MAS 36-51 Rfle……………………..( f 501) SOLD

The French MAS 36-51 Rifle

The MAS 36 as it is known was the last bolt action rifle to be taken up by any major military powers. Although quite difficult to tell, it is a modified Mauser type action.  In a way  it came about in a rather unusual way – it was designed after a machine gun had been developed, the brief being to use the same round – the 7.5mm.  It is a strange weapon at first glance as one gets the impression that the bolt arm has become bent in service, but no, it’s meant to look like that !  It all goes back to the fact that the designers moved the conventional locking lugs on the bolt to the rear, thereby locking into the rear action bridge.  This leads to a short operating stroke for the rifle but meant that the bolt arm had to be literally bent into a position to “find ” the shooters hand.

The rifle is chambered in the French 7.5mm cartridge and has a 5-shot integral magazine which once again can be stripper-clip loaded from above the action.  The barrel has a four groove left hand twist and is 22.3/4″ long.  The rifle is 41.3/4″ in length ( including padded rubber slip-on butt-pad )  The black rubber pad has the makers name and a date molded into it, the date being 1962.

Stocked in Birch with a hand-guard over the barrel.  The metalwork is all finished in a phosphate grey but appears to be fairly unused.  The LHS of the action is marked as follows; ” MAS  Mle 1936-51″ alongside the serial number which is “F 79054″  This matching number is repeated on the bolt handle.  The rear sights are of the sliding aperture type and are graduated from 200 to 1200 meters.  There is no windage adjustment on the rear sight.    The front sight is a thick blade type with protective ears.  Underneath the barrel is a circular opening in which the cruciform bayonet is stored.  It is easily removed by depressing the exposed catch, reversing it and putting the rear end back in the hole, thereby fixing the bayonet in position for use.  Once the bayonet is attached, the rifle becomes 51.1/4″ long.  The bayonet itself is 16.7/8” unmounted.

The genuine French light tan sling is mounted by a side bar fixed into the butt-stock and a ring fixed to the mid-barrel band.  The sling has a makers stamp on the reverse (inside).  This rifle was however selected to be modified for the grenade launcher.  The front of the hand guard has been let out to allow for the launchers sighting system to be accommodated and the LHS of the front band has been modified to take the fitting.  Part of the barrel shroud has also been altered.  The first 1/4″ of the bore inside the muzzle has been counter-bored.  This rifle appears little used and the bore is in fine condition with sharp rifling and no pitting or misting.  A humble but equally dangerous distant cousin of the Mauser.

Stock No’  f 501

£ 475.00…SOLD

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