Mas 49-56

T

Tyockell18

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
138   0   0
Location
Not really sure.
I'm interested in these rifles, any owners here?.

What can you tell me about them?. What price range are you looking at for one and I'm thinking they are rather difficult to come by.

7.5 French, is it a ##### of a caliber to get loaded ammo for, what about reloading supplies?.

Any input is welcome, thanks guys.

MAS-49-56-060731_01.jpg
 
Tyockell18 said:
I'm interested in these rifles, any owners here?.

What can you tell me about them?. What price range are you looking at for one and I'm thinking they are rather difficult to come by.

7.5 French, is it a ##### of a caliber to get loaded ammo for, what about reloading supplies?.

Any input is welcome, thanks guys.

MAS-49-56-060731_01.jpg
Click to expand...
I have been looking for 1 since fews years but they seems very hard to find here. Thoses gas gun dont have piston, they work like the swedish AG42 and AR As for reloading, the 7.5x54 brass by prvi can be found and they can be made from 6.5x55, loading die from Lee or RCBS.
Jocelyn
 
I doubt there are more than two dozens of the MAS 49/56 in Canada, most were imported into the USA. Future imports are hopeless, since France destroyed their remaining stockpile a few years ago. The Mas 49 is found once in a while, since International Firearms/Century Arms formerly of Montreal, QC imported a few hundred from Syria about 20 years ago.
 
I owned a 49. Nice rifle. When I lost interest and tried to sell it, I couldnt give it away! Put it away for a few years and somebody on this site pasted a wtb ad. Got a nice price for it and everyone was happy. Still have a bunch of ammo for it, because ya never know.
 
Perfect example of how inept the French can be at designing rifles.:D Way too much metal, ergonomically unfriendly and who else would complicate the mag, by putting the catch there. Butt stock is two piece, spliced at the pistol grip. 49/56 has that integral grenade launcher, which must have been another joy to deal with. My candidate for the World's worst combat rifle list.:D

Grizz
 
Try Tradex Ex for brass. I believe I saw some listed. Nice rifles. As to their design, well I can't really comment but its probably typical for the time.
 
Grizzly Adams said:
Perfect example of how inept the French can be at designing rifles.:D
Click to expand...

The MAS1940, MAS1944, MAS1949 and MAS1949/56 would probably qualify as spiral development philosophy, with each rifle improving substantially on the previous one without throwing the key components away. Within each model are "Marks" that change some production or user annoyance. I had a Syrian MAS1949, and found a MAS1944 on the EE. How many rifles were in production in liberated countries in 1945?

Grizzly Adams said:
Way too much metal,
Click to expand...

So the Garand is a paragon of metallurgical efficiency?

Grizzly Adams said:
ergonomically unfriendly
Click to expand...

What part? Maybe you are just bigger than a 1940's French recruit?

Grizzly Adams said:
and who else would complicate the mag, by putting the catch there.
Click to expand...

I don't know if an external latch on the body of the magazine is such a bad idea. It grips positively and the designer only had to mill a notch in the magazine well, not make a fiddly little latch and spring arrangement. The modern concept of issuing numerous detachable magazines didn't really caught on until after WWII. The G43 stole the idea from the SVT family, but the Russians ceased production by about 1943.

Grizzly Adams said:
Butt stock is two piece, spliced at the pistol grip.
Click to expand...


The Lee Enfield is probably the only other 2-piece stocked design in the world. Nobody is calling it names. Besides this concept is very efficient use of scarce seasoned hardwood. Break one piece, only worry about it. Zero bedding issues, and although the French didn't do it on the MAS series of rifles, the British issued Bantam, Short, Normal and Long butts. Nothing foolish about that logic.

Grizzly Adams said:
The 49/56 has that integral grenade launcher, which must have been another joy to deal with.
Click to expand...

When you read the books, as far back as WWI the French were captivated by issuing grenade launching capabilities to as many front line soldiers as they could. Just because no other country chose to do it this way, is it pointless.

Grizzly Adams said:
My candidate for the World's worst combat rifle list.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. I could say rude words about just about every country's combat rifle, starting with the Mauser '98 or the Moisin Nagant.
 
Maple leaf

1st though that hit me was the Garand as well. I love my Garands, but the En bloc; wtf was that?! I think Johnny was asleep on that one. Plenty of design inspiration already existed for a proper mag; detachable or otherwise, cant understand why he didnt pick up on that one. (Although there may have been some kind of requirement at the time?)

Also, I believe the gas system design was adopted by Stoner for the M16 as well.

The French can be a little .....err..... different when it comes to design (for anything, hell look at their cars), but this rifle was a very good design considering the period that it was developed in.
 
The funny thing about France and America, the French and Americans, is the most patriotic symbol of US military prestige, the Garand, was heavily inspired by a failed WWI French rifle.

The average French infantryman had a miserable excuse for a bolt action rifle that almost gave the Germans a battlefield advantage. The arsenals recognized this and were aggressively searching for ways to rebalance the odds. Besides trying to field as many grenades and grenade launchers as they could, the arsenals came up with the really long and awkward Model 1917 semi-automatic. It had their version of the goofy en bloc clip that loaded via a hinged floor plate, and was actuated by a cartridge lifter raised by the operating rod. The French rifle had other troubles, and was eventually shelved. For whatever reason, the US military thought that was a cool idea and it persisted as a design requirement for John Garand to meet.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
The funny thing about France and America, the French and Americans, is the most patriotic symbol of US military prestige, the Garand, was heavily inspired by a failed WWI French rifle.

.... For whatever reason, the US military thought that was a cool idea and it persisted as a design requirement for John Garand to meet.
Click to expand...

In the interwar years, overseas service and combat experience in WWI would have been a career booster for officers in the U.S. Army, and they fought with and under the French formations. Stilwell, for example, seems to have particularly enjoyed his time with them.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
The Lee Enfield is probably the only other 2-piece stocked design in the world. Nobody is calling it names. Besides this concept is very efficient use of scarce seasoned hardwood. Break one piece, only worry about it. Zero bedding issues, and although the French didn't do it on the MAS series of rifles, the British issued Bantam, Short, Normal and Long butts. Nothing foolish about that logic.



When you read the books, as far back as WWI the French were captivated by issuing grenade launching capabilities to as many front line soldiers as they could. Just because no other country chose to do it this way, is it pointless.
Click to expand...

the hungarians made rifles with a seperate buttstock. not to mention the johnson. the japanese spliced a seperate piece on as well, not quite the same though.

not sure how the yugos deplopyed their rifles, but what about all the sks' with the grenade launcher? i can see the logic of every one being able to launch grenades, what if the soldiers with the only launchers are causalties?
 
Last edited:
Never experienced it myself but I would think having every infantryman able to shoot grenades further than they could lob them would be a great advantage when pinned down by say heavy automatic fire.
 
Not a 56, but this is my M49. Only one of three I have ever seen, but it was cheap, maybe cause it's so ugly and nobody wanted it. :D One of my favorite pieces. You can't argue there's a lot more metal in that receiver, than really needs to be. Yes, I'm not a short armed Frenchie. Trigger pull has to be about the heaviest I have ever experienced. Rear aperture is adjustable, but tiny. Has grenade launcher sights on the opposite side, but they appear to be about as useful as tits on a boar. Not parallel to the bore, but I don't know if that's intentional or not. Range is determined by turning a worm gear that tilts the sights and moves the launcher position on the barrel.

398162298.jpg


Head stamp on ammo is Privi Partisan

398162299.jpg


Grizz
 
Tyockell18 said:
Good luck finding one.
Click to expand...

Got one 49/56 from the EE about 2 years ago. haven't shot it yet. A week after I bought it, another 49/56 showed up on EE. I bought the APX scope in France as it was cheaper than in the US. Mags are easy to come by at a good price from Numrich, already pined to 5 rounds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom