Gewehrs

Gewehr, plural Gewehre, is the German term for a rifle, a long-barreled shoulder-fired firearm designed for accuracy over longer ranges. In German military usage the term contrasts with pistols (Pistolen) and carbines (Karabiner). The word broadly covers a category of infantry rifles, from early breechloaders to later cartridge-driven designs, and is frequently found in historical and technical literature.

Historically, Gewehre developed from muzzle-loading muskets and evolved through breech-loading and rifled systems as cartridge ammunition and improved manufacturing spread. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the class included bolt-action and later semi-automatic designs. The designation often accompanied specific models used by German-speaking forces, from Prussian and Imperial German armies to later German states.

Notable examples include Gewehr 98, the standard German service rifle from 1898 into the 1930s. It is a bolt-action rifle chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser with an internal five-shot magazine, fed by stripper clips. In the World War II era the Gewehr designation was continued with the Gewehr 43 (G43), a semi-automatic rifle also chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser and using a detachable magazine. These rifles illustrate the shift from bolt-action to semi-automatic infantry rifles within the Gewehr lineage.

In modern terms, the term Gewehr is largely historical. Contemporary German service rifles are typically referred to as Sturmgewehr (for assault rifles) or Selbstladegewehr (self-loading rifles). Nevertheless, Gewehr remains a common label in historical texts and discussions of pre- and interwar firearms.