MAS 36 (modele 36 / mle 36)

History

The MAS 36 was a sturdy, if unremarkable, French Army service rifle that appeared in very few numbers before the start of World War II. It comes with a powerful man-stop cartridge to replace the outdated 8mm MLE-86 cartridge.

Research culminated in the development of a new 7.5mm cartridge and a new light machine gun system to fire it. Attention then turned to a new French Army service rifle, which eventually became the MAS 36. The rifle system was in service with the French army and colonial forces for decades and was used by other parties during its decade-long existence.

The system is still available today to a limited extent and is easily identifiable by its unique bolt handle, which has a great forward angle.

Following the end of World War I in 1918, French authorities attempted to replace the 8mm mle 86 cartridges used throughout the conflict. The 8mm mle 86 is actually obsolete and has proven unsuitable for use in the burgeoning automatic weapons market.

In addition, the French Army has been looking for a new light machine gun system to fill its roster for decades to come, and decided to first develop an effective cartridge for the system.

The 7.5x64mm cartridge appeared in 1924, itself based on the 7.92mm Mauser rifle and accepted into service with the French Army. It was a "frameless" bullet system that had potential from the start, but an evaluation through long-term trials quickly determined that it was in short supply, necessitating modifications. The cartridge exhibited some undesirable properties under certain conditions and generally proved unsafe in the field. After some modifications, a new version with a shorter overall length appeared in 1929.

After additional evaluation, the cartridge was approved for use, and the aforementioned light machine gun was soon developed.

The cartridges were in place, the LMGs were in place, and a new French Army frontline magazine service rifle was quickly thought of to fire 7.5mm cartridges. After more than three years of development, a prototype bolt-action rifle is available, only with more time spent in the required evaluation and testing phases.

The rifle received the designation MAS 36, and from 1936 onwards, the producible form was accepted and supplied to the French army. At launch, the MAS 36 was the last bolt-action rifle to be used at the forefront of major world powers, with others opting to upgrade their inventory with more modern "self-loading" types.

The MAS 36, like most other bolt-action rifles of the time, still plays a major role in the successful Mauser system. However, the MAS 36 bolt was a heavily modified version of the German design and required the bolt handle to be positioned at a sharp forward angle.

Unlike the Mauser, the bolt handle of the MAS 36 is locked behind the magazine, not in the bolt hole. This arrangement provides shorter bolt travel, but at the same time provides a less powerful Mauser-like effect.

Therefore, short movements require the bolt handle lugs to be tilted forward for operator access. Like other French military rifles, the MAS 36 was designed and manufactured without any type of safety catch to prevent accidental firing.

Externally, the MAS 36 retains the traditional rifle look, with extensive use of wooden furniture against the steel fuselage. The shoulder rest has been integrated into the rear of the receiver with an ergonomic handle. The grip allows for proper handling of the rear end of the weapon and easy access to the ring-encircled trigger.

The bolt handle mentioned above is mounted on the right side of the fuselage and operates in the normal way, allowing the user to eject spent cartridges and insert new cartridges from the magazine well. Full five-round magazine for 7.5x54mm cartridges, fixed internally and fed by a "magazine". The empty weight of the rifle is about 3.7 kg. The 575mm long 4-slot left-handed barrel is mounted in the front frame, which is thinned by a wooden front end, which itself is strapped in two places - along the center and the front end.

The front end also has practical grip grooves on the sides for a firm forward grip. The muzzle sticks out a short distance from the front end. Adjustable and fixed crosshairs allow for precise shooting. Overall, the gun has a barrel length of 1,020 mm, while its muzzle velocity is estimated at 2,800 feet per second, with effective ranges of up to 350 meters and 400 meters.

In true WWI trench warfare style, a bayonet can be inserted into the front under the barrel for close work.

In addition to prolonged testing of new cartridges and rifles, lethargic production continues to delay the MAS 36's entry into frontline service. It's true that World War II would have left France dormant, leaving the German war machine more or less rolling over half of the country, but it's worth remembering that the French nation is still grappling with the horrific losses suffered during the first run And was shocked by the well-trained German troops during the First World War. Four years of brutal war took its toll on the once proud nation. In fact, by 1939 only a small fraction of the French army was armed with the new MAS 36 rifle.

In fact, the supply of front-line rifles was so limited that refit programs were used to bring old World War I-era rifles back into the competition. At the time of the German invasion of France, the MAS 36 had a certain amount available, but not enough to make much of an impact - however, the outcome of the invasion would no doubt have been different.

Since then, the remaining MAS 36s in service are still used by a lucky few French army personnel who were fortunate enough to receive them before the invasion. These weapons are now used by the French infantry, who fought under the banner of "Free France" whenever possible.

The invading Germans also captured enough MAS 36 prototypes that they restored the weapon to Wehrmacht rank as the Rifle 252(f). However, many of them were limited to guarding on French soil.

The official service of the MAS 36 rifle lasted from 1936 to 1978, and in a sense it is a long-term success story for any firearm standard. Besides being used in World War II, the weapon was especially used in the upcoming Algerian War, the First Indochina War and the Suez Crisis.

Many former French colonies continued to use this rifle after World War II, and during the Reconstruction years, it was officially used by the French army again. After a few years, the excess stock was eventually reserved by the French government for formal ceremonial tasks.

While the base name "MAS 36" represented the original production form rifle, the MAS 36 CR39 became a slightly modified short-barreled version of the MAS 36 military rifle, but compact enough for use by the French Airborne Forces. In addition to the shorter barrel, this type is also designed with a rotatable hollow aluminum stock, which contributes to the compactness and portability of the weapon.

However, production numbers of the MAS 36 CR39 are limited. Later the MAS 36 LG48 was used to designate the MAS 36 rifle, equipped with a 48mm rifle grenade launcher. These were used in the First Indochina War.

Likewise, the MAS 36/51 is a MAS 36 rifle equipped with a 22mm NATO standard rifle grenade launcher. The "Fusil modele FR-G2" is an improved version of the base MAS 36 for the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) role. They come with a matchbox, a harmonic compensator and a sniper scope.

By the way, the name letters "MAS" stand for the French manufacturer, officially called "Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne".

Specification

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