My three MAS 36 rifles
Moderator: ArchFluffy
My three MAS 36 rifles
Here's my three original condt MAS 36 rifles, Two pre-war ones, a 1939 and a 1940 one, and one called a Mystery rifle as it is unknown exactly when it was made but most likely either just before the German occupation in June 1940 or just after for Vichy use or secretly for the resistance. The only markings on it beside the MAS 36 model stamp is a three digit serial number hand stamped in two places. They all have their original painted/stoved finishes. I reload cast bullets for them in 7.5 MAS and also for a 8mm Berthier I have and have fun shooting them. Ray
Also a photo of the Mystery rifleMAS36-1. Note no serial number where it normally should be. JPG[/attachment]
Also a photo of the Mystery rifleMAS36-1. Note no serial number where it normally should be. JPG[/attachment]
Re: My three MAS 36 rifles
Nice set of three. Any import marks? How many serial numbers match on each rifle?
I've got one that looks pretty good....and even has a serial number on the side of the receiver. Only thing..... no two serial numbers on this rifle match! The butt, forestock, receiver, trigger guard, and magazine floor all have different numbers! It was a Century Import and has the stamp just above where the butt joins the receiver. Must have been a bitser made for the US market. But having paid $59 a dozen years ago, it is still worth the price. Whatever the reason is for so many unmatched numbers it shoots fine and if the ammo wasn't so expensive I'd shoot it more often.
I've got one that looks pretty good....and even has a serial number on the side of the receiver. Only thing..... no two serial numbers on this rifle match! The butt, forestock, receiver, trigger guard, and magazine floor all have different numbers! It was a Century Import and has the stamp just above where the butt joins the receiver. Must have been a bitser made for the US market. But having paid $59 a dozen years ago, it is still worth the price. Whatever the reason is for so many unmatched numbers it shoots fine and if the ammo wasn't so expensive I'd shoot it more often.
Re: My three MAS 36 rifles
Nice looking rifle, and it's still stoved which means made pre war. I wish I would have been interested in these rifles years ago when they were going for those prices. They still are not that expensive but not the price they were back then.
No import marks on any of mine and the bayonet number on one does not match otherwise they're all matching, Ray
No import marks on any of mine and the bayonet number on one does not match otherwise they're all matching, Ray
Re: My three MAS 36 rifles
The sling even came with it. The sling came in a sealed bag and hadn't been issued before....at least it looked that way. The stamped on information inside of the sling looks a bit large and looks like either an after thought placed there after the sling was made or maybe it was stamped on the leather before the sling was cut from the leather.
Re: My three MAS 36 rifles
I really liked my MAS 36 and handloaded for it thanks to Barnes and De Haas long before Indep started loading. In fact I liked it so much that when I sold all my range rifles I decided to keep the calibre alive in a sporting rig. As I used 6.5 swede necked out originally I had a slot on my FAC created for 7.62 x 55 (my FEO wouldnt accept a .30 wildcat without dimensions). This automatically meant its not a miltary calibre so may get past the french rules but before I could get a barrel chambered the French apparently have annouced that the rules will be updated and only 7.62 x 51/39 and 5.56 x 45 will be military when the law gets revised this year.
Still I will plod ahead as its a fine round and worthy of a decent sporting rifle, a rebarrelled mauser perhaps!
Still I will plod ahead as its a fine round and worthy of a decent sporting rifle, a rebarrelled mauser perhaps!
I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy!
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