rbernie
Contributing Member
Anyone here have direct hands-on experience with the MAS 44/56 that you'd like to share? (I've found a bunch of web resources on it, but am also looking for first-person experiences with the weapon..)
MAS 44/56 experience
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jason10mm
Member
It is a relatively soft shooting 30 cal (comes with a recoil pad). The one I got had all the accessories and looked brand new. It is reasonably ergonomic, though the sights are not up to American mil rifle standards. Pretty simple in design. The ammo (7.5 French) is hella expensive, if you had to rely on it for your .30 shooting needs, I'd rechamber it for .308 and get a new gas system to make it reliable. I got one for kicks so I have not bothered to shoot it much.
Not as sexy or as effective as the Garand or M1A, but for the price, worth getting and rechambering to .308. The mags are a joke though, they clip on the side of the rifle, so they don't fit into mag pouches too well.
Not as sexy or as effective as the Garand or M1A, but for the price, worth getting and rechambering to .308. The mags are a joke though, they clip on the side of the rifle, so they don't fit into mag pouches too well.
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rbernie
Contributing Member
I've got a line on one that's already been rechambered to .308 by Century (but lacks the adjustable gas system mod), with four (4) mags and bayonet. I like the feel and balance of the MAS56 moreso than I do the other 'inexpensive' .308 semis (FAL, CETME, Saiga), and don't mind taking the plunge and getting the adjustable gas valve mod done if it's worth the effort. This one looks to be in good shape, and the asking price is $300.
Anyone got a clue what fair-market value is on this thing?
Anyone got a clue what fair-market value is on this thing?
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rbernie
Contributing Member
Anybody? 
jimmyjoebob
Member
ok first off if it is a century 308 conversion run like hell, many were poorly done, and often didn't work well, there is a fellow in PA that does a proper conversion for like $200, IIRC his name is Bill Toth, do a search on the mas conversion it will pop a link to the JPFO site and mention him and contact info.
I owned an origional in 7.5, there is some commercial ammo that is pretty tame but it won't cycle the gun. I also had some surplus ammo that would knock your socks off! That stuff was a hoot to shoot loud and dirty, and put a lot of lovin in your shoulder. I got it from wholesale guns and ammo in NY used to be called burns brothers. It was syrian machine gun surplus on 4 round links. You can delink it by hand, I paid like $100 for 200 rounds delivered. I have since sold the gun as I have way to many oddball calibers.
I owned an origional in 7.5, there is some commercial ammo that is pretty tame but it won't cycle the gun. I also had some surplus ammo that would knock your socks off! That stuff was a hoot to shoot loud and dirty, and put a lot of lovin in your shoulder. I got it from wholesale guns and ammo in NY used to be called burns brothers. It was syrian machine gun surplus on 4 round links. You can delink it by hand, I paid like $100 for 200 rounds delivered. I have since sold the gun as I have way to many oddball calibers.
Bigdog
Member
Some years back, I got one of the .308 conversion MAS 49/56 rifles, as did my shooting buddy. It was nothing but a headache from the first. It felt good, shouldered well, and was fairly accurate. But, it just wasn't reliable!
I polished the chamber, reshaped and polished the feed ramps, tried changing the recoil spring rate and the gas port size. I managed to get it to shoot three or four before failing - still not good!
I finally sold mine, letting the poor sucker . . . uh . . . buyer know of my problems! I didn't cheat him - he knew what he was buying, and wanted a "project".
Later, I found the JPFO website, with the instructions on how to make these things work. "DOH!"
My buddy still fights with his occasionally, when he gets bored. He also has the MAS36 bolt rifle in 7.5 French - he fireforms 6.5 Swede cases for it, and rolls his own. I don't know if they'd work in the semi-auto though. Case-head diameter is a smidge different.
I'm happy with my CETME now. Heck with that French contraption!
I polished the chamber, reshaped and polished the feed ramps, tried changing the recoil spring rate and the gas port size. I managed to get it to shoot three or four before failing - still not good!
I finally sold mine, letting the poor sucker . . . uh . . . buyer know of my problems! I didn't cheat him - he knew what he was buying, and wanted a "project".
Later, I found the JPFO website, with the instructions on how to make these things work. "DOH!"
My buddy still fights with his occasionally, when he gets bored. He also has the MAS36 bolt rifle in 7.5 French - he fireforms 6.5 Swede cases for it, and rolls his own. I don't know if they'd work in the semi-auto though. Case-head diameter is a smidge different.
I'm happy with my CETME now. Heck with that French contraption!
Hand_Rifle_Guy
Member
I like mine, despite it's odd look.
Heck, I like it BECAUSE it looks odd.
Nice shooter, efficient muzzle brake, accurate, reliable, solid. Mine's run all day on a box of grungy milsurp MG ammo and came back fer more. Nice peep sight, easy manual of arms, very well-balanced, handy little carbine chambered for a full-power round. Simple, reliable mags that're easy to change.
'Bout the only dis-advantage in my experience is the lack of capacity, but they're cheap, available, and they change really quickly.
Oh yeah...mine's a .308 conversion. None of this obscure ammo stuff.
$300 is a GOOD price for one of these in good shape since the supply dried up some years ago. Mine was $350 because I was slow in deciding I needed one of these cheapest-you-can-get Battle Rifles. (Coulda scored one fer around $250 through my dealer if I hadn't dropped the ball.) Mine was a nice clean example, and it came with three mags, IIRC. Bought 3-4 more for under $20/ea. at the same time. Dunno what the going rate is now, and there's a difference between the .308 mags and the originals, although it's a very minor change to the feed lips easily done at home if you can't get .308 mags. (.308's a millimeter or two shorter than 7.5 French. Makes for feed issues in un-modified mags.)
Here's another thread where-in I detailed the rough-chamber story, plus some other opinions that address your question.
Edit: Hey, Bigdog! No fair tantalizing us with info-goody-bits with no link! What gives?
Heck, I like it BECAUSE it looks odd.
Nice shooter, efficient muzzle brake, accurate, reliable, solid. Mine's run all day on a box of grungy milsurp MG ammo and came back fer more. Nice peep sight, easy manual of arms, very well-balanced, handy little carbine chambered for a full-power round. Simple, reliable mags that're easy to change.
'Bout the only dis-advantage in my experience is the lack of capacity, but they're cheap, available, and they change really quickly.
Oh yeah...mine's a .308 conversion. None of this obscure ammo stuff.
$300 is a GOOD price for one of these in good shape since the supply dried up some years ago. Mine was $350 because I was slow in deciding I needed one of these cheapest-you-can-get Battle Rifles. (Coulda scored one fer around $250 through my dealer if I hadn't dropped the ball.) Mine was a nice clean example, and it came with three mags, IIRC. Bought 3-4 more for under $20/ea. at the same time. Dunno what the going rate is now, and there's a difference between the .308 mags and the originals, although it's a very minor change to the feed lips easily done at home if you can't get .308 mags. (.308's a millimeter or two shorter than 7.5 French. Makes for feed issues in un-modified mags.)
Here's another thread where-in I detailed the rough-chamber story, plus some other opinions that address your question.
Edit: Hey, Bigdog! No fair tantalizing us with info-goody-bits with no link! What gives?
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