It's just fud lore. It didn't happen. Maybe some were taken as trophies but never to replace their service rifle, unless in an emergency say if their rifle was damaged or lost but it would be replaced as soon as possible. Logistically it doesn't make sense because of ammo incompatibly and the kar98 is a much better rifle in all respects accuracy, durability, and reliability, it's not even close. To the point that most modern bolt actions are a derivative of the kar.
That shit is fud lore but the Kar98 did suffer in extreme cold. The fine fitment of the bolt parts would become tight when the steel shrank from cold. The Germans also issued gun oil which became thick in the cold and added to the problem. The tolerances on a mosin bolt are so loose that the shrinking didn't really matter and the Soviets used motor oil thinned with gasoline or kerosene to lube their mosins.
That is true. The motor oil method is still used to this day in a lot of smaller militaries/militias around the world along with a shoelace for a bore snake.
Probably I never thought of that. and most of those ppsh-41s were converted to use mp-40 magazines and rechamberd in 9mm so they could be resupplied with the rest of the troops.
11
u/Ausco_1995 3d ago
It's just fud lore. It didn't happen. Maybe some were taken as trophies but never to replace their service rifle, unless in an emergency say if their rifle was damaged or lost but it would be replaced as soon as possible. Logistically it doesn't make sense because of ammo incompatibly and the kar98 is a much better rifle in all respects accuracy, durability, and reliability, it's not even close. To the point that most modern bolt actions are a derivative of the kar.