Public domain World War II pictures

Oh no, I'm pretty sure they are gew88's, see the magazine expulsion

There was, really, nothing wrong with the old Gewehr 98. It was a very effective rifle. The only issue was that it was longer/heavier than was really needed for modern infantry warfare - what was the point in having a longer/heavier/clumsier rifle...

There was, really, nothing wrong with the old Gewehr 98. It was a very effective rifle. The only issue was that it was longer/heavier than was really needed for modern infantry warfare - what was the point in having a longer/heavier/clumsier rifle when the only real advantage of this (longer range) was no use to any soldier who was not an exceptional crack shot (and very few of them were). Something a little lighter, and less clumsy, was preferable. This point had become clear in WWI (some would say as far back as the Second Anglo-Boer War), and the "K" was the result. Nonetheless, it would appear that old style "long" 98s were used some way into WWII, certainly among German second-line and "police" units. Best regards, JR.

I think you mean the Gewehr 98, right? It might not have been 'great' but it was available in great masses. Mechanically it was pretty much the same as the K98k, only longer.

Wow, was the gewehr 88 really that great that it was continued to be used in ww2?

Serious looking bunch....