In praise of the French MAS 49/56, with photos...

[fpgt72]

One of the things I really enjoy is working up loads for my different rifles.....7.5 french is on my list to do next. I am currently working on 6.5 Carcano with the bottle nose Hornady boolits.

I will generally get a COAL set for a specific rifle, (I have a few different Carcano rifles and carbines) then start working with different powders/ primers/ all that jazz.

I want to get working on the French as my next project.

The differences is really amazing....really a little reloading tangent...but my Carcano groups went from basket ball to soft ball with just basic loading tricks....I also had good luck with some of the 91/30's.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I like the French rifles so much that I keep buying them: 2 MAS 36s, a 49/56 in .308 that works pretty well now that I've dialed down the gas, and a Golden West Santa Fe Model 1949. I've had two other of these, one of which had been re-barreled in 7.35 Carcano. Both were stolen long ago although the Carcano popped up in a local pawn shop a couple of years ago, totally trashed but still recognizable.
The Golden West guns convinced me that I wanted more French guns. They even had safeties!
I haven't been disappointed yet.

 

[kBob]

The sharpshooter model of the MAS 36 (shows up in the older versions of Smith&Smith Small Arms of the World) had a trigger blocking safety behind the trigger. I believe this same safety was on the few sporting rifles based on the MAS 36 released to French game wardens.

-kBob

 

[kBob]

I ran into a MAS 36 in the mid 1980's in a little Central Florida Gun Shop but it had two things wrong with it. First it had been chromed by some bumper shop and the stock sporterized and second it was setting next to a huge pile of .30-06 Dominican Republic Winchester Contract M2 Ball. Garand Guy that I am guess which got taken with all my play money for that month. The MAS was gone when next I had play money so I was thankfully saved from a silly purchase.

I do like my Stock French GI MAS 36 and once took Second in a Pre 1945 match....behind a NM M1A the club officers let a guy shoot "just to be fair" to a guy that had no old stuff. Shoot, I would have loaned him my sewer piped barreled K98 if he had just asked!

Say, anyone know where to get the proper leather sling for the MAS 36?

-kBob

 

[nhcruffler]

Nice rifles NHcruffler, photos look great!

I always felt the MAS 36 would make a super handy deer rifle, and if the stocks short LOP is a problem, the handy OEM slip-on grenade launching pad makes things just perfect, and even more perfect especially if handloaded to its full potential. So much confusion as to its max allowed pressures - Some say 40k PSI, a case dimension sheet I have from Germany states 47,862 psi (3300 bar), and CIP says 55,144 psi max avg. Obviously with all of the 7.62mm conversions around, these rifles are plenty strong, and I'd say can handle a whole lot more than they are spec'd, even the CIP max avg.

FWIW, here are some chronograph results using IMR 4895, CCI #34 primers, PP cases, and WW surplus 147 grain M80 bullets. Also some testing done with AA 2460 and TAC, and lastly is some data for PP factory ammo with 139 grain FMJ bullets - I wish PP USA would bring over these bullets.

MAS 36: 45 gr IMR 4895 CCI 34 WW 147 grain FMJ/BT (undersized .3075”) heavy crimp to keep bullet PPU case
2635, 2564, 2594, AV 2597 ES 71 SD 35

MAS 49/56: 45 gr IMR 4895 CCI 34 WW 147 grain FMJ/BT (undersized .3075”) heavy crimp to keep bullet PPU case
2385, 2380, 2424, AV 2396 ES 44 SD 24

MAS 49/56: 46.5 gr IMR 4895 CCI 34 WW 147 gr FMJ-BT Privi cases
2539, 2515, 2539, AV 2531 ES 13 SD 24

MAS 49/56: 42.5 gr old (1993 era) AA2460 CCI 34 primer WW 147 grain FMJ-BT Privi cases
2482, 2393, 2482, AV 2452 ES 89 SD 51

MAS 49/56: 44 gr TAC CCI 34 primer WW 147 grain FMJ-BT Privi cases
2464, 2437, 2539, AV 2480 ES 102??? SD 52???

MAS 49/56 Privi Partizan 7.5x54 139 grain FMJ:

Clear tape over sensors 2482, 2506, 2515, AV 2501 ES 33 SD 17

No clear tape over sensors 2492, 2520, 2496, AV 2502 ES 28 SD 15

The French built these like a tank ! As you pointed out , just look at the bolt , firing pin and receiver. Both the MAS 36 and 49/56 have been converted to .308 with only positive results if done correctly. The 7.5 MA S case falls right between a 308 and a 30-06. You should be able to roll your own using 308 starting loads. Work your way up looking for signs of excess preassure. If I recall you can find some excellent reference material at Steves Firearm Pages and good ok Chuck Hawk s. Both those guys amaze me with the depth of their knowledge on many subjects.

 

[shuvelrider]

The MAS 49/56 has a very heavy bolt block assembly, which requires you to load to the max side of min/max in your recipe books. Like others, I use IMR4895 with a 150 gr fmj bullet. I found the bolt assembly will not cycle properly if your loads are to the min side of the parameters. No more French rifles will ever be imported, not since the early 90's market flood of milsurps. Since then, the French government got onboard with the UN initiative to destroy their surplus weapons, rather than selling them on the world market. "Gotta keep everyone safe ya know". So what we have is all we'll have, buy them when you can and enjoy them.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Say, anyone know where to get the proper leather sling for the MAS 36?

Repro and original MAS 36 slings are found on Ebay.

 

[shuvelrider]

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com You can find a sling here for $42, and many other neat things for the milsurps.