Restoring a MAS-36

Walther_PPK

Walther_PPK

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I never though I'd ever own any French rifles, but the more and more I've seen other people's MAS-36s the more I've wanted one.

A few weeks ago I picked up a post-war MAS-36 here on CGN for a pretty good price. It was in hard shape but I needed a winter project.

There was surface rust all over and the stock and handguards were loose, dented and dried out. Now I have no intention of keeping the original wood as I have an unissued set on the way, but just for the hell of it I decided to try and clean it up the best I could.

I put the wood in boiling water for almost an hour to try and get most of the dents out and swell it up for sanding. A lot of dirt and oil came out but of course that further dries out the wood so after sanding with 60, 80, 100, 120, 220, 320, 400, and finally 2000 grit sand paper I applied liberal amounts of boiled linseed oil. After it was finished it fit the rifle more tightly due to the wood swelling so the stock and handguards are no longer loose.

To remove the rust from the barreled action I made an electrolysis tank. I couldn't find any straight washing powder (sodium carbonate) so I used some "Finish" brand dishwasher powder because the main ingredient was sodium carbonate. Worked just fine with my 6amp battery charger and after an hour the rust just washed away with light scrubbing from a brass brush.

I haven't done any real blueing work yet or cleaned up the small metal stock parts because I have new ones on the way but this is the progress so far:

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Before you go to hot and heavy find out what series and year it was produced. I got one and it was made in 45 by either the Germans or the free French. Now, I'm trying to find a replacement bayonet, sling and cleaning kit. Along with the screw that hold both the bayonet and stacking pin. Any ideas?
R711
 
I actually have an extra front band screw...somewhere. Sarco has them too as well as slings and other parts. The rest of the stuff you mentioned I wouldn't know.

This rifle is marked on the underside of the barrel "MAT 1948" so the barrel at least is from 1948.
 
I think these are pretty "neat" rifles. I've had one for about 20 yrs. I 've shot both cast and jacketed bullets out of it. Accuracy as good or better then a lot of other military rifles I shoot. I like the aperture sight but adjustment for windage is a pain. French armourers changed inserts in rear sight base. Somewhere my nephew found the right insert to get mine to shoot to point of aim with my cast load. I've got a copy (somewhere) of a chart listing all inserts along with changes of POA's.
 
I found this on another forum. I have to set the rear iron sight on every rifle I own a nice bit to the left. They are all dead on target to me but anyone using my guns has to adjust the back more towards the center. Probably something with my eyes. At any rate I'm dreading sighting in the MAS.

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I have never heard of boiling a wood stock! Any downside to this? I Would think there is a chance of the wood splitting?

Does it lighten up the wood by takking out the old oil etc?

To add:

I have heard of steaming using an iron and a damp rag to spot remove shallow dents though.
 
It lighten the stock dramatically. I didn't boil the top handguard very long because, like you, I figured it might split as it's so thin. The buttstock and lower handguard were in a while though and no splitting there. Dries it out a bit of course so I used linseed oil right away and lots of it.

I've used the ironing method before but it only works on light dings. This stock was so beat up my idea was to swell it so it was oversized and then sand it back down taking a lot of dents with it. It worked very well and also fixed the looseness in the lower handguard without me having to shim it.
 
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If brass is unavailable ,if I recall 7.5x54 can be made from 6.5x55? Harold Tradex may have the original stuff though?
 
I have some on the way from Tradex, just waiting for it to get here.

That being said I have about 400 6.5x55 cases but they are all from my Ljungman and she beats up brass pretty good on ejection:cool:
 
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