Some of these rifles would later serve again during World War II. The WWI issue Gewehr 98 rifle proved well suited for sniping and was adapted to that role with various mounts and optics. German snipers and their telescope sighted Gew 98s instilled fear wherever they plied their trade. Not only were Allied soldiers being struck down from no-where, but his comrades’ morale was being sapped with each shot. Despite the primitive nature of these early sniper systems they proved shockingly effective. A veritable hodge-podge of low magnification optical sights was fitted in various ways. However, it was also overly long with a slow rate of fire. The basic rifle was simple, rugged and fairly accurate. Built on Mauser’s famous 1898 action it featured a five-round internal box magazine and a bolt with front locking lugs and 90-degree rotation. The 7.92x57mm Gewehr 98 featured a long 29.1 inch barrel with an overall-length of 49.2 inches and weight of 9 pounds. These were built using Gewehr 98 service rifles carefully selected for their accuracy. So in the spring of 1915 the German Army ordered 15,000 sniper rifles. However these didn’t hold up to hard military use. Initially they pressed optically sighted hunting rifles into service to make life hell for Allied soldiers. It wasn’t long after the first trenches were dug during the Great War that German Scharfschutzen (Sharpshooters) began plying their trade. It can rightly be said Germany is the Edenic home of modern sniping.
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