"Not to be confused with the later Karabiner 98 Kurz, the K98a was a shorter version of the Gewehr 98 originally made for cavalry and support unit use. It can be identified by its shorter barrel length, tapered rather than stepped barrel contour, its turned-down bolt handle and excavation in the stock in the same fashion as sniper G98s, and an L-shaped stacking rod attached to the stock near the muzzle.
The K98a was issued to cavalry, and also to mountain troops, and later to "established" assault units. It was liked because it was lighter and less bulky, and was ideal for use in trench assaults."