Mas36

T

tacfoley

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Well, boys, it sure took a while, but James, a local RFD here in UK, came good in the end and dug up a MAS36. Here is a little movie, fresh off the press, shot this morning on our newly-built firing point....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap4sggqQEiA

The recoil was VERY gentle, much like a 6.5x55SE, but the lack of use showed in the very stiff action. I'm not exactly cursing aloud, but I'm sure thinking about it!

Best

tac
 
'snot my gun. The owner - a dealer, hasn't got time to reload - so the gun will probably never get shot again, he said, just brought out for the fun.

It was a fascinating look at the way that a large nation [France] mass-produced a service arm as cheaply and as frill-less as possible.

Compared with any Swiss service rifle it is a total lump of junk, but its sheer inadequacy - no safety, appalling sights, an action like prising open a jammed door - plus awful workmanship could grow on you, I bleeve.

I enjoyed the experience, especially shooting someone else's ammunition - Prvi Partizan MAS ammunition is almost $85/C here in yUK. I noted as I loaded it that it appeared to have been used by NATO to make the msaller, but more powerful, 7.62x51 cartridge. But then I also noticed that when shooting any of my Swiss rifles, except the target rifle that really IS in .308Win

tac
 
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I have a MAS 36. Hadn't shot it in years. My nephew wanted to give it a try so I loaded up 50 rds of cast a couple weeks ago and took her out to the range. Groups of around 1.5 inches at 50 yds. My rifle is early post WW11 production. Action on mine is quite smooth. I like the sights except mine shoots a couple inches to the right at 50yds. Hole in the rear sight is drilled noticeably off center and I am aware that adjustments by armourers were made by changing rear sight insert.
 
I've had a handful of MAS36 rifles, but never a 36-51 s I always thought they had pig lines.

The ones I shot grouped surprisingly well, and in the cases where the rear sights had not been dinked with since leaving servies, they all shot to point of aim out to 100m well enough to hit bullseyes.

I rather liked the rear sights. They were fined than the Enfleid No.4 singer sight aperture and the adjustments were much quicker to make than the enfield.

The 7.5MAS was copied almost exactly in the 7.62 NATO round - that is not by accident. It was a superior cartridge and well before it's time.

Although the rifles were inelegant, the ergonomics are very good. The bolt handle, while lookign weird, puts the ball in just the right spot for quick manipulation and the buttstock with its semi-pg is ery comfortable. Balance on the non-51 version is excellent and snap-shooting is very intuitive.

The receiver is built like a tank and the 2-piee stock was designed to economize on available short-lenghts of stock wood, unlike the Mle 16 Berthier it replaced.

The lack of safety is not a design flaw, but is common to all French arms up to that time. French manual of arms did not require a safety as troopers were only allowed to chamber the first round on the orders of the senior NCO, hence they were carried almost exclusively with an empty chamber, but full magazine.
 
I have pretty much the same sentiments as the other posters here for the French MAS 36. Bulky, clunky stiff action, visually unappealing. I didn't shoot it much just because it wasn't as accurate or smooth as my Swede, Swiss, German and British milsurps even though I had hundreds of rounds for it. In an effort to consolidate the types of ammo I keep on hand I sold it to pay for a $350 nickel plated Colt Series 70 1911 in the original box. :rockOn:
 
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