Generic Mauser 98K Rifle (Sebastian Photography photo / Shutterstock)
June 23, 2022
By Garry James
Question:
You look old enough to have watched “Hogan’s Heroes” on TV as a younger man. Well, now it’s been back, late at night, for quite a while and what caught my attention is Sgt. Schulz’s rifle. I believe the main rifle of Germany during World War II was the Model K98k 8mm Mauser, yet I am seeing him toting around a .30-40 Krag! Can I be wrong?
-C.B. of Willits, California
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Answer:
You are right on two counts. First: I am definitely old enough to have watched “Hogan’s Heroes” first run. Second, Sgt. Schulz (portrayed by actor John Banner) does carry a U.S. Krag-Jorgensen .30-40 rifle. I am not sure exactly what model it is, but I’d guess an 1898 as they are a bit more common than the earlier versions. Why they gave him a Krag instead of a Kar98k Mauser is anybody’s guess — possibly because Krag actions are extremely smooth, and it would be easier for an actor to operate one rather than a 98k’s.
-Garry James
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