I have a French MAS 45 22 rifle which I am told was a training rifle used to acclimate new troops to a full-sized weapon whilst utilizing the much cheaper 22RF ammo.
This rifle is probably the most accurate 22R/F I have ever fired w/ iron (open) sights and certainly the most accurate military trainer I ever owned.
Anyone have any further info on these rifles and their background? Anyone?

They were used from 1945 to 1975 for first training of recruits, especially after 1960 in armed forces technical schools where training with the service rifle was less a necessity.

Italic "F" serial prefixes were made at Oberndorf under French occupation, they are less than 20,000. Roman "F" are made at MAS, after 1946 Mauser receivers with overstamped MAS are seen on the early French production. guns