The Mauser 98 (short for 1898) was Paul Mauser's finest rifle. It was reliable, durable, accurate, and was used in the German military throughout the world wars. It fired an extremely powerful 7.92x57 that could possibly blow someone's head off. During World War Two, the carbine version of the Mauser 98 was used, often referred to as the 98k. The barrel was shorter thus the range had been bashed but the handling and portability of the rifle was proven during the 6 year war. Even after nearly 120 years, the Mauser 98 is still one of the best bolt action rifles ever.