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OK, real experience related opinions please - i'm not interested in rumours or heresay.

Basically 2 things happened this week that got me thinking:

1. I was out culling deer on a property new to me, slipped in mud and dropped my Steyr SSG69 down a gulley - ouch

2. I visited a dealer who had literally bins full of these ex-french rifles which are in excellent condition (yeah, i know; shot once, dropped once!) and just aren't moving.

So, i though perhaps i should get one, trim up the stock a bit, mount a decent scope and moderator and use it for the rougher night shooting. I rarely shoot deer beyond 200yds in the dark and usually take head and neck shots (to preserve meat value). So, considering the rifle is basically in un-issued condition, will it be capable of 2-3inches at 200yds?

I don't want to get into the project until i hear real experiences with these rifles.

Thanks

Marc

R.G.C is our resident Frenchman on the forum and has been known to dabble with the odd rifle or two so I suspect he will know them quite well.

Personally I have never shot them but did read an article that suggested that one of the MAS rifles was the most accurate service rifle ever built, problem is I have no idea which one it was.

With hand load development these rifles should easily give 2" minus at 100yrds. The 7.5 x 54 is a cracking round and the MAS 36 is the epitomy of military bolt action rifle development. The French took all that was good from all the bolt action military rifles and came up with the MAS36, rear locking bolt a la Enfield for easy chambering fast shooting, turned down bolt handle and aperture rear site a la P14 and preceeding the introduction of the 1903 A3 rear aperture. It was an efficient and effective design. Nominal .309" groove diameter so good bullets shouldn't be a problem. The only thing wrong with it was that it was so ugly that people had to shoot it with bags over their heads. What is it with the French and the Japs, they both have an exquisite sense of beauty but absolutely no sense of ugliness. :?

I own a mas36 mine is in as new condition it is one of my favourite rifles.
I love shooting it.
It will shoot into 2" with hand loads. It is a very accurate rifle.
They take a bit of getting used to the turned down bolt is different.
Mounting a scope can be done I have a scope mount for mine it was about £40 I tried it but took it of iy replaces the aperture sight and takes about ten minutes to fit.
The problem was the scope was to near the bridge of my nose for my liking.
You can not mount a scope rail further forward as there is no were to mount it.
But as for the rifle it self its a keeper I would not part with it.
Reloading for it is straight forward as the bulit is .308.
The cases can be hard to get hold of but you can use 6.5x55 cases just lube them wel and run them through the mas full lentgh sizing die and trimm to lentgh.

What are the prices of the MAS like?

I'm thinking about getting something to replace my old .303 that I had to sell 2 years ago.

Swedish 6.5x55 is on the shortlist, but have read a little about the MAS too...

Prvi Partizan load the cartridge with a 139 gr FMJ bullet and also offer cartridge cases for handloaders.

Not sure about prices think I paid £250 for mine.
But it was like new with a instruction book cleaning pull through and jag in a proper box.It looked un fired.
Just a thought if you wanted to fit a moderator need to bare in mind the front inch or so of the mas36 barrel is counter bored.

I have used prvi partisan ammo in mine its ok
Henry Krank stocks it.

ovenpaa wrote:R.G.C is our resident Frenchman on the forum and has been known to dabble with the odd rifle or two so I suspect he will know them quite well.

Personally I have never shot them but did read an article that suggested that one of the MAS rifles was the most accurate service rifle ever built, problem is I have no idea which one it was.

Ovenpaa,
This is more than an invitation!!!.
I have said the action is the most intrinsically accurate of all the military bolt actions I know of.
Based on this action, sniper rifles FR F1 in 7,5mm and FR F2 in 7,62 are extremely accurate tools, the later still in service.
The rifle in itself is an honest shooter. Standard stock is too short and forearm suffers of the same problems as SMLEs. 2 pieces stock as well.
Bolt is a model of simplicity (the whole action in fact) : 5 componetss; Bolt body, Firing pin, Spring, Rear Plug (1/4 turn removal) and Extractor……Full point.
The Recever is one-part forging with the box magazine, making it extremely rigid, very strong in fact.
This is a rear locking system, with two large lugs situated at 45° when closed (very unusual , but extremely logical). Fast cycling due to the reduced bolt throw allowed by rear locking.
In the fifties, MAS (Manufacture d’Armes de Saint Etienne) made sporter versions of it, in 8x57 , 9,3x62 and 10,75x68. I used one in 10,75 in Central Africa at this time… I preferred it to the original post WW1 Mauser of the same calibre I was also using.
Problem: there is no safety….
Many shooters here have reconverted to 30x.284 (question of legislation) and use .30 calibre 155 – 168 grains bullets. Barrel might be on slightly tight side for those, but it accepts them no problem.
Hope this helps…
This action largely influenced the INCH design.
R.G.C

The MAS I had ( a few years ago now) had a short stock but it came with a purpose-made rubber boot which added almost an inch to the length and was obviously designed for the rifle, as it was marked "MAS".

I liked the rifle. My example had been well used and I believe it came from African surplus. To my mind it seemed rather on the heavy side for something ostensibly of carbine length - probably the solid forged action/mag housing had something to do with it.

I'd consider another for sure.

Airkid