The M98 story has been rehashed many times, so repeating it ad nauseum here isn't necessary. To cut a long story short, the M98 was the invention of Peter Paul Mauser, born on 27 June 1838. It was by no means Paul Mauser's first invention, though. That honor goes to the Mauser-Norris Metallic Cartridge Rifle from 1867, an advanced design for its time but largely ignored in Germany at that time. In 1871, the adoption of the Model 71 Mauser rifle by the Prussian Ministry of War proved a success for Mauser. Several improved designs followed, but the M93 Mauser designed for Spain in 7x57 was notable. The M93 featured a sturdy, non-rotating claw extractor as well as a staggered-box magazine, two of the later M98's more notable features. The M93 saw action in Cuba against US forces in 1898, against none other than Theodore Roosevelt, the future 26th President of the United States. The Americans duly took note of both rifle and cartridge. The M94 and M96 Mausers were made for Sweden and chambered in 6,5x55.
In response to a request from the German authorities for proposals for a new military rifle design, Paul Mauser presented his latest design in September 1897. This latest rifle incorporated all his latest designs such as a staggered-box magazine,
