to [[Australia]] (the Israeli Mauser is the most predominant variant of the Mauser Kar98k rifle on the Australian surplus firearms market today) and the [[United States]] during the 1970s and 1980s. The Israeli Mausers provided to Third World armies began to themselves be imported for civilian sale in the United States, and tend to be in significantly worse condition than those sold directly out of Israeli storage.
==Il Kar98k oggi==
[[File:2june 2007 187.jpg|thumb|Soldato del [[Wachbataillon]] armato di K98k nel 2007.]]
Il Bundeswehr utilizza ancora dei K98k per parate e spettacoli che coinvolgono l’esercito. Nel 1995, le svastiche ancora presenti sulle armi furono definitivamente rimosse, anche a seguito di proteste del partito democratico tedesco per la presenza di tale marchiostampigliatura<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-9221356.html?name=Hakenkreuze+pr%26auml%3Bsentiert DER SPIEGEL 38/1995 Seite 16a vom 18. September 1995, Staatsbesuche - Hakenkreuze präsentiert] accessed 6 May 2008</ref>.
Negli anni '90, le varianti jugoslave del K98k e i fucili '''M48 '''e '''M48A '''vennero usati al fianco di più moderne armi automatiche e semiautomatiche da tutte le fazioni combattenti nelle guerre di Jugoslavia. Ci sono numerose foto scattate durante la guerra in Bosnia che mostrano combattenti e cecchini armati di Mauser jugoslavi<ref>[http://www.texastradingpost.com/yugosniper/m48sniper.html M48 Mauser Sniper Rifle]</ref>.
[[File:En-Mauser 98k based hunting rifle.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Fucile da caccia basato sul desgn del K98k.]]
I K98k usati durante la guerra sono molto ambiti dai collezionisti oggi. Il fucile rimane popolare anche in virtù del suo background storico, come anche grazie alla grande disponibilità di munizionamento (sia originale che di nuova fabbricazione). In particolare, sul mercato sono frequenti le armi catturate dai sovietici e riassemblate, e questi modelli sono molto ambiti a causa della loro storia piuttosto travagliata.
The Karabiner 98k rifles that were used by Germany during World War II are highly sought after collector's items in many circles. The Mauser Karabiner 98k rifle remains popular among many rifle shooters and military rifle collectors due to the rifle's historical background, as well as the availability of both new and surplus 7.92×57mm IS ammunition. {{As of|2010}}, the Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles that were captured by the Soviets during World War II and refurbished during the late 1940s and early 1950s have appeared in large numbers on the military [[Surplus store|surplus]] rifle market. These have proven popular with buyers in the United States and Canada, ranging from ex-military rifle collectors to target shooters and survivalists, due to the unique history behind the Soviet capture of Mauser Karabiner 98k rifles.
The widespread availability of surplus Mauser 98k rifles and the fact that these rifles could, with relative ease, be adapted for hunting and other sport purposes made the Mauser 98k popular amongst civilian riflemen. When German hunters after World War II were allowed again to own and hunt with full bore rifles they generally started to "rearm" themselves with the then abundant and cheap former [[Wehrmacht]] service rifles. Civilian users [[sporterising|changed]] these service rifles often quite extensively by mounting [[telescopic sight]]s, aftermarket hunting stocks, aftermarket triggers and other accessories and changing the original military chambering. Gunsmiths rebarreled or rechambered Mauser 98K rifles for European and American sporting chamberings such as the [[6.5×55mm|6.5×55mm Swedish Mauser]], [[7×57mm Mauser]], [[7×64mm]], [[.270 Winchester]], [[.308 Winchester]], [[.30-06 Springfield]], [[8×60mm S]], [[8×64mm S]], etc. The magnum hunting cartridges [[6.5×68mm]], [[8×68mm S]] and [[9.3×64mm Brenneke]] were even specially developed by German gunsmiths for the standard military Mauser 98 action.
Surplus Mauser 98K actions were used by [[Schultz & Larsen]] in Denmark as the basis for [[Schultz & Larsen M52 Target Rifle|target rifles]]. The actions had the German markings removed, were refinished in gray phosphate, and new serial numbers and proof marks applied. The Schultz & Larsen M52 and M58 Target Rifles used shortened and refurbished Karabiner 98k stocks. Later versions had new target stocks fitted and were available in .30-06, 6.5×55mm and 7.62mm NATO. Some of these rifles are still in competitive use today although with the benefit of new barrels. Besides conversions of original Karabiner 98k rifles other sporter variants made by a number of manufacturers such as FN Herstal, Zastava, Santa Barbara (Spain) and many others have been available at various times in a wide variety of chamberings, but most are large-bore hunting calibers.
===Modern civilian offspring===
The Mauser-type action is widely held to be the pinnacle of bolt-action rifle design, and the vast majority of modern weapons of this type, both military and civilian, are still based on it to this day. The safety offered by its three-lug bolt and the added reliability of controlled feed (especially favored by dangerous game hunters) are considerable refinements not found in other designs.
Throughout the design's history, standard sized and enlarged versions of the Mauser M 98 system have been produced for the civil market.
[[John Rigby & Company|John Rigby & Co.]] commissioned Mauser to develop the M 98 magnum action in the early 1900s. It was designed to function with the large sized cartridges normally used to hunt [[Big Five game]] and other dangerous game species. For this specialized type of hunting, where absolute reliability of the rifle under adverse conditions is very important, the controlled-feed M 98 system remains the standard by which other action designs are judged.<ref>[http://www.johnrigbyandco.com/html/AfricanExpressBoltRifle.html John Rigby & Co. - Rigby African Express Bolt Rifle]</ref> In 1911 John Rigby & Co. introduced the [[.416 Rigby]] cartridge that due to its dimensions could only be used in the M 98 magnum action.<ref name=vanWyk-MRRIGBY>{{cite journal|last=van Wyk|first=Johan|title=Mr Rigby and the Mauser|journal=African Outfitter|year=2007|month=October/November|volume=2/6|url=http://www.huntinglegends.com/rigby-and-mauser/|accessdate=19 May 2011}}</ref>
La relativa disponibilità di tale fucile e la possibilità di adattarsi a fucile da caccia ha reso il K98k un'arma molto popolare tra i tiratori civili. Quando ai cacciatori della Germania del dopoguerra fu permesso di detenere armi in piena regola, la prima fonte fu proprio il surplus bellico. Le armi civili hanno spesso subito drastiche modifiche, dall'istallazione di ottiche al montaggio di calciatura moderne in fibra e ergonomiche, grilletti ad alta sensibilità e modifiche del calibro.
[[Zastava Arms]] currently (2010) manufactures the M48/63 sporting rifle which is a short barreled variant of the [[M48 Mauser|Model 1948]] military rifle and the [[Zastava M07]] sniper rifle.<ref>[http://www.zastava-arms.rs/cms/index.php?id=248 SPORTING RIFLE M48/63]</ref><ref>[http://www.zastava-arms.rs/cms/index.php?id=184 Sniper Rile 07]</ref>
I calibri in cui è facile trovare un K98k al momento sono 6,5 × 55 mm Swedish Mauser, 7 × 57 mm Mauser, 7 × 64 mm, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8 × 60 mm S, 8 × 64 mm S, 6,5 × 68 mm, 8 × 68 mm S e 9,3 × 64 mm Brenneke.
Dal 1999 la ''Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH'' ha ripreso in Germania la produzione di Mauser M98 e Mauser M98 Magnum<ref>[http://www.mauserwaffen.de/Home.home.0.html?&L=1 Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH]</ref> seguendo gli schemi originali del 1936 e I relativi brevetti.
==Utilizzatori==
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