I would really appreciate any help that ya'll can give me on IDing this rifle for my buddy. He found it in his grandmother's attic and doesn't know anything about it. I have looked at it and am clueless.

It is a bolt action rifle with a Spike bayonet that can be stored inverted under the barrel with a push button locking device. The magazine plate and spring/follower will also detach from the rifle. There is also a device at the muzzle end of the rifle that I do not understand. It is a 2.5" steel rod with a rounded head that is welded beside the barrel and bayonet.






Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

It is a French MAS.
Don't know the exact version.

The small device you don't understand is a "stacking stud". It's used to interlock 3 rifles into a tripod for overnight storage on field manovers.

Thank you very much for your help.

The model is POS.

That is the notorious frogrifle, the MAS 36. Chambered initially for the 7.5mm French MAS (Manufacure des Armes de St. Etienne) cartridge, the thing represents the continuation of the militarily obsolete bolt-action rifle, adopted by France at about the time that every other civilized nation was developing semi-auto military weapons (1936). Like all French rifles, it is a piece of junk, albeit a more advanced piece of junk than the Lebel or Berthiers that preceded it! Some of these were converted to 7.62X51mm NATO when imported to the U.S.



The best one I ever saw had the barrel bent into an "S" curve, ostensibly for shooting at moving targets!

eldeguello,



Ya know buddy, I've got a MAS 49/56 in 7.5 French that shoots just as well as my Hakim, my FN/FAL, any of my four SKS's, much better than any of my AK's, and almost as well as my M-1 Garand.



Does that make it a POS?



They only have to work and do what they were designed to do, which is kill people. They don't have to be the space shuttle.



Oh, didn't two of those blow up with the loss of the entire crew? Technology only goes so far. A rock upside the head will still kill you. Right?



And as for everyone else adopting semi-auto rifles, who was the ONLY nation to bring one to World War II as a standard rifle? Well the U.S. of A. of course. Everyone else had a bolt gun!



Respectfully,



Eric

eric,

yeah we took a semi with us to the party and soon the other guests brought some of their own.....let's see, the StG 44 rings a bell, the Commies brought the Tokarev. The Krauts also had a couple rifles vintage 1941 and '43, Walther and Mauser designs.....the Japs were working hard on a Garand copy. We didn't have the sole rights to semi rifles, just a step ahead.

As for the LeFrog DeGurre MAS 36, it was and is, a Piece de la Poo-pee produced at Saint Marie. Your reasoning suggests that the VW bug is the same as a Benz..afterall, both have engines and four wheels and a windshield and are called automobiles.

Perhaps a good exercise for this forum would be for people to explain in detail what exactly qualifies a particular rifle for the title of "POS" in their view.

As you so accurately pointed out, a rifle is nothing more than a tool used to send a piece of lead down range at high velocity. Once you get beyond that function, personal likes and dislikes start getting into the game and it normally becomes little more than do you prefer chocolate or vanilla...or strawberry...or rocky road?

Rick

Rick brings up an excellent point gentlemen! Here are my two largest reasons for terming this particular model French battle rifle (MAS36) a POS:

1.) No safety!!
2.) Forward swept bolt handle, which for me anyway is BAD ergonomics!

ASS_CLOWN

"As for the LeFrog DeGurre MAS 36, it was and is, a Piece de la Poo-pee produced at Saint Marie. Your reasoning suggests that the VW bug is the same as a Benz..afterall, both have engines and four wheels and a windshield and are called automobiles."

Your point?

They both do the same job. What, comfort? Hardly an issue with a "man killing" device. Better engineering? Do they not perform the same task? In all weathers? With the SAME factor of relibility? As a matter of fact, VW outperformed M/B in all cases in my experience, for less money.

Again, your point?

You may not like them, but my friend, they still do what they were designed to do.

My opinon. And no, I don't have one. I like semi-autos.

Regards,

Eric

Eric,

My point is thus:

NO, they are not the same. The LeFrog deGurre is not even close as being as 'efficient' as most any other weapon of it's genre. Nor is a VW beetle in the same league as a MB, a moped maybe, but a Benz, no. I have owned VW's and the latter as well. About like comparing champagne and cheap beer.

Hell, even the frogs got rid of the damned things, that ought to tell you something. They are junk as many others have tried to tell you. Tell me about the safety on the MAS 36, how does it operate? Does the MAS have controlled round feeding as with the 98 Mauser, 96 mauser, 93 Mauser, Jap Arisaka, or Springfield '03? Front locking lugs? One piece stock? Claw extractor? What about gas venting? I'm not being obnoxious with you, just asking the deliberate questions concerning it's field efficiency in the hands of a soldier. The MAS 36 is horrible and about the only thing it does, is go BANG.....sometimes.