MAS 36 or MAS 49/56
- Thread starter rs525
- Start date
jobu07
Contributing Member
If I were only going to own one of those two I would likely lean toward the MAS 36. Both are collectible in their own right but the 36 is a little older and has the connection to WWII.
Both are collectible in their own right, but from a shooting perspective the 36 will be easier on brass and you don't need to chase the brass. That said, I own both and both are neat in their own right. The 49/56 has some the grenade launching features on the front end and all, I believe, were configured to accept optics from the factory.
Both are collectible in their own right, but from a shooting perspective the 36 will be easier on brass and you don't need to chase the brass. That said, I own both and both are neat in their own right. The 49/56 has some the grenade launching features on the front end and all, I believe, were configured to accept optics from the factory.
BreechFace
Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2020
- Messages
- 3,509
BreechFace
Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2020
- Messages
- 3,509
They are both sweet rifles and the 7.5 French is a nice and efficient cartridge. I want to hunt with my 36 sometime.
bigpower491
Member
I've had both. The bolt gun shot better than the semi, but the semi certainly returned a heck of alot more $$ when I sold it.
If you can have both, have both. They're getting very hard to find for reasonable cash
If you can have both, have both. They're getting very hard to find for reasonable cash
bigpower491
Member
Yes that is correct....the mount fits on the left side of the receiver. I wish I had bought a few of those scopes and mounts back in the day, say, 25 yrs ago. Those scopes and mounts can cost as much as the rifle these days, and they sure as heck weren't cheap then, either
BLACKHAWKNJ
Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2007
- Messages
- 1,122
IIRC most MAS 1936 rifles were made post-war. Adjusting windage on them is tricky, you have to change the rear aperture to do so, no adjustments.
HollowDawg
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2021
- Messages
- 89
Have both but I like the MAS 49/56 better. I find it more interesting mechanically. MAS 36 is a bolt action and not a lot mechanically going on there.. The MAS 49/56 is a very simple and ingenious direct impingement gas operated semi-automatic. And it looks GI-Joe cool ! 
Gotta say the MAS 36 does kinda have a Steam-Punk vibe to it though. As an added bonus, the 7.5 French Privi Partisan ammo must have soft primers because my 49/56 occasionally multiples with that ammo. I even changed the free floating firing pin to an aftermarket pin with spring and it still occasionally multiples. Need a heavier spring or different ammo I guess. Getting both used to be cheap. I paid less than $350 for both back in the day. Milsurp prices these days have outrun my wallet !
Gotta say the MAS 36 does kinda have a Steam-Punk vibe to it though. As an added bonus, the 7.5 French Privi Partisan ammo must have soft primers because my 49/56 occasionally multiples with that ammo. I even changed the free floating firing pin to an aftermarket pin with spring and it still occasionally multiples. Need a heavier spring or different ammo I guess. Getting both used to be cheap. I paid less than $350 for both back in the day. Milsurp prices these days have outrun my wallet ! 
CapnMac
Member
The 49/56 is actually a nice 7.5, and a person ought have one just for the funky magazines.
It's not my favorite cal..30-ish self loader, but it's a handy bit of work. Neither are optics-ready, so your iron sights game needs to be "on." And the irons are meant for combat conditions, 3-4MOA at best.
It's not my favorite cal..30-ish self loader, but it's a handy bit of work. Neither are optics-ready, so your iron sights game needs to be "on." And the irons are meant for combat conditions, 3-4MOA at best.
If you're going to own a Mas36 then pay the extra for a pre-surrender. I have a post war Mas36, 36/51, Mas49 Syrian contract and a 49/56. It is annoying the rear sights are non adjustable unless you have all the replacement apertures
shuvelrider
Member
I still have my 49/56 which I reload for, sold off my two M36's. I enjoy the semi a whole lot more for a decent shooter, the ergonomics of it, 10 round mags that are easy to switch out. From my perspective of 32 years of army time, I like the compactness of this rifle and it's ruggedness for a battle rifle, more so than any variation of an AR, AK, or even an M1 Garand which I have owned and sold off. I need to do a side by side comparison to my M1A Scout, that might be a tight race!
Dave DeLaurant
Member
Well, if you're buying one of these today the 49/56 comes with some caveats. Century made a run of 7.62 NATO 'conversions' which are known to be highly problematic. And just last week I watched this video about a Royal Tiger offering that came with its own set of issues:
www.youtube.com
Also there's the slamfire thing HollowDawg discusses. There were aftermarket sprung firing pins at one time to help alleviate the problem with typical primers. Ian at Forgotten Weapons discusses this at the end of one of his videos.
www.youtube.com
I bought a M36 a few years ago, just before the prices climbed to crazy heights. It was evidently a French arsenal rework and is in excellent condition, though the floorplate release on mine is almost impossible to depress far enough to actuate with finger pressure alone.
I think they're both pretty darned interesting rifles.
Mas 49 56 From Royal Tiger Imports
Welp... I Finally decided to post a review of a Milsurp Gun. This is my French Mas 49/56 from Royal Tiger Imports, also known as RTI, and it isnt flattering....
www.youtube.com
Also there's the slamfire thing HollowDawg discusses. There were aftermarket sprung firing pins at one time to help alleviate the problem with typical primers. Ian at Forgotten Weapons discusses this at the end of one of his videos.
France's Final Battle Rifle Iteration: The MAS 49-56
Preorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here:https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-b...
www.youtube.com
I bought a M36 a few years ago, just before the prices climbed to crazy heights. It was evidently a French arsenal rework and is in excellent condition, though the floorplate release on mine is almost impossible to depress far enough to actuate with finger pressure alone.
I think they're both pretty darned interesting rifles.
Last edited:
Mosin77
Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2019
- Messages
- 1,587
I own a Mas36 (pre-surrender, never reworked) and like it for the history. The Mas36 is interesting because it’s pretty much the last bolt action designed from the ground up as a military service rifle, that saw action. So it looks less elegant than the Victorian-designed Mausers, Enfields, etc but incorporates some of the best features of all the others. The 49/56 is probably “better” from a standpoint of looks and value, but I’d rather plink with the Mas36. But I like old bolt actions and semis don’t get me as excited. I can also justify a couple boxes of 7.5 from time to time but the semi would be pricy to feed and I don’t love the concept enough to go all in on 7.5 reloading. I’ve thought hard about buying a 49/56 a couple of times when I’ve found good deals but always passed them up.
Dave DeLaurant
Member
Good idea! Is it this one?
HollowDawg
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2021
- Messages
- 89
Had no idea an adjustable gas valve was available! Great idea.
Ohen Cepel
Member
I really liked the 36. IIRC, it doesn't have a safety on it so keep that in mind if you want one to hunt with some. Some imports had a safety added but don't think the original design had one.
