MAS 36 for $135, is that a good deal?

[coosbaycreep]

I'm going to look at this gun tomorrow. The guy doesn't really sound like he knows much about guns, but he said it's in decent shape, has the bayonet, and doesn't look sporterized or like it's missing parts.

He said he brought it back from Vietnam, and that he's never shot it.

I looked at gunbroker and there's not many of these on there, but they seem to be $200+, but most of them look like they're probably in better shape than one that some VC guerrilla had drug around the jungle for years though.

I haven't been to a gunshow for awhile, but the last few I seen looked brand new, and IIRC, they were only around $175-$200 or so.

I don't have much money right now (and just bought another gun today...but I also sold one, so that's alright), and I won't be able to shoot it till I scrounge up some more money and order ammo or components for it anyway.

So would I better off waiting and finding one of the minty fresh rebuilt ones? Or should I buy it if it looks decent for $135?

French guns don't come up for sale too much where I live either, and if I can't buy something from a private party, a gun show, or a local dealer, I won't buy it, as it's too much of a hassle buying sight unseen and screwing around with shipping and transfers and all that fun stuff.

thanks

 

[marktx]

Yeah, that's a pretty good deal on one if the condition is decent. I bought a basically new condition/refurb about eight months ago for $250. Ammo is pretty easy to get from the online dealers, it's Prvi and runs around 60 cents a round.

You think the story about it being a bringback is believable? Any paperwork?

Unless it's in awful shape it's probably worth the price.

 

[coosbaycreep]

I don't see why the bring back story couldn't be true. Vietnam/Indochina was France's problem before it was ours. I'm sure there were probably a lot of french guns captured there during the time they were there.

Since the MAS 36 isn't a full auto or anything, I can't see why it would be restricted from being brought back like AKs, but I honesty don't even know if vet bring backs were allowed then.

I've never heard of bring backs later than WWII come to think of it, so who knows.

 

[R.W.Dale]

First off to subsiquent posters-- any French jokes you make are old, dumb and at least 4 times as lame as you think they are funny!

To the op.

If in unmolested un import marked condition the rifle in question could easily be worth twice the asking price and if firm provenance can be established as being a Vietnam bringback then the value could skyrocket.

They're neat guns with an unusual appearing layout that you have to handle to get. The ones I've shot tended to be EXTREMELY accurate. IMO no serious milsurp collection should be without one.

 

[Will_G]

I would tend to agree, though I have never owned a MAS 36 - if I was offered one in good condition for THAT price I'd probably buy it! The most recent one I have seen online was in excellent condition and ran $380.00, if I recall correctly - it has "100% blue" and "a mirror bore" according to the ad. So if the one you are going to see is $135.00 and in good condition it sounds like a fair deal to me.

 

[coosbaycreep]

thanks

Unless it's trashed, I can almost guarantee I'm going to buy it.

Other than no importer marks, how can you tell if it's a vet bring back? Would the seller have to have paperwork from the army or something?

 

[Uncle Mike]

+1 krochus

$135 is good. IF it is as krochus describes, if not, and it is still in descent shape, and you want a MAS 36...get it!

 

[MachIVshooter]

IIRC, I paid $100 for mine about 3 years ago. It's in decent condition, but it had no Bayonet. I'd say that's on the better side of fair, depending on condition.

They're unique, the bolt is kinda funky (well, the whole receiver is, really). They do buck pretty good, about like a Mosin M38 or 44.

 

[femoralis]

Ask for documentation if he has it. That can make a big difference in the worth of a rifle that is supposedly a "bring back".

 

[Smokey Joe]

Documentation is all...

Coos Bay Creep--If you watch "The Antiques Roadshow" on PBS, at all, you know that documentation is key to the value of any collectible. They call it "provenance." You might call it "a believable story."

A signed, notarized, letter from the person who brought the rifle back, identifying the rifle by serial number, would be about as good as you might hope for. A contemporary photo of the bringer-back, holding the (identifiable) rifle, would be of great help, too.

Anything less would have less value. The verbal claim of the present-day seller, all by itself, would be close to worthless.

I don't think bringbacks of weapons were allowed to the troops coming home from 'Nam. At this late date, I've no idea if the seller could still get in trouble for admitting, on paper, to a violation like that. Certainly, legal or not, bringbacks will have occurred--some guys regard that sort of thing as a challenge.

Now, all of that said, the rifle will always have its own intrinsic value--that will never be less than, "it is what it is." If you WANT an MAS-36, I'd snap it up were I you.

 

[JWF III]

If in unmolested un import marked condition the rifle in question could easily be worth twice the asking price

Around here they're going for $400+

Check out this link...

http://brocks.macrobatix.com/default.tpl?cart=127204478324012339

Just as Krochus described- $475

Wyman

ETA-While checking the link, I discovered the link doesn't go directly to the gun. You'll have to go to "Military Guns", then to "Long Guns". It's about 1/3 of the way down the page.

 

[R.W.Dale]

You must understand that with anything there's a HUGE diffrence between asking for and SELLING for.

 

[coosbaycreep]

It's considerably crappier than I was hoping for, but he said he'd take $120 for it, so I went ahead and bought it anyway.



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There's some cracks in the forend, the wood under the buttplate is pretty bad, and the steel band that the sling attaches to is real loose like the wood has shrunk or something.

The bore doesn't look too good either, but I'm going to eventually buy some dies and brass for it anyway. I certainly won't be expecting sub-MOA accuracy out of it though.

The "sling" looks like it could have been made in a straw hut by a VC guerrilla....or maybe in a dilapidated trailer by a toothless Oregon hillbilly.

It's definitely not worth trying to restore considering the stock would need replaced, but I see no reason why it won't shoot good enough to justify the cost of bullets for it, and the chances of finding another one of these in this area for the price of a mosin nagant is very slim, so I'm satisified with it.

I asked the seller if he had the bring back paperwork, and he said if he does he wouldn't have a clue where it would be since it's been so many years. The guy seemed honest enough, and the gun is rough enough that I can't see him making up a story to sell an ugly old french gun for $120, but who knows.

If nothing else, I can attach the bayonet and use it to pick up garbage with, as it's a pointy little bugger (or I can attach a white flag to it). And even if it doesn't shoot worth a crap, I can still drop it and pretend I'm in the french army.

OK, no more french jokes. I get a free pass for those two though, since I now own a french gun, and that makes it alright.

I'd actually really like to have a lebel and a 49/56 too. France made some incredibly ugly and unusual looking guns, and I really like ugly and unusual looking guns. The bayonets on some of their 19th century rifles are among the most wicked looking too. From what I've read online, most of the people who have actually shot the old french milsurps say they're generally great guns. It's just a shame they don't have the following that some of the other milsurps have, then there'd probably be more parts and ammo available for them.

 

[MachIVshooter]

It looks to be in similar condition to most that I've seen. Mine ain't much better (the M96 Swede below it, However.....).

The bore doesn't look too good either,

I wouldn't call that one until you've shot a few rounds. Just my experience, but I've bought alot of old and surplus guns with, what I thought to be, questionable bores, even after cleaning. But the bullets going through them are a bit better at scrubbing than a soft copper brush. Many of them turned out to be OK.

I certainly won't be expecting sub-MOA accuracy out of it though

They never were. This was rested on a cable spool, 50 yards, original irons, and with handloaded ammo (Graf Brass, .308" Hornady 150 gr. FMJ-BT, CCI 200 primers and 47.0 grains IMR 4350 for 2,320 FPS). I'm sure the mechanical accuracy of the rifle is a little better than I could muster with the rather crude sights and impromtu rest. But I doubt much better than 2 MOA.

I'd actually really like to have a lebel and a 49/56 too.

I'm still on the prowl for a 49 myself. Neat guns.

It's just a shame they don't have the following that some of the other milsurps have, then there'd probably be more parts and ammo available for them.

Shhhhh. If people start wanting them, the price will go up. People need to keep believeing the lesser known military rifles are just rotten old junk. That way I can keep finding great old guns for next to nothing

 

[marktx]

You can get replacement stocks from these guys:

https://www.apexgunparts.com/index.php/cPath/52

 

[Storm]

I think you did just fine on that rifle. I paid three times that for mine. While it is rather "minty" it's also a re-arsenal. I wouldn't doubt the bringback story although as pointed out it will not have the full value without the papers. Lots of MAS 36 made it to that part of the world. In comparison, relativley few actually served during WWII. I'm trying to recall if the stampings will give you any clues as to when it was made. I'll have to go look at mine. I haven't shot it yet but plan to.