My three MAS 36 rifles

The country that avoids war and the country that fights but has a hard time winning have been combined. The Swiss made some excellent firearms and the French made some unique and occasionally inspiring ones. We have added the Belgian and Dutch since they are neighbors.

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rayg
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My three MAS 36 rifles

Post by rayg » Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:30 am

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]
MAS36-1.JPG
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Mystery MAS36-1.JPG
MAS36-2.JPG
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Niner
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Re: My three MAS 36 rifles

Post by Niner » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:02 am

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.
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stock.jpg
magazine.jpg
Butt.jpg
import.jpg
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rayg
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Re: My three MAS 36 rifles

Post by rayg » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:29 am

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
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Niner
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Re: My three MAS 36 rifles

Post by Niner » Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:51 am

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.
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24626151
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Re: My three MAS 36 rifles

Post by 24626151 » Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:08 am

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!
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