The firing pin spring is where Marcel Bich (Bic) got the spring for his ball point pen design....I worked for Bic in 1965 and got the whole story from the French management in Milford CT...
@SpaceNerd117 yeah it's a semiauto but at they time they would have been called automatic loaders, it could mean both depending on the context and especially the time
French gunsmith: "Quick, Fritz is coming, hide the rifles!" *Tosses rifles under bed Fritz: "What are you doing? Are you making ze rifles?" "Noooooo..." "Oh, ok then."
@@duncanmurphy8085they probably waved off the development (what could be found) as untested and or failed attempts to convert the 36 to semi auto. As a two stage design (build a 36 then unbuild chunks of it to fit new pieces) in a cartridge the Germans didn’t use in an occupied factory it almost certainly isn’t worth the effort.
Ian might be an agent for the french army, dispatched to increase the value of french firearms on the civilian market in preparation for the famas sells.
@@louisromero2320 Century Arms Imported thousands of them about 15 years ago for like $150. The only problem is century arms being brain dead assclowns with literally 100 intoxicated primates working as gunsmiths improperly converted most to .308 so now they are useless and almost worthless.
I am REALLY impressed they were able to hide their development program from the Germans! The Garand being a semiautomatic was a significant advantage for us, going up against a widely adopted semiauto design instead of the Mauser would have been a very different prospect.
The US: “Yeah the Garand is good but we need more capacity and a detachable mag. Let’s take over a decade to figure out how!” France: *GOttA gO FAst!!!*
@@ST-zm3lm It's better to have a stopgap solution, than no solution at all. The real problem we have in France is that once the stopgap solution gets implemented, the people who get handed the bill take ONE look at how much it really cost and decide to cancel R&D for the ACTUAL solution.
plus this thing, MAS 44, is a far better design and operating mechanism compared to M1/M14. It's a sealed and protected and works good in mud and dirt.......something American designs of around the same era definitely do not do well
I always thought the external magazine release looked super weird...Then I got the chance to play with a MAS 56, and it just made a lot of sense and felt really nice.
A little french advice: Your pronunciation of Saint Etienne is almost perfect, you only miss the "liaison", we often link the last letter of a world with the next one. So when you say Saint, the 't' is silent, but then you should pronounce Etienne linked with that silent 't', which give something like "Saint tEtienne". Have a nice day, congrats for your book, i can't wait to receive it i'm currently like a kid the day before Christmas.
Ordered my Kickstarter copy of the book today, its a great idea, its a good thing to do and I encourage everyone else to perhaps consider doing so. I have never been on Patreon or Kickstarter before but I made the effort, its worthwhile and (I feel) we owe it to Ian. Please lets all remember that InRange TV literally put their monetisation aside so they could communicate without commercial concerns, these guys could easily have been bought over/sold out to commercial concerns, and they didn't so every morning when they wake up for breakfast they are loosing money. I have been in forearms professionally for 30 years and Ian has transformed the way the whole area is perceived by those outside, to the point where non shooting friends welcome these videos. I am proud to be able to support the activity. As it happens I live in France, and I wasn't actually that interested in French rifle development but Ian brings out every aspect of interest and ideas like swapping out rear sights to produce a zero....wonderful....and he balances the rigour of a true historian with communicating a real enthusiasm, please give him your support if you can (Kickstarter was much easier to use than I guessed).
If they are so relatively common in the US, if you can get hold of one in shooting condition, it'd be really interesting to see a 2-gun match with you and Karl: one of you with this rifle and one with the M1 Garand. You both always praise the Garand a lot (I'm sure that with good reason), and it'd be great to hear your thoughts after having given this one a go in a practical environment, as you have done with other historical firearms in the past :).
Damn I wish I could afford your book. I've always appreciated the French for being at the front of firearms technological innovation and design. I guess I'll have to be happy with another shirt.
I think the standard combat load was a couple mags and the rest clips because clips are lighter than magazines. Plenty of other box mag rifles around this time (like the Czech Vz 58 rifle) also have clip cutouts.
My buddy from Sikorsky bought one of these in the early 90s when he got his C&R license and these rifles appeared on the market (IIRC he got it from the now defunct Southern Ohio Guns - where I bought my MAS 49/56)...surplus ammo was always a problem with French rifles - I doubt he shot it much...he' now a captain in the Jupiter, FL police.
@hi there "Black widow" anything is usually a direct jab at it being fake. "Black widow X" where X is any gun you so choose was different only in that it has a black finish. It's a sale pitch for gullible gun enthusiasts who aren't too familiar with the history behind the weapon(s) they're buying. It's the gun world equivalent of "I have an elephant/bridge I'd like to sell you".
These are great little shooters. I got to shoot one at 100 yds. it gave about a 1 1/2 or 2 inch group off the bench. Recoil was very manageable. Just a nice time. Ammo was a bit higher in price but better now. If I find one for sale I would love to own it. Thanks Ian
I've got a 49/56 in .308 and love it but can't get brass to cycle through only steel case but .308 isn't cheap so works itself out, have 4 mags cleaning kit that was a standard issue the bayonet and 3 extra firing pins, very very fun an pleasant to shoot, keep up the great work guys love the channel
Hi Ian! Great video as usual ^^. A little tip for you speaking in french, always make the link between the T and the E of Saint-Etienne. So instead of saying "Sain-Etienne", pronounce "Saint-Tétienne". It works everytime except when the next word starts with an H.
I would love to find one these in Canada, such interesting history and not that bad looking of a rifle. Also that nylon charging handle is just begging for replacement with a brass knurled knob.
As a bit of a European military history reader and a Francophile especially visiting sites and places of historic interest,this series on French military rifles has been great. How do soldiers clean the gas tube if it gets blocked or dirty?
Because the gas passes out of the gas tube into the bolt carrier and thence to the world it clears itself. When a piston is involve some of the gas stays in the port/tube and leaves fouling.
This is a pretty decent reference on the Carcano series of rifles: The Model 1891 Carcano Rifle: A Detailed Developmental and Production History (0) www.amazon.com/dp/0764350811/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fY63Cb8GY28ZA
It's interesting how the French really pushed plastic components very early on. The French bicycle component manufacturer Simplex switched to a nylon framed design for its derailleurs in the early 1960s. This decision essentially killed the company, the nylon twisted and deformed under load and frequently shattered like that bolt handle on the MAS. They had been the largest derailleur manufacturer in the world and by the start of the 1980s were out of business.
Ian: whatever happened with your MAS-38? I've been hoping to see a new video of you with it, perhaps shooting it at a range. But I haven't been notified of any yet. Is there a chance you will return to its story?
Likely as Ian himself has said a few times, particlarly in the last Q&A, weapons he owns himself, he tends to avoid reviewing them, so that incase he needs to film, make and upload them for 'emmergency content' reasons, they're still able to be used.
Always thought these French rifles were neat looking and have been wanting to pick one up for some time but never have. Looks like I REALLY need to now before they start jumping up in price because of videos like this and the book coming out. lol
Maybe I'm the only one, but if a gun has to have a safety this style looks very intuitive to me. I've seen people mix up the little red push buttons. Putting it in the way of the trigger would be great.
I remember this weapon that came out recently in Rising Storm 2 Vietnam. It's not bad but I hate the reloading it's a pain. You can also use a Grenade attachment to this baby.
Can you do one on the 308 conversion? I bought one without knowing anything about the weapons. I knew it was a French rifle in NATO cartridge but that's the bullets I have the most of.
I actually like the mag relese on the magazine if it's going to be a robust reusable magazine. The AR platform was designed with disposable magazines in mind. That Mas 44 must have been heavy. Those lightening cuts are massive, as it appears the gas tube is also.
You're both right and wrong. You're right in that the magazine IS detachable and uses an external catch. But you're wrong in implying it's similar to the MAS 44... because you're not really supposed to remove a K31 magazine. Essentially it's a detachable internal magazine that sticks way out of a gun fed with stripper clips. Each magazine has its gun's serial number stenciled on it. Soldiers were issued (real fancy) disposable stripper clips ("lames-chargeur") and precisely zero spare magazine. It gets really noticeable when you feed GP11 straight into a detached K11 magazine: it's pretty easy to accidentally slide the elevator way out of position and jam the whole thing... Source: I have my K31 right in front of me.
@@GigAnonymous well i never claimed that the k31 magazine was designed to be replaced. i know this from my own k31 sitting in front of me. i'm not disagreeing. however my argument still stands, you CAN interchange their magazines and they do use a magazine mounted clip to retain the magazine within the magazine well.
@@neverknowsbest4994 Of course. What I meant is that the K31 magazine is essentially part of the firearm, so whether the catch is on the gun or on the magazine make no difference in the end. On the MAS 44 however, the magazines seem to have been designed as the main way to reload the gun... if every infantryman was supposed to carry 2-3 magazines, it would have made for some unnecessary expenses.
Can't help but think this was a pretty impressive design for the 1930s. Looks simple and elegant. If it shared some components with the Mas 36, I wonder why they thought it would be too difficult to change the production line.
@@ForgottenWeapons - I am reminded of Frederich II of Prussia who said something like He who defends everything defends nothing. Except in this case, the fragile coalition government that wants 2 rifles doesn't get enough of either.
The firing pin spring is where Marcel Bich (Bic) got the spring for his ball point pen design....I worked for Bic in 1965 and got the whole story from the French management in Milford CT...
Marcel had an interesting name
Greetings Vonmazur , PP Co.
CT gang😎
@@ZayP730 I am in Alabama now...the heat be free!
The French invented a pen just so it’s easier to sign surrender
The brutal simplicity and reliability of the MAS-36 in an automatic rifle.
You have to respect it.
the real respect should belong to the engineers and gunsmiths who stop this rifle design fall from german hands at early 1940
Beautiful weapon as well
It's a semiauto...?
semi automatic but automatic nonetheless @@SpaceNerd117
@SpaceNerd117 yeah it's a semiauto but at they time they would have been called automatic loaders, it could mean both depending on the context and especially the time
French gunsmith: "Quick, Fritz is coming, hide the rifles!"
*Tosses rifles under bed
Fritz: "What are you doing? Are you making ze rifles?"
"Noooooo..."
"Oh, ok then."
"Vierd, hans. Zey only make MAS 36. No modern rifles of any kind, not even in development."
@@duncanmurphy8085 I like to imagine they knew about the MAS-44s but the Germans knew the french wouldn't be useful for the rest of the war.
“Ze rifles”
I died laughing.
@@duncanmurphy8085they probably waved off the development (what could be found) as untested and or failed attempts to convert the 36 to semi auto. As a two stage design (build a 36 then unbuild chunks of it to fit new pieces) in a cartridge the Germans didn’t use in an occupied factory it almost certainly isn’t worth the effort.
Watch as one man single handedly destroys the French milsurp market
Ian might be an agent for the french army, dispatched to increase the value of french firearms on the civilian market in preparation for the famas sells.
*these rifles go for about 400-1100 right now for future reference*
@@Froggmeningreen to bad no famas are oing to be sold to civilians. either kept for the civil guard/ conscript of the gendarmerie or destroyed
Froggmeningreen sadly its not very likely the famas will ever make it to the states in large numbers even following the french adoption of the 416.
@@louisromero2320 Century Arms Imported thousands of them about 15 years ago for like $150. The only problem is century arms being brain dead assclowns with literally 100 intoxicated primates working as gunsmiths improperly converted most to .308 so now they are useless and almost worthless.
Let's watch as Ian, inadvertently, single handedly brings the price of this rifle up even higher.
I love how us, french, are capable of making overcomplicated guns like the St Etienne Mle 1907 as well as oversimplified guns like the MAS :p
André Dulac they likely learned their lesson from the complicated Lebel and RSC
And baguette
I am REALLY impressed they were able to hide their development program from the Germans! The Garand being a semiautomatic was a significant advantage for us, going up against a widely adopted semiauto design instead of the Mauser would have been a very different prospect.
There's no such thing as a Forgotten Weapons video that is too long.
Ian, I don’t think this gets said enough, forgotten weapons really is the best firearms channel out there.
The US: “Yeah the Garand is good but we need more capacity and a detachable mag. Let’s take over a decade to figure out how!”
France: *GOttA gO FAst!!!*
To be fair, it took the french 18 years to replace the Lebel and Bertier.....and they still had to use those in WW2. Gun development is hard
Fien You are right, I just find it funny how when things get serious, France tends to just do stuff that more or less works, even if not perfectly.
@@ST-zm3lm It's better to have a stopgap solution, than no solution at all.
The real problem we have in France is that once the stopgap solution gets implemented, the people who get handed the bill take ONE look at how much it really cost and decide to cancel R&D for the ACTUAL solution.
Meanwhile, in the USSR ...
AVS-36 DOES BRRRRRRR ...
plus this thing, MAS 44, is a far better design and operating mechanism compared to M1/M14. It's a sealed and protected and works good in mud and dirt.......something American designs of around the same era definitely do not do well
Best gun of BfV 🇫🇷
It's incredible how slim looks like the mas 44 compare to the others semi auto from the same time
Aside from the FN Model 1949, which has a very similar development story to these rifles, yep.
Thanks, Ian. Now I'm into the Forgotten French Rifles rabbit hole.
"This video has gone too long"
Nope, I could sit here for another 20-40 min :)
just randomly rewind the video to the middle again and carry on
have ya tried watching C&Rsenal
I always thought the external magazine release looked super weird...Then I got the chance to play with a MAS 56, and it just made a lot of sense and felt really nice.
That is some advanced engineering for the time and some really good design too. The Germans get too much credit. The French could really shine too.
Buy French ordinance NOW! before Ian's book comes out and the market get's bought out! lol.
Why would I want to buy French rules & regulations/paperwork? I'd rather buy their ordnance. 😁
@@Riceball01 i will file this joke in the underappreciated category within word play ordnance 2019.
Just in time for the RS2 uptdate !
Nicely played sir !
It's easily my favorite new gun in the game
@@pyrotechnick420 It has a very snappy and precise feeling to it.
I wish they change the sound soon, seems very underwhelming tbh
There's something about it that I can't put my finger on, it's so good.
Also my name on steam is Kaiser Wilhelm II
A little french advice: Your pronunciation of Saint Etienne is almost perfect, you only miss the "liaison", we often link the last letter of a world with the next one. So when you say Saint, the 't' is silent, but then you should pronounce Etienne linked with that silent 't', which give something like "Saint tEtienne".
Have a nice day, congrats for your book, i can't wait to receive it i'm currently like a kid the day before Christmas.
Nice tip, thank you.
Give up- after all these years, boy still can't pronounce "mitrailleuse".
Your videos are never too long, you are a wealth of information. I cannot directly retain half of what I learn from you! Thank you!
I second this motion! and "Amen!"
Wow thanks. One of my favorite semi-autos in Battlefield V.
How good does it feel to now be able to say, 'you can read more information about this rifle in my book?' Good on you Ian!
very interesting design
Hey mike!
I thing that would make excellent hunting rifle :)
It makes my mind think of an sks without a piston, anyone agree?
@@chrisstokes1264 no
@@chrisstokes1264 the bolt looks similar aesthetically, I thought of an sks too.
This is one of those rifles that probably would have been excellent in WW2, but was developed a few years too late.
It wouldn't have made a difference, france would have been knocked out of the war early anyway.
French given up even if they had nukes
Ordered my Kickstarter copy of the book today, its a great idea, its a good thing to do and I encourage everyone else to perhaps consider doing so. I have never been on Patreon or Kickstarter before but I made the effort, its worthwhile and (I feel) we owe it to Ian. Please lets all remember that InRange TV literally put their monetisation aside so they could communicate without commercial concerns, these guys could easily have been bought over/sold out to commercial concerns, and they didn't so every morning when they wake up for breakfast they are loosing money.
I have been in forearms professionally for 30 years and Ian has transformed the way the whole area is perceived by those outside, to the point where non shooting friends welcome these videos. I am proud to be able to support the activity.
As it happens I live in France, and I wasn't actually that interested in French rifle development but Ian brings out every aspect of interest and ideas like swapping out rear sights to produce a zero....wonderful....and he balances the rigour of a true historian with communicating a real enthusiasm, please give him your support if you can (Kickstarter was much easier to use than I guessed).
WOW...thanks for the video ! I have just felt in love with this Mas 44 I did not know about it....Thanks a lot! That's a beautiful rifle!
If they are so relatively common in the US, if you can get hold of one in shooting condition, it'd be really interesting to see a 2-gun match with you and Karl: one of you with this rifle and one with the M1 Garand. You both always praise the Garand a lot (I'm sure that with good reason), and it'd be great to hear your thoughts after having given this one a go in a practical environment, as you have done with other historical firearms in the past :).
Missed opportunity for a "War were declared" reference
Adam Grare But that would be stealing Othais’s of C&Rsnel line and the Gun Jesus does not steal other people’s catch phases
@@gullreefclub It's from Futurama mate
@@SeanPaulinho Also from Othias of C&Rsenal
@@rintinfin4440 Who got it from Futurama. That's my point.
@@SeanPaulinho What was the context? I missed the reference.
Ian is great. A great tool for making me want to spend money on my already burdensome collection of obsolete rifles.
Damn I wish I could afford your book. I've always appreciated the French for being at the front of firearms technological innovation and design. I guess I'll have to be happy with another shirt.
Excellent again, your presentations are never too long.
Good video. Looks like a solid, simple and reliable combat rifle.
Glad you explained how the the gun was modified for the box magazine. The thumb - cut for loading with stripper clips would be a mystery otherwise.
I think the standard combat load was a couple mags and the rest clips because clips are lighter than magazines.
Plenty of other box mag rifles around this time (like the Czech Vz 58 rifle) also have clip cutouts.
My buddy from Sikorsky bought one of these in the early 90s when he got his C&R license and these rifles appeared on the market (IIRC he got it from the now defunct Southern Ohio Guns - where I bought my MAS 49/56)...surplus ammo was always a problem with French rifles - I doubt he shot it much...he' now a captain in the Jupiter, FL police.
9:05 Oooo check out that Black Widow MAS 44 that undoubtedly were reacquired from Hitlers SS attachment. Super rare!
Every one captured from an ss Colonel. >.< hajahaha
@hi there
"Black widow" anything is usually a direct jab at it being fake. "Black widow X" where X is any gun you so choose was different only in that it has a black finish. It's a sale pitch for gullible gun enthusiasts who aren't too familiar with the history behind the weapon(s) they're buying.
It's the gun world equivalent of "I have an elephant/bridge I'd like to sell you".
These are great little shooters. I got to shoot one at 100 yds. it gave about a 1 1/2 or 2 inch group off the bench. Recoil was very manageable. Just a nice time. Ammo was a bit higher in price but better now. If I find one for sale I would love to own it. Thanks Ian
This and the MAS 49/56 are some of my favorite looking guns
This show is always such a treat
Out-of-battery safeties are always so fascinating and never seem to be the same between one gun and the next.
I'm not a gun nut but some weapons are just so aesthetically beautiful to look at.
I like the simplicity of this rifle.
She is big...beefy and French. Love the look and feel of this chunky semi-auto. The history is even better. Thanks for this video.
I swear to GOD I jumped higher than the French did when the Germans came pouring in from the Ardennes when I first saw the notification. 😂
The French were nowhere near the battle of the bulge, most were hiding until May 1945.
@ I think he was referring to the Battle of France (1940)...
@ Have a look at a have a look at a military atlas you ignorant.
@ Read a book.
@@Hellhound23691 What happen here, who are you answering too.
I've yet to see a too long video from you Ian, the longer the better!
I've got a 49/56 in .308 and love it but can't get brass to cycle through only steel case but .308 isn't cheap so works itself out, have 4 mags cleaning kit that was a standard issue the bayonet and 3 extra firing pins, very very fun an pleasant to shoot, keep up the great work guys love the channel
One of my most anticipated rifles to be featured on Forgotten weapons! on my country’s national day. What a treat!
Hi Ian! Great video as usual ^^. A little tip for you speaking in french, always make the link between the T and the E of Saint-Etienne. So instead of saying "Sain-Etienne", pronounce "Saint-Tétienne". It works everytime except when the next word starts with an H.
Mais surtout n'oubliez pas les anglais, Lyon>Saint Etienne
Métal Lourd des news pour ta chaîne? :hap:
..but isnt the French for head tete (with accents on the e's) - so phonetically son tete ii enn (or similarish).
Thank you , Ian .
As always Ian, another great history lesson ! Thanks !!
Thanx for showing WHY the Frogs used that style of magazine...didn't make sense until now...
I would love to find one these in Canada, such interesting history and not that bad looking of a rifle. Also that nylon charging handle is just begging for replacement with a brass knurled knob.
They do exist here, I got one off of canadiangunnutz a few months ago. Just insanely expensive
I have wanted you to make this video for quite some time! Looking forward to the next MAS video.
what a fantastic entry, well done.
What a wonderfully simple and elegant design for a self loading rifle.
I do like the MAS 44 and 49, great looking weapons. Great video!
I’m definitely buying that book
Ian, you deserve to be a member of the Legion of Honour ;-)
If he can get a French language edition distributed there, the case becomes compelling.
I love this gun in RS2! Nice to hear more backstory about it
So glad I just bought mine before you put this video out.
Investment!
@@Swarm509 That would imply a desire to sell at some point, which goes against my collecting interests.
That is a pretty cool looking rifle
my first gun I ever got is a MAS49/56. I still have it, gonna take 'er apart with you when you post that next video, Gun Jesus.
A TEN ROUND MAGAZINE CLIP
Ian Mather NEVER GO FULLY SEMI AUTOMATIC
@@Gyushinoo very true
To myself, a gift of knowledge from Ian. I will buy the book soon
the mas49/56 was one of the first rifles I ever fired. It's a personal favorite
This guy should write a book
As a bit of a European military history reader and a Francophile especially visiting sites and places of historic interest,this series on French military rifles has been great. How do soldiers clean the gas tube if it gets blocked or dirty?
Because the gas passes out of the gas tube into the bolt carrier and thence to the world it clears itself. When a piston is involve some of the gas stays in the port/tube and leaves fouling.
They don't need to worry about that. They'll have signed a surrender long before it comes to that.
"This video has gone on too long as it is"........ No.... No it has most certainly not, lol. We love the details, Ian.
Very nice video, thank you so much, the MAS 49 was the riffle I got when I enlisted in the French Navy, similar to the the MAS 44 I think.
If you'll write a book on Italian guns I'll definitely buy it
M' Riete if it’s like the actual guns, it will be low quality
@@homemadetech5712 ooooof
This is a pretty decent reference on the Carcano series of rifles:
The Model 1891 Carcano Rifle: A Detailed Developmental and Production History (0) www.amazon.com/dp/0764350811/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fY63Cb8GY28ZA
As successful as Ians French rifle book launch has been, I wouldn't bet against more books from him.
It's interesting how the French really pushed plastic components very early on. The French bicycle component manufacturer Simplex switched to a nylon framed design for its derailleurs in the early 1960s. This decision essentially killed the company, the nylon twisted and deformed under load and frequently shattered like that bolt handle on the MAS. They had been the largest derailleur manufacturer in the world and by the start of the 1980s were out of business.
Something elegant in that rifle.
I always thought the handle knob thingy was brass, veeeeeeeeeery neat rifle !
Ian: whatever happened with your MAS-38? I've been hoping to see a new video of you with it, perhaps shooting it at a range. But I haven't been notified of any yet. Is there a chance you will return to its story?
Likely as Ian himself has said a few times, particlarly in the last Q&A, weapons he owns himself, he tends to avoid reviewing them, so that incase he needs to film, make and upload them for 'emmergency content' reasons, they're still able to be used.
i sit and watch your videos for hours!
Yay! Finally a rifle that I own!
I'd love to see a video showing how a tilting bolt works.
Good luck with that neat Book, Ian.
Very interesting history of a well designed rifle.
The nylon charging handle looks like a wine bottle cork, gotta love the French!
Always thought these French rifles were neat looking and have been wanting to pick one up for some time but never have. Looks like I REALLY need to now before they start jumping up in price because of videos like this and the book coming out. lol
Maybe I'm the only one, but if a gun has to have a safety this style looks very intuitive to me. I've seen people mix up the little red push buttons. Putting it in the way of the trigger would be great.
Last time I checked the standard M16/ AR15 design doesn't use a piston but a gas key that nests over the end of the gas tube much like this rifle.
Can't wait for your book btw:)
Great video. Thanks!
I remember this weapon that came out recently in Rising Storm 2 Vietnam. It's not bad but I hate the reloading it's a pain. You can also use a Grenade attachment to this baby.
I enjoy shooting my MAS36 and my MAS 49/56
Years ago i seen one of these, it was for sale for like 600 bucks, & i regret not buying it, instead i bought a yugo m59/66a1
Can you do one on the 308 conversion? I bought one without knowing anything about the weapons. I knew it was a French rifle in NATO cartridge but that's the bullets I have the most of.
I actually like the mag relese on the magazine if it's going to be a robust reusable magazine. The AR platform was designed with disposable magazines in mind. That Mas 44 must have been heavy. Those lightening cuts are massive, as it appears the gas tube is also.
Also, made a pledge for your book, so I'll be able to read up on my MAS36!
Thank you gun Jesus for your wisdom and guidance on historic firearms. I am thankful to be one of your followers.
Swiss K31 uses a magazine mounted catch as well.
earlier swiss straight pull might also but i do not recall
You're both right and wrong.
You're right in that the magazine IS detachable and uses an external catch. But you're wrong in implying it's similar to the MAS 44... because you're not really supposed to remove a K31 magazine. Essentially it's a detachable internal magazine that sticks way out of a gun fed with stripper clips.
Each magazine has its gun's serial number stenciled on it. Soldiers were issued (real fancy) disposable stripper clips ("lames-chargeur") and precisely zero spare magazine.
It gets really noticeable when you feed GP11 straight into a detached K11 magazine: it's pretty easy to accidentally slide the elevator way out of position and jam the whole thing...
Source: I have my K31 right in front of me.
@@GigAnonymous well i never claimed that the k31 magazine was designed to be replaced. i know this from my own k31 sitting in front of me. i'm not disagreeing.
however my argument still stands, you CAN interchange their magazines and they do use a magazine mounted clip to retain the magazine within the magazine well.
@@neverknowsbest4994 Of course. What I meant is that the K31 magazine is essentially part of the firearm, so whether the catch is on the gun or on the magazine make no difference in the end.
On the MAS 44 however, the magazines seem to have been designed as the main way to reload the gun... if every infantryman was supposed to carry 2-3 magazines, it would have made for some unnecessary expenses.
French beaurocracy a wonderful thing
I have literally been waiting for this video ever since I saw the inrangetv episodes with the MAS 49's (I expect a MAS 49 video too!)
I've only seen this rifle in one other place - they used them in We Were Warriors, which I quite liked.
Soldiers... but yeah
We were soldiers...
*Soldiers*
Gah - such a silly mistake.
What was your expression? "The French copy no-one and no-one copies the French."
i have a MAS 36 and this would be a nice complement to it.
If only they had this beautiful rifle to begin with.
Can't help but think this was a pretty impressive design for the 1930s. Looks simple and elegant. If it shared some components with the Mas 36, I wonder why they thought it would be too difficult to change the production line.
It wasn't a matter of changing; the government wanted both guns.
@@ForgottenWeapons - I am reminded of Frederich II of Prussia who said something like He who defends everything defends nothing. Except in this case, the fragile coalition government that wants 2 rifles doesn't get enough of either.
Tbh I expected an episode on the Lebel. I thought these Chassepot to FAMAS videos were in chronological order.
He's already got a lebel video.
One of my local gun stores had a MAS 49/56 a few years back.