With the German Army adopting the Mauser designed Gewehr 1898 in April, 1898, is well known. Also in 1898-1902 two different carbines models appeared. The M98 cavalry known as the Kav.Kar.98 and the M98 artillery carbine also known as the Art.Kar.98. These two carbines replaced the M88 carbine and M91 rifle.
With the world watching the second Boer War, in which mounted Infantry played a key rule in the war. This may have encouraged the ideas to issue a carbine with a attachable bayonet to the cavalry. This carbine design is now known as the Kar.98 1st variant was introduced in Prussia by an Imperial Cabinet Order of the 6th of February 1902 and would be manufactured till 1905.

In October 1903 the Ministry oreder MG detachment to be equipped with a new pattern of carbine. This model would become known as Kar.98 2nd model and also would be manufactured till 1905. However the new carbines for S rounds evinced such great flaws that the Prussian War Ministry ordered the their production to be discontinued as early as January 1905. According to the numbers ascertained by Heinz Lehner, more than 20,000 short carbines were constructed and at least 16,000 of them standard carbines adapted for the S ammunition.

These carbines can be seen in arms museums and private collections.On the other hand, early military Model 98 carbines are generally unknown. The reason is that only a small number was manufactured, from 1898-1905, and most of them went to the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe in Africa and the Deutsches Ostasiatische Expeditionskorps. When Germany lost Great War in 1918 those arms remained in Africa, and only a few have survived to this very day.

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