Just bought one today for $130. Its counter-bored about a half inch at the muzzle (standard procedure?). The bore and rifling look great. The metal looks parkerized, and the wood sloppily varnished. Nothing seems to match number wise, but overall its a nice looking rifle. The barrel bands have weird screw, like an extractor screw on an Enfield with 2 opposing notches instead of a slot. I know they don't have a safety, and that I should have the headspace checked. I don't plan on shooting it much. Any comments, tips on these rifles would be appreciated.
What of the MAS 36?
- Thread starter dumdum303
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Limeyfellow
Member
The Mas36 is a really accurate, reliable, compact rifle that is much derided but I like it at least. You can get between 1-2moa out of a good one. Ammunition is a little harder to get ahold of but is quite similiar to 7.5mm swiss rounds.
R.W.Dale
Member
I've owned just about every milsurp out there. Yet my frankenMAS sporter bubba hackjob would shoot circles around all the rest. A true freak of nature the my mas is truly a sub moa rifle.
fallingblock
Member
Strong, simple, safe and rugged....
The MAS 36 would have been a world-beater if the French had introduced it fifty years earlier.
The massive bolt is quite smooth in operation, but rapid operation can be a chore with the 'dogleg' handle.
It's a fun rifle - go out and shoot it.
The MAS 36 would have been a world-beater if the French had introduced it fifty years earlier.
The massive bolt is quite smooth in operation, but rapid operation can be a chore with the 'dogleg' handle.
It's a fun rifle - go out and shoot it.
MRIman
Member
I've got 3 MAS 36's. Had a few more but my friends like them as well!!
The days of getting them for $36 are long gone.Wish I'd got a dozen more.
MRI
The days of getting them for $36 are long gone.Wish I'd got a dozen more.
MRI
The Deer Hunter
Member
Man, those are neat rifles....
Harry Paget Flashman
Member
There has been one of these sitting in the display rack at a local gun store for 6 months or so. It's an ugly looking rifle, but then so are Mosin Nagant's and I have 12 of them. I saw this thread yesterday and made it a point to pick it up and look at today as I was browsing. In my own opinion, it looked and felt cheesy. The furniture was loose almost to the point where it rattled if you shook it. I could see how this rifle could grow on you though, despite it being an odd duck. They want $250 for it IIRC. If I hadn't started last year to trim back my calibers out of ammo stockpiling concerns I might have bought it just to have one.
I was talking with my regular FFL guy at another gun store today about the MAS 36 and he was singing it's praises and saying how under appreciated and accurate they were.
Actually, it's not all that ugly. Is there any cheap milsurp ammo still around for it?
I was talking with my regular FFL guy at another gun store today about the MAS 36 and he was singing it's praises and saying how under appreciated and accurate they were.
Actually, it's not all that ugly. Is there any cheap milsurp ammo still around for it?
I have seen some surplus ammo at shows but glanced over it. Is there a windage adjustment on these? Thankfully the furniture is solid. There is one fairly recent looking dent on the front handguard, but I'm over that. It does look well put together. Is the date stamped anywhere, or is it one of those serial number translations like the K31?
R.W.Dale
Member
NO, There is no windage adjustment, windage is determined by using different rear sight apetures, Usually these rifles are well regulated from the arsenal
The Deer Hunter
Member
Where do you buy these guns?
Limeyfellow
Member
The handle is about the only thing bad on it.
Windage adjustment is very rare to find on Military Surplus of this age. People simply used Kentucky Windage until the Springfield 1903a3. Its a nice feature on a target rifle, but in the heat of combat it was so rarely used it was considered just another thing to go wrong so almost all have fixed front sight. The rear peep sight is rather nice and an early design.
A testament of the design is the FR F1 and FR F2 used as a sniper rifle today, still use the basic Mas 36 system thats been modernised and updated.
Windage adjustment is very rare to find on Military Surplus of this age. People simply used Kentucky Windage until the Springfield 1903a3. Its a nice feature on a target rifle, but in the heat of combat it was so rarely used it was considered just another thing to go wrong so almost all have fixed front sight. The rear peep sight is rather nice and an early design.
A testament of the design is the FR F1 and FR F2 used as a sniper rifle today, still use the basic Mas 36 system thats been modernised and updated.
zedheadmc
Member
I don't have any but will change that some day soon. I do believe that they are a handsome rifle.
kBob
Member
Limeyfellow,
Actually the M1903 as set up for the M1906 cartridge had windage adjustable sights as did the M1903A1 which is merely the same rifle set in a C type stock. A small fine slotted screw on the shooters right side of the rear sight can be turned to provide accurate and small changes in windage.
This ability was one of the reasons the M1903 was called match rifle in the old WWI thingee.....
The Americans built the best target rifle.
The Germans built the best hunting rifle.
THe British built the best Battle rifle.
Just for information of folks that may not know: The M1903A2 had no sights ( or stock) and was just used in a mount adapted to fire through the bore of an artillery piece to provide more realistic direct lay low angle fire training without the expense and range requirements of using cannon ammunition, but the mount did have windage and elevation adjustments.
BTW both the WWI Mausers and SMeLliEs were suposed to have sights adjusted for zero shortly after the shooter learned the basics and began shooting recognizable groups. Front sights of various heights could be installed to deal with elevation corrections and windage was handled by drifting the chosen front sight in the direction of the impact. Some militaries used a screw based tool not unlike the sight tool currently used with the SKS and AK type rifles for windage adjustment at the training stations. Others just used a drift and by guess and by gum.....but windage was adjustable on most rifles of the WWI era.
-Bob Hollingsworth
Actually the M1903 as set up for the M1906 cartridge had windage adjustable sights as did the M1903A1 which is merely the same rifle set in a C type stock. A small fine slotted screw on the shooters right side of the rear sight can be turned to provide accurate and small changes in windage.
This ability was one of the reasons the M1903 was called match rifle in the old WWI thingee.....
The Americans built the best target rifle.
The Germans built the best hunting rifle.
THe British built the best Battle rifle.
Just for information of folks that may not know: The M1903A2 had no sights ( or stock) and was just used in a mount adapted to fire through the bore of an artillery piece to provide more realistic direct lay low angle fire training without the expense and range requirements of using cannon ammunition, but the mount did have windage and elevation adjustments.
BTW both the WWI Mausers and SMeLliEs were suposed to have sights adjusted for zero shortly after the shooter learned the basics and began shooting recognizable groups. Front sights of various heights could be installed to deal with elevation corrections and windage was handled by drifting the chosen front sight in the direction of the impact. Some militaries used a screw based tool not unlike the sight tool currently used with the SKS and AK type rifles for windage adjustment at the training stations. Others just used a drift and by guess and by gum.....but windage was adjustable on most rifles of the WWI era.
-Bob Hollingsworth
Vern Humphrey
Member
I've never quite understood that. The Springfield did have elaborate target sights (albeit not what we would use today) and the battle sight was almost useless because it was set for such long range. On the other hand, Alvin York (and he should know) considered the Springfield sights superior to those on the M1917 Enfield.
As for the Enfield and Mauser, their sights were almost the same -- notch and blade. Precisely what makes the Mauser a "hunting rifle" and the Enfield (which should be called the "Lee," not the "Enfield") a superior battle rifle escapes me.
Vern Humphrey
Member
For the first magazine full, yes. After that, it was still loaded with 5-round clips, and the magazine capacity became a non-issue.
The Mauser 98 in WWI was longer and also had a long bayonet -- it had reach of pike on the SMLE.
Vicious-Peanut
Member
Oh wow, that is a great looking rifle. Where could one find one?
dstorm1911
Member
well to get the thread back on the topic of MAS 36s.........
ya will find the date under the Handguard on the barrel, ya might wanna vist the French rifle forum on
Gunboards.com
or on
surplusrifleforum.com
Alot more very specific info including links to ammo sources etc..
ya will find the date under the Handguard on the barrel, ya might wanna vist the French rifle forum on
Gunboards.com
or on
surplusrifleforum.com
Alot more very specific info including links to ammo sources etc..
tinygnat219
Member
Great rifle, accurate, low recoil.
You won't regret picking one of these up.
You won't regret picking one of these up.
kungfuhippie
Member
So what caliber of little white flag does it shoot?
I look forward to seeing this thing.
I look forward to seeing this thing.
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