Matrix KAR 98K Bolt Action Spring Powered Rifle by S&T (Model: Faux Wood Stock)

"Sturdy Rifle

I enjoy the lightness of the moc stalk and the feel of firing it. The bolt action is smooth and iron sights accurate. Once my optional scope is properly setup I will have more data on range and accuracy. For now it’s a 5/5 stars for me, great gun for history fans.

"It’s exactly what I wanted, it shoots well and accurately out of the box, the bolt is a bit stiff but it just needs to be broken in, all an all it’s a great rifle and would recommend

"First, Evike's customer service is very good. This is my second real wood Kar98k (S&T Armament....drilled and tapped for a period correct long side rail scope mount). The first one I had to return because the bolt froze up after the second test shot (dry fire). Just received the replacement and like the first has very nice fit and finish.
Markings on receiver ring are "BYF" and "43" and a period correct serial number on the receiver side rail. No other parts are serial numbered except for S&T's serial number applied to the bottom of the trigger guard.
I have installed the S&T scope base and scope dedicated to this rifle and it looks great.

The only things I'd like seeing added to this rifle would be to apply the same (German) (matching) serial number to the bolt handle. Also, leave the buttplate and dual bolt takedown discs in the lower buttstock in the white, not blued, to match the appearance of the real deal.

"This rifle is excellent. One major thing to take into account however:

The spring version of this rifle cannot use the ZF41 style scope. This rifle does not have a mounting rail next to its rear sights. You will only be able to use a ZF39 style scope for this rifle, which costs something like $160. I do not have such a scope, but I will reiterate that you cannot use any ZF41 style scope for this rifle because there is no rail mounting point on the side of this rifle's rear sights.

"This is by far the best wwii rifles to get at a fair price with good qualities, with its full metal and furniture wood and cheap to buy magazines this gun is awesome!

Pros:
- good FPS range
- sturdy design
- has markings to make it look authentic and real
- easy scope attachment on the side (just hard to find mount)
- not to heavy, but not to light
- feels very realistic to its real counter part

Cons:
- hard to pull back bolt (needs to break in)
- not easy to up-grade
- hard to find a scope mount to go with the gun.

"The service at Evike is impeccable, Thank you so much for the quality of the item and the speed in which it was sent out. I will always choose Evike!!!

"Note: This is a review for the new Matrix Kar98k spring model, not the gas shell-ejecting model seen in the other reviews.

This is also NOT the same as the other Matrix/S&T Kar98k, it does NOT take Kar98k mags, instead it takes S&T Springfield mags. Here are the first impressions:

Pros:
-Gorgeous look.
-Decent range and accuracy. With the hop-up optimized it'll hit targets past 150 feet. Works best with .28s or .30s.
-Holds 25 rounds, easy to load.
-Heavy but not as heavy as the real deal. Weighs around 7 pounds plus. This is probably a pro for most people since the original weighs 8-9 pounds.
-Real wood and steel, build quality seems pretty good. Not easy to scratch at all although the finish does seem to have several rough spots around the edges.
-Bolt was stiff at first but after 100 rounds was pretty smooth. As is with most springers.

Cons:
-Not much upgradeability. I'm not sure about the compatibility even with other S&T parts since it's a new model. If I had to upgrade I would get a 450-500 FPS spring and maybe a tightbore barrel, but otherwise it's already pretty fiedable.
-It'd cost a lot to get a scope mount and an appropriate scope.
-Mags are plastic, flimsy, and $18. On the bright side it shares a mag with the S&T M1903.

Overall, a decent gun that's quite skirmishable in mid-range arenas. Great buy if you're a fan of historical weapons—if you're looking for a super upgradable sniper rifle this is not the place to look.

"Though it may not be the most functional rifle for a skirmish, this is great for anyone looking for historical accuracy. Be careful, however, not to lose the shells as the cost can add up quickly.

Pros:
- Good FPS for field
- Decent accuracy
- Realistic round capacity (may be a pro or a con)
- It looks amazing

Cons:
- Shells are easily lost during a skirmish
- Shells may get stuck in the chamber, be sure to carry an unjamming rod with you
- It does not perform as well in the cold
- The orange tip may be difficult to remove

"Hello Evike I would like to win this beautiful airsoft gun. I think I should win because I love this rifle. I have alot of respect for this German weapon and love its real big'ol rifle round. I liked seeing this weapon in the movie saving private ryan(The German soldier who killed the U.S soldier with a bayonet in the gunning room and was seen later in the movie). This weapon is so awsome looking in the picture and saw it was (gas powered + shell ejecting = rea wood= :D) I do not really want a bad springer. So I hope I was not late for th give away I saw in the cmments.

"Everything on this is either Wood or Metal, except the Orange Tip (which oops fell off)
One Gas Charge gets a good 20-25 rounds.
Shell Ejecting Feature is very cool.
Spare Bullet Cartridges are fairly inexpensive.
Bolt Disassembles like the real rifle. (Safety off, Pull Bolt Back, Left side Lever releases Bolt)
Pay attention to the way the Black Plastic Piece goes in because it spins (goes on the right side)

Shoots pretty good. Not the most accurate for consistency but the coolness of the Shells spitting out the side makes up for it. I was shooting out my Sliding Door and it is 10 degrees outside so that may be throwing it off a bit as Gas Rifles usually don't like the cold.

"Impressed with the accuracy of this. Can consistently hit small targets 100+ feet away. The adjustable iron sight is amazing. I'm glad this isn't a shell ejecting model. That being said, these mags are a bit weird. The weight is decent, the metal construction and real wood are really nice. This gun is beautiful. I am not super impressed with the hop up i was only using .30g bb's to test and it was not adding too much range (I may have to fiddle with it more). I was only really disappointed by the fact that the cleaning rod is fake and just a small piece at the end that you can't remove. Not a huge deal but i was expecting a functional cleaning rod. Overall I am super happy with it.

"Just bought this recently. Very decent quality, despite the (plastic) exterior. The barrel and bolt are metal. The magazine of course is not that great. It's a bit stiff and cantankerous to go in/out.

However, the major issue I'm having right now is that the bolt is EXTREMELY stiff once you've cocked it back. Pushing it back in is a lot harder than it needs to be. I've tried lubing it with mineral oil, but I don't yet know how to remove the bolt to see what the issue is. I might have to take this apart.

The bolt stiffness is extreme when going forward, (after pulling back, with a bit of lubrication [mineral oil] it goes back nice and smooth).

Trigger is great. Magazine is.. sub-par but I'm sure it's easy to replace and work with. Model overall looks rather nice.

"It's from matrix, its fairly ok and great if you get a good model, but quality wise it lacks. The bolt can become loose and break off and the magazine's are very finicky. i got a few days of play before the bolt snapped

"To be honest, this gun is hardly worth it. the K98 is my favorite gun of all time, and this gun had everything I could have wanted in a WWII weapon. But after I got it as a gift, I realized the error of my desires. I would practice reloading at least 20-25 round per day (for fun) with relative ease on the rifle, but as the weeks went on, the rifle degraded quickly. by the third week of ownership, the rifle wouldn't even eject shells and I had to push them out of the way with my thumb to eject the shells because the little metal piece to eject the shells (within the bolt
) is pot metal and broke after about 150-200 ejections of shells. I got the rifle on 12/25/2014. and it is now UN-USABLE (for field use) by 01/08/2015. It's really sad honestly, this gun feels so great to rack the bolt back and shoot (it really does! regardless of its flaws!), but is nothing more than a novelty due to it's super short life span. and the evike FPS review is correct, it gets about 4-5 shots at 400ish fps, only to drop to 340-320 fps for the following 5-10 shots.

I currently have a TM m14, an ICS G33, and a KJW m1911 and they work like dreams. In no way do I relate these guns to the k98 (due to their efficiency differences), but it's hard to use a gun (when owning guns like these) that greatly varies in fps, and has a hop-up unit that is a bit hard to get used to. But if you're looking for a fun as hell backyard shooter, this is a really good gun to have if you're gentle with it.

"Pros:

Fit and Finish: The rifle has a solid build quality with good attention to detail.
Aftermarket Scope: The aftermarket scope I added fits perfectly and enhances accuracy.
Performance: The rifle shot decently out of the box, and the action felt smooth during operation.
Cons:

Reliability Issues: Unfortunately, the rifle failed on me after only a short period of use, which is disappointing.
Limited Aftermarket Support: There's minimal aftermarket support available, making repairs and upgrades challenging.
Overall Impression: While the rifle initially impressed me with its fit and finish and decent performance, the reliability issues and lack of support have left me frustrated. I would recommend considering other options if long-term durability and support are priorities for you.