Chrome MAS 36

This is a gun that a friend of mine dug out of his father's closet. Can anything be found out about it based on the serial number? Why on earth would someone chrome plate a MAS 36? Might this be some kind of presentation or ceremonial piece?

He wants to shoot it, so I'm trying to get it cleaned up a bit. The surface has quite a bit of pitting from the rust I've cleaned off so for. The bore was the dirtiest thing I've ever seen. I think I'm going to have to throw away the brush I sent down there.

I don't know anything about WWII era rifles, so is there anything I should check before we take it to the range?

There's a guy on Gunboards.com who goes by Richard In NY* who specializes in this sort of thing. The most probable answer is Vietnam, as an indochina souvenir-trophy chromed during an R&R. I once scorned an identical rifle at a local gunshow, and then he gloated to me about the probable provenance and I was quite chagrined.

+1 as a Vietnam bring back OR a French "Parade" rifle.

French didn't use chromed parade rifles to my knowledge, and it almost surely wouldn't be in that sort of shape if it'd originally been one.

If Charlie's Harley Pipes & Bumper shop chrome plated it?
I'd be half afraid to shoot it.

It could be harboring Hydrogen Embrittlement in the bolt, receiver, and barrel.

That makes steel break like glass under stress.

Gun platers know about this, and how to prevent it.

Charlies Harley Pipes & Bumper shop?
Not so much.

http://corrosion-doctors.org/Forms-HIC/embrittlement.htm

rc

plus it´s already been dropped once ...

:-)

Could it possible be a MAS 36 CR39???

No, because a CR39 has a folding stock.

I couldn't quite tell from the pics, I wonder if there are any other proofmarks or whatnot.