I was looking at one of these and reading up on it. Anyone have first-hand experience with the MAS-49?
I hear the .308 conversions were nightmares, but I'd like to know about the 7.5french.
Boston's Gun Bible has a write up on them. Other than that, i'm no help.
Always thought they were cool, but wierd. Should have C&R'd one when they were cheap.
-David
Here's the write up I did of taking mine to the range for the first time a couple of months ago.
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=159&t=78747
Overall the 49/56 is a great rifle. It's very simple to clean, the sights are easy to adjust and it has a good trigger pull, stepped like the Garand.
The only real problems I have had so far is ammo. French 7.5 is not cheap. I finally picked up a set of reloading dies for it so that will help. Buying ammo from my local range is a dollar a round! Needless to say I haven't put too many rounds through it. The other issue is the slam fires. The Private ammo has the commercial style primers in it and you will get it to do it unless you modify the firing pin. Like I said, finally got my dies so I'll just use some of my CCI 34's.
I used to have a MAS '36 in 7.5mm. I finally found commercial boxer primed ammo at AIM surplus http://www.aimsurplus.com/ after I got rid of it javascript:void(0);
just checked, looks like they don't have any right now. I think it was around $12/20 when they had it.
No experience with the 49/56 though, so I cant say anything there.
Andy
The one real fault with the MAS 44 through the MAS 49/56 rifles is the heavy firing pin and no firing pin retraction, whether by mechanical means like on the Garand/M14 or via spring.
This rifle WILL slamfire from the bolt going home and on this one you NEED to be using the CCI Milspec primers.
For cases or loaded ammo go to Graff's for the Hornady/Graff's line of cases and ammo. Beats trying to form them from slightly too small cases (6.5 X 55 Swedish) or slightly too large cases with a rebated rim (.284 Win.) as was done in the past.
Buckshot
Quote from: gunville on July 18, 2009, 11:17:29 AM
I was looking at one of these and reading up on it. Anyone have first-hand experience with the MAS-49?
I hear the .308 conversions were nightmares, but I'd like to know about the 7.5french.
The .308 conversion I has was,,,well this is a famliy fourm so I will not say what I really think of that conversion or the converter.
However the gun shop I got it from did give me a 100% refund O0 .
Wade
The bottom line here is a recoomendation to pass on one of these, unless you're getting it for as a collector.
Ammo is expensive, the rifles have issues and parts are very peculiar to it.
They never really worked tha twell, and everything I've heard about the .308 conversions is no good.
If you're looking to save money, get a CMP M1 Garand, and call it a day.
You mean everyone doesn't collect rifles????
This isn't to be an MBR.
The Century .308 conversion is an absolute no, but most of what I've been reading is pretty positive about 7.5 French version.
The CCI mil primers/reloading is a given and I'm ok with that. heck - the SKS suffers the same issue does it not?
The funds for this project got redeployed, so it's going on the back-burner for now.
M1 Garrand is a whole other thing... a three-time postponed trip to the north store...
In the original caliber these rifles are virtually indestructible and performs rather well. Cleaning it is very simple and much easier than the Garand. Also, filing down the firing pin .020in. takes care of the slam fires.