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  1. The Mas 36 Rifle I love the standard French service rifle with the bolt handle that slants forward. This was the last bolt action rifle adopted by a major power and was made from 1936 until 1949. Later versions were in service till the 1990s. The early versions with a black lacquer finish are really sought after in the United States. Many of the redone post-war arsenal reworks with a gray parkerized finish came into the U. S. in the early 1990s and were plentiful, but ammo was hard to find. At this time due to a lack of proper ammunition most avoided the Mas 36. There are few books about French firearms written in English and only a few collectors of French firearms due to a lack of knowledge and the ability to obtain correct ammunition. In an effort to sell these surplus rifles, a good number of imported rifles were poorly converted by Century Arms International company (CAI) into firing American made .308 NATO ammunition. More discussion about this conversion will be presented later. Peter Suciu best describes this rifle in the article I reproduced as a quote below : An article from the MILITARY SURPLUS MAGAZINE , SEPTEMBER 12 2018 Issue France’s MAS 36 Battle Rifle Fought in WWII and Beyond THE MAS 36 WAS THE MAIN BATTLE RIFLE OF THE FRENCH MILITARY IN WORLD WAR II AND SAW SERVICE IN FRANCE’S POST-WAR COLONIAL CONFLICTS. By PETER SUCIU Source https://www.tactical-life.com/guns/rifles/france-mas-36-rifle/ QUOTE “France’s main battle rifle of World War II, the 7.5x54mm MAS Modèle 36, often carries the reputation of being “never fired, only dropped once.” This slight is based on the fact that the French Army was utterly defeated in the field by the German Blitzkrieg in the May and June of 1940. That statement forgets that the rifle was used by various free French forces throughout the world; it remained in use as a training rifle all the way through 1978. The rifle also saw action in far-flung conflicts, including the First Indochina War. It also saw action in the Algerian War, where, yes, France did end up on the losing end. Captured rifles were used in the Vietnam War and the Cambodian Civil War. This proves that it is still the man carrying the weapon that has to do the fighting. In the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of Southeast Asia, the MAS 36 proved to be more than up to the task. The rifle was first adopted in 1936 by the French military. The French military had looked to replace the Berthier and Lebel models of rifles. It was produced by Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS), as the Modèle 36. It was chambered for the modern, rimless 7.5x54mm French cartridge, which was a shortened version of the 7.5x57mm model 1924 cartridge. Clearly the designers had memories of the horrors of the trench warfare of the Great War (World War I) in mind; the MAS 36 was designed to address the shortcomings of the earlier Berthier and Lebel service rifles. Most notably, the MAS 36 was much shorter and lighter than those rifles of the previous generation. Despite the fact that the French Army might not have been up to the task of beating the German Wehrmacht in the early summer of 1940, the MAS 36 has maintained a reputation as one of the most robust rifles of the era. World War I Influences While Germany, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and even the United States essentially entered World War II with rifles that were little more than updates of their respective WWI rifles, France looked forward. This is notable in that the MAS 36 was meant to be shorter and more compact; clearly the designers expected a repeat of the cramped trench warfare of WWI. This no doubt helps explain why the French political planners invested so heavily in the Maginot Line from 1930-40. However, while the Maginot Line (which was costly to build and even more costly to maintain) accomplished little as the Germans flanked it during the 1940 Blitzkrieg, the military planners created not only a new rifle, but a new cartridge to go with it. This began in the early 1920s when the French, who were among the first to adopt smokeless rifle ammunition in the form of the 8mm Lebel cartridge in 1886, developed a modern, rimless cartridge for a new light machine gun in the 1920s. The first result was the 7.5x57mm cartridge, which proved to be unsuccessful. This however led to the 1929 7.5x54mm round—the Cartouche Mle. 1929C—to be used with the new MAC 1929 light machine gun. A New Design From this the French military explored new designs for a battle rifle and the result was the MAS 36. It was designed with many features for issue to a large, quickly trained army of conscripts, which is noted in that it is very rugged. The French designers clearly liked what they had seen with the British Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) Mk III. That had been introduced in 1907 and was the main British rifle in use during the outbreak of World War I. At 44 inches, it was considerably shorter than the French Lebel Model 1886, which came in at nearly 52 inches. In the tight confines of the trenches the SMLE had a clear advantage, and Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne managed to reduce the MAS 36 to just over 40 inches in total length. As with the SMLE, the MAS 36 featured a short barrel along with locking lugs at the rear of the bolt. This was to minimize the effects of dirty conditions, something the French had experienced during the fighting in the trenches. Rifle Details The MAS 36 features an internal, non-detachable, five-round box magazine. It also features a manually operated, magazine fed, rotating bolt action design. The rotating bolt, which locks directly into the receiver walls, incorporates two opposing lugs located at the rear of the bolt body. The bolt handle is notable in that it features a bent-forward design—with the intention being to provide more comfortable operation, despite the fact that it looks somewhat awkward. This design was reportedly devised to move the handle closer to the shooter’s firing hand, with the goal of cycling the action faster and smoother. The reports from soldiers firing it is that the rifle does have a smooth action, but whether it cycles any faster than other bolt-action rifles of the era is certainly open to debate. The MAS 36 features a rather short barrel of just 22.6 inches. The rifle is fitted with a large aperture in the rear along with a front post for sights. The rear peep diopter sight is comparable to the SMLE. It is marked from 100 to 1,200 meters in 100-meter increments. The rifle also features a two- piece stock. A slab-sided, square-shaped receiver is machined from steel and contains the internal magazine. The stock group includes a separate buttstock and forend system. The magazine is loaded utilizing charging clips or by single rounds. The clip guides are machined directly into the receiver bridge. The French military planners also clearly had conscripts in mind when devising the MAS 36. It is reportedly not an easy rifle to service, nor was it intended to be one that could be easily worked on in the field. Soldiers were responsible for the basic cleaning, and when kept relatively free of dirt, the rifle responded accordingly. Unique Characteristics Unique among French rifles of the era is that the MAS 36 does not feature any safety mechanism. Once a round is in the chamber there is no safety. The theory is that soldiers behind the line could carry a weapon that was unloaded, and when approaching combat could load the magazine but leave the chamber empty until necessary. This follows the French doctrine that called for soldiers to fire at the command of their respective officers and fire as a group, rather than firing at will. There was also the thinking that safeties might be a hazard in a battle and that the mechanism could get stuck due to mud and dirt. While this might seem dangerous by our modern standards, the conscripts would have been drilled to avoid negligent discharges. French troops were also taught to cycle the bolt twice and even visually inspect that the chamber was empty when ceasing fire as a way to ensure that there were no rounds left. The other unique characteristic of the MAS 36 is that despite (or because of) the role the bayonet had played in the trenches, the French military planners saw that a socket bayonet would be an improvement over sword-style bayonets. There is also the consideration that sword bayonets were expensive to produce and were typically not used. The MAS 36 solved the latter problem and ensured that soldiers also had the bayonet as long as they had the rifle, as it was positioned in a tube directly below the barrel, in a reversed position when not in use. When needed it could be pulled out and reattached in the same tube, and this removed the need for French soldiers to have a scabbard. At 17 inches, the spike bayonet would certainly make a point when needed! World War II The MAS 36 was used throughout World War II by the Vichy French and Free French forces. As such, it likely may have been one of the rare cases where both sides utilized the same rifle in combat during the war. However, due to budget constraints (again, the French had that Maginot Line to pay for) MAS 36 production had been limited, so that at the outbreak of war many colonial units and even some units in France were still equipped with the Lebel rifles. The MAS 36 was often reserved for frontline troops, where many were captured by the Germans. It was put into service with garrison troops and was later used by the German Volkssturm (People’s Army) at the close of the war. It was dubbed the Gewehr 242 by the Germans. Post-War Conflicts The MAS 36 remained in production after the war until at least 1951, and was used throughout the French colonies. As noted earlier, it was used as a training rifle until the late 1970s. It was replaced by the semi-automatic MAS 49 and MAS 49/56 rifles. While the basic MAS 36 was the most common version, the French military had designed a notable variation in the form of the MAS 36 CR39. That model was designed specifically with paratroopers in mind. It differed most from the original version in that it featured an aluminum buttstock. The buttstock could be folded down and under the frond of the rifle. In addition, beginning in 1951, the MAS 36 was converted to the MAS 36/51, which added a permanently attached grenade launcher and rifle grenade sights. The launcher was attached to the muzzle of the gun, while folding grenade sights were attached to the left side of the front sight base. It launched rifle grenades by utilizing special blank ammunition. A marksman-designated model was designed and used at the time of the Suez Crisis in 1957. This model, the FR-G2, featured a telescopic sight and a match-grade barrel with harmonic compensator. This model was reportedly produced in extremely limited numbers. As the rifle was removed from service in 1978 some models were imported into the United States, but converted to 7.62x51mm NATO from 7.5x54mm. These rifles also feature an SKS-type trigger safety fitted to them. MAS 36 Legacy If there is one significant problem with the MAS 36 it is that the 7.5x54mm ammunition is hard to come by. As a collector of militaria, the French MAS 36 has appeal for me beyond being able to shoot it. It is a fine-looking gun that probably in some ways was ahead of its time, and sadly, in other ways, is an example of why the French Army was utterly defeated so badly and so quickly in June 1940. The rifle is short and handy and thus would have been perfect in trench warfare. For the fast-moving Blitzkrieg, however, it was far from ideal. Still, the design was solid enough that its influence can be seen in the subsequent semi-automatic rifles that followed it, as well as later bolt-action rifles. Had World War II gone another way and been a repeat of World War I, perhaps it could have left its mark in other ways. MAS 36 Specs Caliber: 7.5x54mm French Barrel: 22.6 inches OA Length: 40.2 inches Weight: 8.2 pounds (empty) Stock: Wood Sights: Hooded post front, rear aperture Action: Bolt action Finish: Blued Capacity: 5+1 “ END OF QUOTE Reference section What follows is a must view informative video by Forgotten Weapons and another reference video by the Military Arms Channel reviewing the French Mas 36 rifle. I also provide an interesting two part write-up about the rifle’s post war use around the world by wwiiafterwwii. Finally, I provide some technical references about the rifle and its components. My discussion follows. 1) MAS-36: The Backup Rifle is Called to Action, Forgotten Weapons, Sep 25 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Hruh7uLV0 2) French rifles that you didn't know you wanted: MAS36, MAS36/51 and MAS1944 , Military Arms Channel, Oct 22, 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lRTMSgiwoI 3) Mas 36 Series http://www.virdea.net/french/36.html wwiiafterwwii Some historical information about this rifles use is presented below: Post-WWII use of the MAS-36 rifle: Part I (French use), wwiiafterwwii, AUGUST 23 2015, JWH1975 https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/post-wwii-use-of-the-mas-36-rifle-part-i-french-use/ Post-WWII use of the MAS-36 rifle: Part II (export users) , wwiiafterwwii, AUGUST 23 2015. JWH1975 https://wwiiafterwwii.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/post-wwii-use-of-the-mas-36-rifle-part-ii-export-users/ Technical Information Video Sources with technical information are found below: 1) How a MAS 36 works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcsaF7fRui0 2) MAS 36 Field Strip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhFRnWTv7ls 3) MAS 36: full disassembly & assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_T1vAeu-xc THE MAS 36 RIFLE DISCUSSION For a primary reference source in French, its value for those that do not read French is the outstanding clear photos of the rifle, its parts, as well as its equipment: See these links: SOURCE: http://www.littlegun.info/arme francaise/a accueil arme francaise fr.htm A fantastic web page in French: Les hausses MAS 36 de type II http://www.littlegun.info/arme francaise/technique/a technique mas 36 fr.htm Les vérifications périodiques du MAS 36 http://www.littlegun.info/arme francaise/technique/a technique verif mas 36 fr.htm DISCUSSION Another reference in English, but with small thumb nail photos is found on the Gunboard’s Forum Sticky. See types: https://www.gunboards.com/threads/collective-survey-of-the-mas-mle-1936-acceptance-and-modification-chronologies.277276/ The above references provide photos showing pre-war, WW II, and later post-war attributes on the Mas 36 rifle in more detail by showing the different variations in the same part as time and improvements progressed. Please refer to the above reference pages for their additional photos. In my discussion, I will also provide photos taken of my rifles in order to document the diagnostic attributes found on each rifle. I have no French firearm books, and cannot read French. I am somewhat new as an enthusiast of French firearms. Twenty years ago a member, Vonmazur, sold me some parts for an old Berthier that I picked up at an antique store. He was gracious enough to provide some great information and kindled my love of French firearms. Most of the French information and the knowledgeable collectors such as Vonmazur, Orcmastiffs, 1886 lebel, and Kelt, reside on the Gunboard’s forum. My discussion will be a very generalized attempt to distinguish the early pre-war and later post-war refurbished rifles. I welcome corrections and input to this post. I hope writing this post may promote some new interest into the Mas 36. Interest in the United States did not pick up until around 2019 after the Ian McCollum’s book written in English came out about French firearms. Armed with new information, collectors are now thirsty for French rifles and pistols. Most have tripled in value overnight. What follows is a brief review of the Mas 36 rifle. I want to introduce the two varieties most commonly found on the market in America: the pre-war Mas 36 and the post-war refurbished Mas 36. I will highlight the attributes commonly associated with each type. The most recent and most in depth book written in English about French rifles is by Ian McCollum: CHASSEPOT TO FAMAS: FRENCH MILITARY RIFLES, 1866–2016. The book is privately published by the author through Headstamp Publishing in 2019, has 8 chapters, and 532 pages. The Mas 36 chapter is found on pages 357-375 in the second edition dated 2021. The first edition that went out of print almost as soon as it was offered for purchase and is dated 2019. Later models of the Mas 36 are cover on pages 376-408. Book cover, McCollum's HC book. This is a fantastic reference. LIBERTYTREECOLLECTORS LIBRARY REFERENCE A Mas 36 RIFLE A great photo archive overview of a Mas 36 rifle that provides an example of a post-war, arsenal refurbished specimen is found on the Libertytreecollectors reference library. Libertytreecollector's rifle is an example of a CAI “excellent” condition rifle. I will also use my rifle to provide photographs. My specimen is a CAI “good” condition rifle. There is quite a difference in condition between the two Century coded rifles. Both are late refurbished Mas 36s. First is an overview of a Mas 36 documented by Libertytreecolleectors. Their description is as follows: QUOTE “French MAS 36 Rifle. In very nice looking condition, serial numbered to WW2 era production, Arsenal refurbished in the post war years. Handsome hardwood stock with near excellent parkerized finish, some dried grease/oil present. Matching serial numbers, bolt and receiver the only parts numbered. Likely arsenal refurbished in the 1970's before long storage. Chambered in 7.5 French the Bore is near excellent. Includes the spike bayonet. Import marked.” END OF QUOTE https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=6231 The Mas 36 rifle was manufactured from 1936/37 to 1951/52 at a single French manufacturing facility-Manufacture d’ armes de Saint-Etinne (MAS), Source: Suciu,Tactical Life. The Mas 36 is chambered for the French 7.5x54 mm cartridge. If you see one in .308, it is a U.S. Century Arms modified rifle that will be stamped .308. This conversion is one nasty gunsmith monster. Avoid It. Although approximately 1.1 million Mas 36 rifles were made according to McCollum, they have become difficult to find at gun shows or auctions in America. SERIAL NUMBER LOCATIONS Matching examples are almost impossible to find on the market, most are in collector hands. The most common example likely to be found will be an arsenal, post-war refurbished firearm. It will be a specimen imported by Century Arms and have an import mark. The primary serial number is located on the left side of the receiver. Markings on the first upper most line provide the factory name (MAS) and the model designation (Mle 1936). The second or lower line provides the serial number prefix and number. (G 2030/). See the second photo shown below. Production Tables recorded by year and the serial numbers are found in McCollum (2019, 2021:354-365). The serial numbers on a matching pre-war Mas 36 are found at seven locations on the rifle: 1) Bottom of the wood butt stock on the left side 2) Bottom center of the wood forearm 3) The left side of the receiver, in the central area below “MAS MlE 1936” 4) The stem of the bolt handle 5) Magazine floor plate 6) Trigger guard, bottom 7) Bayonet-on the bottom round section, visible when on the rifle, or marked on the end tip with the two last digits of the SN All Mas 36s have a serial number with a prefix, pre-war rifles F through L; post-war rifles L through Q, then double letter prefixes. This is confusing. It is advisable to consult the French section on Gunboard’s references: see COLLECTIVE SURVEY of the MAS Mle 1936 Acceptance and Modification Chronologies by orcmastiffs on Gunboards reference sticky https://www.gunboards.com/threads/collective-survey-of-the-mas-mle-1936-acceptance-and-modification-chronologies.277276/ "Mystery" Mas 36 Rifles: An Exception to the Rules I actually have one of these and they have an unusual feature/attribute of a nonstandard method of serial numbering. Rather than having a prefix serial number that is found on the left side of the receiver, it is numbered on the top left of the upper portion of the receiver, somewhat on the side of the chamber area. There is no letter prefix, just a two or three digit number. The bolt also has the same 2 or 3 digit serial numbers stamped on the stem. All other serial number locations are unnumbered. They are not scrubbed, parts were never stamped with a serial number. The “mystery” Mas 36 has specific attributes, such as all pre-war era, milled parts. For example, it has the open-eared front sight and milled rear bands and floor plate. The finish is worn, with a standard black lacquer paint over phosphate. Only a thin coat generally remains. My specimen lacks black paint on the barrel band, but does have it on the front nose cap and receiver. The left side plate only has the markings “MAS MLE 1936.” Serial numbers are missing at other locations. Oddly the bayonet matches the first two numbers of the serial number, not the last two. stock with yellow sling and cleaning rod 11 Here is an excellent summary of the Mystery Mas 36. MAS Mle1936 odd serial number found on an old Gunboard's post link is found below. Source of Patrick's (lebel) quote is found below. He is an expert on French rifles. He is always a provider of excellent information worth sharing. Lebel states : QUOTE "THE MYSTERY RIFLES: They look like the MAS Mle 1936. Every indication speaks to their assemblage having occurred during the Second World War, in 1940 or later. They are not import marked, and are in unissued condition. What could be wrong with that? The "Mystery" rifles are eccentric to serial-production. Their assemblers, dates and purpose remain unknown. They may be divided only upon the basis of whether they have been stamped with an un-prefixed number, or are sterile/devoid of any serialization. Both "Numbered" and "Sterile" units are possessed of the following anomalies: 1] they are unissued; perhaps unfired. 2] They are a collection of rear-Armistice parts, many being 'pickled'/acid-etched and not 'stoved'/blackened. 3] Often defective/rejected or repair small-parts appear to have been used in their final assembly. 4] the top-flat of the rear sight has not had the 'stoving' removed. 5] Many of the spanner-type screws have been slotted, apparently before installation. 6] The quality of assemblage is not as consistent, or to the standard of serial-production examples. 7] The bayonets are from earlier rifles, or replacements from a latter day. 8] None are import marked 9] Some have incorrect sight-leafs, and will not shoot to point of aim. 10] They all have the Type 2 factory machine notched receivers. 11] Some have a 'sticky'/tight bolt-cap which requires the use of gripping tools for removal, after it is detented." END OF QUOTE SOURCE: https://www.gunboards.com/threads/mas-mle1936-odd-serial-number.1179230/ Some additional interesting information about Mystery Mas 36 rifles is found in three forum posts I have provided below. See these three links: 1) COLLECTIVE SURVEY of the MAS Mle 1936 Acceptance and Modification Chronologies https://www.gunboards.com/threads/collective-survey-of-the-mas-mle-1936-acceptance-and-modification-chronologies.277276/ 2) My new mystery MAS 36 https://www.gunboards.com/threads/my-new-mystery-mas-36.187681/?id=187681&highlight=mysteries 3) Two sub categories of mystery MAS 36s https://www.mdshooters.com/threads/new-find-myster-mas-36.191194/ Post-War Refurbished Rifles Post-war refurbished rifles may have mismatched numbers, missing numbers, or generally have matching numbers remaining on only the receiver and bolt. If the numbers on the stock are missing, they may have been sanded away during refinishing or new furniture replacements have been added and they remain unmarked. Like wise, new metal parts may not have been renumbered during replacement. Reuse of surplus parts may account for different, mixed-number rifles. This is commonly observed on the floor plate. The trigger guard may be scrubbed and the bolt stem scrubbed, then re-stamped to the receiver’s serial number. Stocks are made of beech. Post-war, arsenal refurbished rifles are generally mismatched; matching only with stamped numbers found on the bolt and receiver. This is considered a matching post-war rebuild. The following attributes should be considered as generalizations-many variations can exist. ATTRIBUTES of Per-War and Post-War MAS 36 RIFLES What are pre-war Mas 36 Attributes? Here is a nice set of photos showing Demonizer’s pre-war Mas 36. His specimen is matching. SOURCE: Newly acquired FULLY MATCHING Pre-War MAS 36 by Demonizer https://www.gunboards.com/threads/newly-acquired-fully-matching-pre-war-mas-36.838330/ Pre-War Mas 36 Attributes In the text below, all the following attribute photos are taken from my matching 1938 Mas 36 bring back specimen. It too is all matching. 1) Finish-The early rifles have a light phosphate covered over with a black paint. The black paint is referred to as “stoved” finish. It is a hard, extremely durable, glossy black lacquer, locomotive-like baked on finish. It is called Parkolac. It seems to wear away, but not chip off. These black finish receivers are easily observed on a gun show table. If you see one, you found a prize. 2) Nose cap and front sight-This is also easily observed because the front sight is eared, lacking a hood over the post. The post is positioned between two protecting ears. The front nose cap is milled with a screw-in stacking rod. Photos of sight and barrel 3) Stacking rod-It is screwed into a milled front nose cap. Some may be pinned. There are two variations. See http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR MAS 36.html 4) Middle sling barrel band-It consists of a bar, not a ring. Actually, it is milled and has a side and bottom bar for sling attachment. It has a captive screw and hinged band. (McCollum 2021: 370) 5) Floor plate- It is milled; not a stamped part. Photos show bottom and inside views of milled part. 2 6) Follower-It is beveled to the rear. It does not restrict the bolt from closing. When opening the bolt, the rifle cocks. You can close down the bolt on an early Ma36 without pushing down on the follower when the magazine is empty. (McCollum 2021:370). 7) Rear sight-It has stepped notches on the top leaf for elevation adjustments. The rear sight is spring held. 8 ) Back of the bolt pattern-It is varied and the back of the receiver action is different. The grooves are light and DM marked. This was modified for a better thumb grip on later rifles. See McCollum (2021: 367) for detailed photos of the receiver tang modification. ) Photos, back of my bolt, and tang modification photo source is from (McCollum 2021:367) source McCollum (2021: 367). The modified receiver tang is to the left, early problematic original design to the right. Bolt variations. Again also see http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR MAS 36.html 9) Trigger modifications-There are slight changes to the trigger assembly. The early trigger allowed dirt to enter the inside of the receiver. Later trigger modifications prevented dirt from entering the lower receiver. Note: 8 and 9 are too technical to worry about at a gun show or auction. The firearm has to be dissembled to view these modification attributes. See detailed photos (McCollum 2021 368). The source of photo showing the trigger differences: http://www.virdea.net/french/36.html My rifle's trigger view source http://www.virdea.net/french/36.html 10) Bayonet- It should have a serial number that matches the rifle. bayonet serial # 2030/ 11) Stock-It is a dark oak stock in well used condition with proper cartouches and in original finish. French intact stock Cartouche (roundel) 1938 on my specimen. Post-War Mas 36 Attributes All photos are from my Century Arms imported, Mas 36 that was rated as CAI “good” condition and sold at $85. It is a well used, refurbished rifle that has the serial numbers scrubbed (ground off) from the trigger and floor plate. The bayonet has two ping marks obliterating the former serial number on the end of the bayonet. The stock is beech, although it is very oil stained and dinged from use. No roundel cartouche or serial number is present on the stock. This rifle matches with the bolt and receiver. No other serial number locations are marked. 1) Finish-Parkerized, late rifles have a heavy zinc phosphate grey tone finish. No black paint. Photos under different light conditions inside and the second photo is outside light. 2) Nose cap and front sight-This is also easily observable. The front sight is hooded. It has a round cover. It does not have ears. Both the hood and the nose cap are stamped parts, not milled. . 3) Stacking rod- It is pinned onto a stamped nose cap and bronze welded onto the band o 4) Middle sling barrel band- It is a flat stamped band that has a sling ring loop attached. You can see this ring a mile away. The ring is the same size, but there are two variations. See http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR MAS 36.html 5) Floor plate-It is stamped; not milled. inside view and bottom view with scrubbed number. 6) Follower-It has a bolt hold open feature when the magazine is empty. This consists of a ridge at the back of the follower that locks open the bolt. When open, the bolt locks on the rear edge of the follower, restricting the bolt from closing. The follower is not beveled. To close down the bolt on a late Mas 36 you must push down on the follower to allow the bolt to ride over the follower. This is a safety feature added to all refurbished rifles. 7) Rear sight-It no longer has stepped notches on the top spring leaf for elevation adjustments. The adjustment notches were changed to the side of the sight assembly and a spring button added for elevation adjustments. Different type variations exist. (McCollum 2021:370) Notice side notches. 8 ) Back of the bolt plug pattern-It is varied and the back of the receiver action is different. These modifications allowed better thumb contact to the rear of the bolt because the DM and lines were deeper. The receiver tang modification made the rear portion of the bolt more secure so it did not accidentally come off durang field use. See (McCollum 2021:367) Bolt variations. see http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR MAS 36.html 9) Trigger modifications-there are slight changes to the trigger assembly. A better trigger design prevented dirt from entering lower receiver (D ) in photo . For detailed photos see McCollum (2021: 367-368) Note trigger strap has scrubbed serial number. Also a late receiver tang. SOURCE: http://www.virdea.net/french/36.html SOURCE: McCollum (2021: 367). The modified receiver tang is to the left, early problematic original design to the right. Again, see http://armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR MAS 36.html # 8 and 9 are too technical to worry about and can only be observed when the gun is disassembled. 10) Bayonet-It most likely will be a mismatch or unnumbered . 11) Beech Stock-It will be a light brown beech stock in used to new condition, lacking serial numbers and sometimes cartouches. This is a well used beech stock. Filty. Stock butt and receiver and wood Arsenal Wrap At Wisconsin gun shows, any French rifle on a table would be a somewhat rare find. If you come across a Mas 36, I would say that 90% of the them will be a post-war, arsenal refurbished specimen. None of these are actually “unissued.” They can range from a Century Arms good to excellent condition to almost like new, refurbished rifles still in the arsenal wrap. Here are photos of my Century Arms rifle and a like-new rifle just out of the paper wrap. Century Arms Inc. Out of a Wrap, like new photos They were arsenal refurbished before being stored as reserve arms in France, then sold off as surplus to the U.S. market. Some are found still in the brown arsenal wrap. I have one of these mummies. Below are photos of my Mummy Wrap. Never opened or unwrapped. And a mummy released from its wrap.... UPDATE: MAS 36-Mummy released from the wrapper and it is range Ready by rcmauser on Gunboards. https://www.gunboards.com/threads/update-mas-36-mummy-released-from-the-wrapper-and-it-is-range-ready.270036/ Conclusion Black paint, pre-war, or WWII Mas 36 rifles are uncommon. If you find one, you are a lucky dog! It is easy to tell the early from the late Mas 36. The most obvious differences between pre-war and post-war or WW II specimens are the metal finish, the nose cap, front sight, the sling attachment, and the rear sight. As mentioned in the above attribute lists, the finish on a pre-war or WW II rifle is black paint over a light parkerizing, on the post-war rifle, the finish is a heavy grayish parkerizing. The front sight is hooded on the post-war one, the pre-war and WWII ones have protective “ears" on each side of the post. The sling attachment on a pre-war or WW II Mas 36 consists of two bars on the middle band, whereas on the post-war one it consists of a ring attached to the band. The front sight on a post-war rifle has adjustment notches along its side, while a pre-war or WW II Mas 36 has adjustment steps on the top leaf. In order to identify the other attributes, the firearm needs a closer inspection rather than a casual glance at a rifle laying on a table. All of the early and later attributes discussed are updates or modifications that can be interchangeable on rifles. There are varied types due to modifications/attributes that occurred over time. Therefore, on some parts rifles or rifles that underwent infield repairs, many rifles experienced part changes. As a result, a Mas 36 is occasionally found that should not have specific attributes on them. They do not fit the stereotypic Mas 36 rifle. I have seen a few early rifles in a later beech stock. I assume the damaged pre-war, dark oak stock was replaced. Beech furniture is commonly mated to older actions. This is what clean beech wood looks like. An oak stock on an early Mas 36 that still has its matching serial number and stock cartouche is a nice find. An all-matching, correct, early war or WW II Mas 36 with the original finish to the metal and wood with readable cartouches is a rare find. This is an example of the roundel cartouche on my bring back, all matching, black finish, 1938 Mas 36 with an oak stock. At a gun show or store, it is more than likely that the Mas 36 you will find will be a later, refurbished specimen. All are great shooters. It is a simple, yet accurate rifle with 65 parts and a bolt that is easy to take down with only four parts, excluding the extractor. It is rugged and dependable, with a five round internal magazine. This is one of my favorite firearms. The location of the Import Mark. ( CAI ) The abbreviations stand for Century Arms International company located in St. Albans, Vermont. On Mas 36 rifles it is found on the left side rail above receiver markings. There are two versions of import marking, the first one is: "CAI ST ALB VT ----- 7.5 FRENCH FRANCE" The second version is "7.5 FRANCE ----- CAI ST ALB VT " light gray receiver photo Post War Mas 36s taken out of the wrap I have four rebuilt Mas 36s that a goofy guy took out of the wrap. He had these marked $200, but since I took a mummy and four of the cheeper arsenal unwrapped NOS ones, I got them at $160 after giving him the "do not unwrap lecture." He was actually taking them out of the wrap at the table. I told him to stop! I got one, and another guy came up and grabbed the other at $300 within the first 10 minutes of the small show. I actually offered the $300. He looked amazed and realized his error. Both sold at $300. Then, no interest for the $200 unwrapped ones for the first hour, so I said in conversation with him, I wish you had not unwrapped them and after a friendly gab session, got him down in price. I grabbed four unissued rifles at $160 each. This was back about ten years ago. At that time, the dogs that showed wear were $85-100, the like new ones out of the wrap at $200. Now, ten years later, Peterson in the 2020 price guide (Standard catalog of Military Firearms: the collectors price and reference guide 9th edition) lists these post-war rebuilds at $500. Current market value in the U.S. seems to be approximately $500-700. These came with a sling, French manual, and rubber butt boot. They have marked slings, a slight counter bore for the grenade launcher attachment, they are matching, but only with the bolt to the receiver and have evidence of scrubbed numbers observed on the cleaning rod end, trigger guard, and floor plate. Stocks are not serialized and appear as brand new beech. As not to over load this with photos, here is one as an example of a Mas 36 rifle that was removed from an arsenal wrap. Bore is like new and all the bolt parts and the inside of the receiver was subjected to the parkerizing. Here is the view of the sling markings. All had brand new, never issued slings. The Receiver and Import Mark. A Century Import mark is commonly found on these rebuilt Mas 36s. They imported most of the post war hoard in the early 1990s. On the mummy wrap, Century Arms sliced the oil cloth near the top of the receiver in order to stamp this Import stamp. Nothing else was opened. The fancy 2 is actually a French Q prefix SN. Here is Appendix 3 , page 506 from Ian McCollum's book. This is a must have book that has been reprinted. If you have any interest in French Rifles. Get a copy of Chassepot to FASMAS French Military Rifles 1866-2016 Second edition 2021. Additional examples of French Script are also found on the Virdea web page. SOURCE: Part 8 http://www.virdea.net/french/36.html Import stamped receiver photos. Century Arms International (CAI) The beech stock and its color Below are some photos of the locations missing their serial number (SN) stampings on the metal parts. The floor plate is scrubbed with evidence of the former serial number showing through the parkerized refinish. The end of the bayonet was also slightly rounded in its SN removal. The trigger is marked "P I T “. Some more marks and the parkerizing on parts such as the bolt, follower and inside of the receiver. Rubber boot and barrel The beech stock consists of different pieces from a different tree. The front wood is a slightly darker golden tone with a different finer grain while the rear butt stock is a slightly lighter color with a conspicuous flecking pattern. These rifles were cleaned, but never shot. The photos shows “as found” wear, just as it came out of the package. I shoot my Century good specimen not this almost new specimen. Rubber boot, two barrel photos showing the counterbore modification for the grenade launcher 7.5 MAS converted to .308 NATO. Here is a close up of a 7.5 MAS converted to .308. One the reader best avoid. I do not own an example. With any Mas 36 that the Century chimp machinists converted, I would pass. The chimp gunsmiths at Century Arms (CAI) are poorly skilled, they shortened the Mas 36 barrel approximately 1/2" at the chamber in order to provide for a 308 reamer to clean up the old chamber. The result is some possible bad chambers-kind of rough, and in the process they produced an additional problem. The front sight is now positioned in the wrong spot to fit the hand guard. However, these brilliant Century Arms chimps got an idea to correct this. Easy fix, they cut 1/2" off the rear of the forearm assembly resulting in the loss of the forearm's attaching point and hardware. So, the head Chimp decided to shoot it a wee bit to test them out; the result, the wood stock slips forward exhibiting a gap. To add to the problems, some rifles have the front sight out of alignment, just a tad canted so the rifle may hit the next target. Some are ok, and just shoot like two or three inches to the side of the target that you are actually aiming at. Remember the Mas 36 sight does not have a windage adjustment like a Korean War M1 carbine. A bigger concern is headspace. Some of the boys fit a headspace gauge to a few and they do not headspace on a Nato .308 gauge? Is this true, who knows? And what gauge is correct? Did Century use a correct gauge? The result, if you need a project, just buy a CAI converted .308 Mas 36 rifle. Reportedly some work, most do not. In addition, it is interesting to note that .308 NATO is .308, while the 7.5 Mas is .309, that is only .001 difference on a new barrel. But if the original barrel has use/wear, then maybe you got .002 thousands of an inch to .004 thousands of an inch wear to the barrel and accuracy will suffer by shooting a smaller diameter bullet through a larger bore. At least the bolt action Mas 36 does not have cycling issues and jams like the CAI MAS 49/56 dog conversions. And who cares about stock movement after a shot or two ( it allows for air flow). Moral of the story, avoid the U. S. Century converted specimens. They very clearly have .308 stamped on the left side of the receiver as a warning by CAI. Watch for X X out 7.5 markings and the large .308 stamp. It is best to avoid the .308 Mas 36 conversions. see Grunt' discussion on alpharubicon: http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/mas36winchester.html QUOTE " *The MAS-36 in .308* By: Grunt At the last gun show here in town, I happened to come across an old French MAS-36 that had been converted to .308 by Century Arms International. In the past I bought a French MAS-49/56 that also had been rechambered to .308 and thought this would make a nice addition to my automatic MAS or at least a good truck gun. It might be something to arm friends or neighbors if the day ever came that might be needed. The price tag on this rifle was a deal at $125 and came with 50 rounds of CAVIM ammunition since it would cost me at least the same amount to order one, pay for the shipping and the FFL fee. So I walked out of the show with my new rifle. One of the questions I have always had about the MAS-36 that had been rechambered centered on the safety they installed when they converted it. Originally, the MAS-36 was never issued with a safety of any kind. If the French thought it best to rely on a heavier trigger than those on rifles at the time, or if they were trained to carry the rifle without any rounds in their chambers, I don't know. In this case though, the safety lever of the .308 MAS is very similar to the SKS in its design, function and location. Taking the trigger guard and rear buttstock off, I examined this safety and the only real difference between the MAS and an SKS is the spring it uses. Taking off the buttstock first involved removing the bolt, which is fairly straightforward and easy to do. Squeezing the trigger while retracting the bolt removes it from the receiver and a simple inward push on the head of the bolt and a slight turn removed the rear cap, allowing the firing pin and mainspring to be removed. The sights required some getting used to though. At first glance there is no windage adjustment at all to the sights. However if you take off the front nose cap you will find that the front sight is drifted into a dovetail that can be moved in its slot. Getting there isn't all that easy though. The French for some reason figured that a normal slot head screw wasn't good enough so they made a screw head that has 2 opposing notches on each side of the screw head. An old screwdriver was sacrificed and after a little grinding with the dremel tool, a new tool was made to take this screw out. I do have to admit that I liked the reversible spike bayonet in the front. Nothing that would ever see much use but still when it was extended, it gave the MAS a long and needle like appearance. Now it was off to the range. The first setting on the rear sight is calibrated to 200 meters. Not sure where my rounds would impact, I started instead at 100 yards. My range would never be farther. Setting up the rifle on my beanbag rest, I carefully fired a 3-round group. At this point another thing about this rifle became apparent. When they made the conversion, it was done by removing the barrel, cutting it down then reaming out the chamber to .308 and reassembled. I'm not sure if this was due to this type of conversion or if this is typical of all MAS-36 rifles but there was nothing holding the fore end to the receiver. Matter of fact, the only thing keeping the fore end from sliding off the end of the barrel is the handguard that butts up against the front sight. It's kept from moving on the fore end by the barrel band. Now with every shot, the fore end would move back and forth pinching either glove or skin. Another problem was that with the recoil of the rifle, it would force the fore end and handguard forward only to be stopped by the front sight. The stock however with it's momentum had a way of trying to split the wood around the barrel band when that was drove back and forth by the recoil and momentum for the stock. Be that as it may, I went down range to check my groups. Well, I wouldn't call it a group as much as I would call it a pattern. Out of 3 rounds onto an FBI B-27 full size human silhouette target, only 1 round was on the black. The second was to the left on the paper and the third was at the bottom barely on the paper. Thinking this was a fluke, I went back to the firing line and this time fired a 5-round group. This time 2 rounds were in the black but again, the other 3 rounds were in the white and nothing that would even slightly resemble a group. Again after several more attempts with different ammunition and the bayonet both extended and reversed into the hand guard, nothing really improved the groups this rifle was shooting. Finally with my last 10 rounds of Cavim ammunition, I fired them all at the target and checked to see how many actually hit. The total number was 7 out of 10. Then just for fun, I fired another 10 round group out of my AKU-94 that I also had along with me but this time without the rest I was using with the MAS-36. Here, 10 out of 10 were on the target with all the rounds in the black and this was with a rifle with AK accuracy and a trigger that could best be described as a cross between a squirt gun and a 50 year old, cheap import .22 revolver. To say I was disappointed in this rifle is an understatement. While it did fire every time I pulled the trigger, it was questionable where the rounds would hit on the target or if they would even hit anything at all. Because it was rechambered into .308, there is no real collector value to this rifle either. As soon as I get a chance, it's going down the road either to the next gun show or to the pawnshop. I wish there were some good news about this rifle other than it was cheap and it went bang, but other than that, there really are no saving graces to it. For the survivalist first starting out on a budget or maybe someone wanting a rifle that they can stash away, you would be far better off to keep looking for a better rifle for this use. The rechambered MAS-36 just is not a good weapon to choose.” END OF QUOTE SOURCE http://www.alpharubicon.com/leo/mas36winchester.html As noted in the above quote, the lower stock as well as the hand guard were modified on the CAI .308 conversions. The hand guard is shortened so be careful what is utilized as a replacement stock for an original Mas 36 and a Century Arms Company converted rifle marked .308. Those two stocks are not the same. QUOTE "When Century rechambered these they had to remove the barrel and set it back a thread. In the process they had to remove a small tab the connects the forearm to the receiver. The only thing holding the forearm on the barrel on the 308s is a friction fit. When you shoot the 308s the forearm gradually works itself forward. Do not buy the 308 version. 7.5 French ammo is not that hard to find, and not dramatically more expensive. Also the 7.5 French round is ever so slightly smaller than the 308. The bore will be slightly undersized for 308 bullets. It's safe enough, but accuracy will suffer. I have one of the 7.5 versions. Decent enough rifle. Trigger is pretty stiff but otherwise it works about like any other milsurp bolt gun. A slip on recoil pad is a useful investment. Recoil isn't all that stout, but the length of pull on the buttstock is shorter than most other rifles." END OF QUOTE SOURCE: https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Century__308_conversion_MAS_36/14-312064/ French MAS-36 Tir Reduit Trainer Rifle Found: Another MAS 36 Tir Reduit by mawkie. Look at that nice black paint on this specimen. SOURCE: https://www.gunboards.com/threads/found-another-mas-36-tir-reduit.763290/ A .22 caliber version Mas 36 Training Rifle was produced in France in 1941-1942 by the Nazi occupation government. This is a full size rifle that used the same bolt and chamber, but had a .22 caliber barrel. This rifle used a special cartridge adapter to load the .22 rimfire cartridge. McCollum (2021:379) states it “ …duplicated all of the loading and handling aspects of the real MAS 36, including the use of striper clips. It also meant that replacing the barrel was all that would be required to convert a trainning rifle into a true infantry rifle-a fact that likely did not go unnoticed by Frenchmen who harbored hopes of throwing out their man occupiers one day… .” While these rifles are occasionally found in the United States, they are rare and the cartridge adapters are much harder to find than a rifle. They are almost unobtainable. Due to no adapter cartridges, most specimens of the .22 Tir Reduit 5.5 are wall hangers that cannot be fired. See (McCollum 2021: 378-379) for a detailed discussion. Cartridge photo: SOURCE of photo (McCollum 2021:379) Current Trends, Two examples Example 1 Sold ASAP by bembach in 2021 on Gunboards QUOTE “1) This is a near mint example of a French M-1936/51 grenade launching rifle. The rifle looks unfired. It is Serial Number G38395 and cartouche is dated 1958. The rifle is in caliber 7.5mm French and all visible serial numbers are matching to include the bolt, floorplate, stock, fore stock, and bayonet. There is a tiny import mark on the side of the receiver (CAI ST ALB VT). It is hardly noticeable. It will be hard to upgrade this rifle. Price - $750 shipped east of the Mississippi, add $15 for west. Alaska and Hawaii additional. 2) This is a near mint example of a French M-1936. It is Serial Number N61286 and looks unfired. The rifle is in caliber 7.5mm French. All visible serial numbers are matching but only see numbers on the bolt. No numbers on the stock, floorplate, or bayonet. There is a tiny import mark on the side of the receiver (CAI ST ALB VT). It is hardly noticeable. It will be hard to upgrade this rifle. Price - $650 shipped east of the Mississippi,…” END OF QUOTE SOURCE https://www.gunboards.com/threads/wts-near-mint-french-m-1936-51-and-m-1936.1203111/ See the above Gunboards link for photos of some nice views of these Mas 36 rifles. At $700, that seems to be the going rate for late 2021. Example 2 Libertytreecollector’s description. This post-war Mas 36 sold at $700 QUOTE “Product Details Serial #N58352 This offering is for the pictured French MAS 36 Rifle. In good looking condition, serial numbered to 1947-1948 era production. Rebuilt over the years of service, matching serial numbers bolt to receiver only, other mis matched. Metal has a full parkerized finish with dried oil from storage, light wear, mostly on the floor plate. Fine adjustable rear sight and has a spike bayonet stored under the barrel. Bolt action repeater appears mechanically fine. Handsome hardwood stock set with light wear, small scuffs. Chambered in 7.5 French the Bore is very good+. Import marked. Fine rifle for the military collection” END OF QUOTE SOURCE https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/msg.asp?message=95 removed due to sold, see two lower photos of this rifle. Libertytreecollector's rifle. Their photos.
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