The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Any shoot the MAS 36? I have owned four of them over the years, all post war rebuilds that were done up and stored in the 70s and then surplused out. Two had 1960 replacement barrels, and the current one I own has the original barrel from 1952. They are pretty accurate for me but getting the rifles zero'd in is about impossible unless you have a source for the rear sight with the peep in differnt positions to zero the rifle. I've been reduced to driving the fornt sight left or right for windage and then setting the rear sight slide to get elevation on at 100 yds and then adjusting accordingly. The most recent one I bought, the forearm was so loose that I wrapped 100 mph tape around the hook in the foream to tighten it up. I use opened up 6.5x55 cases and GI M2 FMJ pulled bullets for range work or Graf/Hornady 7.5x54 cases. The length of pull is pretty short but the trigger pull weight is usually ok. All in all I find them to be fun rifles but so far haven't managed to hang onto one for very long. Maybe I will keep this one for awhile. French rifles don't get much respect here in the States. You get lots of 'only dropped once' cracks from other shooters. Not a lot of love for the French around here and I think the feeling is mutual. I've owned the run of MAS semi auto rifles from the 44 to the 49/56 and also the MAS 45 .22rf rifle.


The 49/56 before surgery



The 49/56 sans grenade range ring and the flash hider sleeved both to improve accuracy. It seems to have helped.



Syrian contract MAS 49



One of the MAS 36s (don't remember which one!) but they are all about this same condition. Replacement furniture and refinished.



MAS 45 which is a continuation of the Mauser KKW. This is an accurate, man size rifle!

The MAS 45 has a good reputation for accuracy however it is not seen a lot on UK ranges, aren't they rear lug bolts? (From memory) The MAS 36 I have never seen other than in photographs for obvious reasons

Good looking rifles.

Nice looking rifles there.

Always fancied a MAS, but they're not that common here. I've only ever seen one.

ovenpaa wrote:The MAS 45 has a good reputation for accuracy however it is not seen a lot on UK ranges, aren't they rear lug bolts? (From memory) The MAS 36 I have never seen other than in photographs for obvious reasons

Good looking rifles.

Yes the bolt on the 45 is rear lug but it doesn't seem to effect accuracy. The 36 bolt is also rear lugged but this makes for a shorter bolt throw. I guess the 36's all ended up in the U.S. They came sealed in bags with the arsenal refurb tag plus a French language manual. Some of the 49/56s also came sealed, tagged and with the basic equipment issue of sling, bayonet, night sights, spare parts kit, cleaning kit, manual (that is the way mine came). When the refurbished the 49/56s they parkerized the chamber and bore also. I had to get the chamber polished, otherwise it would function reliably.

I own and shoot a MAS36 had it a number of years. I like it a lot it. It shoots were you point it its very accurate. I would have to be offered a very large sum of money to part with it.
I have a number of cases for it and its a simple job to re size 6.6x55 cases to use in it.
I normally put hornady 155g A max .308 bullits through it with N140 powder.
I will post some pics if you like.
Only problem I have with it is I have to make sure I am not on the next firing point to Adam(Dromia) otherwise he throws things at it and calls it names that I can not print here.
:flag5:

Let's see a picture (of the rifle not your mate throwing stuff at you!).

I've got one I picked up at a gun show many years ago. I might have some ammo to fit, as well. Regrettably, I've never shot it that I remember.

I seem to recall I paid $70 for it, some guy had a big wood crate full of the things that were covered in the thickest, nastiest, filty cosmoline I had ever seen. He was asking $90, and my buddy stopped to look. As soon as they started discussing price, the guy looked at me, and told my buddy "if you buy two, I'll make it $70 each, and I'll include this ammo". Clearly, I didn't have a choice .....

Chombart might be willing to comment on the rear lug design. After all, for a rifle introduced in '36, he is almost a contemporary. :-)

ShootingSight wrote:Chombart might be willing to comment on the rear lug design. After all, for a rifle introduced in '36, he is almost a contemporary. :-)

....plus he is a bit of a fan of rear lockers

I also own one, rate them highly and did a review of them for target shooter some time ago

One of the finest bolt action military rifles ever made, the French took all that was best from bolt action battle rifles and distilled it into the fine shooting and handling MAS 1936 and married it with a fine cartridge .

The only one thing wrong with it is that it one of the ugliest things on the planet well up there with black rifles as visual abominations and optical affronts.

The French obviously have an exquisite sense of beauty but absolutely no sense of ugliness.