About a decade ago (maybe closer to two) I helped a widow move and in the garden shed was a MAS 36. She had no idea her husband had owned it, and asked me if I wanted the rust/dusty thing. . . . Still in a box in the gun room somewhere 🤦‍♂️ I have forgotten it all this time until this video. Guess if the Virus closes my work down, I'll have a project seeing if the old French girl can be brought back to life.

Just acquired a like new MAS36. Late 44 production, 72 refurbished then into storage until last week. After viewing your most informative video (again!) I just had to remove the wood. I didn't find any greasy material bedding the forend, just kleen wood and fresh parkerized steel. Can't wait for the range to reopen to see how it shoots!

Super helpful! I just bought a post-war version and I love it.

I'm getting Gun Jesus vibes off this and I love it

I enjoyed Ian McCollum's video on the Mas 36 as part of his French rifle series but somehow your videos feel more friendly for the average collector, thank you again.

Love my mas 36. They're so simple it's beautiful.

Thanks, this helped me a lot with my MAS-36 modelling project. Great video!

yeah the yellow stuff seems to protect the interface between the metal and wood. maybe slightly different metals between screws, bands could corrode overtime and swell into the wood causing nasty issues..bless whoever refurbed them because they seem to hold up great!..Great video Chap

Well presented and very informative as expected.Thanks for showing both examples of much maligned French rifles.Regards,Guy and Leonard A-R-West FHBSA

I don't remember if Ian mentioned the resolution to that problem in his video... I have visions of two MAS stuck together at the muzzle ends travelling up the echelons to the appropriate level armourer for disassembly, with the eejiot soldiers still at either end being shamed along their long walk. 🤔🧐😅

14:26 "Un... deux... CINQ!" "Trois, chef!" "Uhhh... TROIS!"

I love how on all the videos, no matter if gun, computer parts etc. related the person wants to remove something ... and its not working and there is really emberassed fiddling :-D

Stay healthy Chap, Bloke & families!

They are great rifles, I have the post war 36 and a 36-51. As far as ammo availability goes if you roll your own you can use 6.5x55 brass, just neck up and trim to length.

Great video, thanks for sharing!

Those "fork" headed screwdrivers are relatively common to buy nowadays as the screws are used as tamper-proof screws on some essential electrical equipment like kettles. I have a screwdriver bit set with a number of sizes, along with tamper-proof torxs. Got mine cheaply from Halfords of all places.

Exceptional job! Thank you

This video caused me to have flashback to 1978/9 I remember when I was a kid in the 70's having a toy MAS36 which looked very lifelike and being stopped by a copper once for taking it out to play "war" It had a real bolt action system and I have no clue how I got it.....Must have swapped it for something.

Always loved this gun.

Oh lovely!

Just acquired a type 2 36. It is non matching but has a cartouche and s/n on the stock and a s/n on the magazine plate so some mixing and matching during refurbishment process. Great informative video thx.

Good comparison

The "idiot hole" for the bayonet mount actually exists on all prewar/wartime MAS 36 rifles. It was likely a necessary hole for some part of the machining process. In prewar/wartime rifles, its placement seems to be random (my May 1940-dated example is in a slightly different spot than yours). It pre-existing is why the problem was easily fixed by adding such a hole to the bayonet itself, and on postwar examples the idiot hole is always found in a spot that can be easily accessed.

Excellent fusil, remarquable économie de moyens, élégance de l’ingénierie à la française, tout aussi efficace pour perforer des extraits de naissances qu’un k31.

Great, now I want one - my wallet thanks you.

The amount of machined parts is just crazy for a rifle that was intended to be a cheap substitute and a stop-gap measure before semi-auto rifles were introduced. The thing has no safety, yet every piece is machined and serialized. What the hell were they thinking?! It's not like they didn't have WW1 experience to judge their armament industries potential. 6:51 Henry over at 9-Hole reviews uses this characteristic as a helpful implement for easy windage adjustment, although I suspect that it would be more useful for a semi-automatic rifle. 14:21 Were they saving on this one milling operation?

on the numbering, the serial n° is also repeated under the bolt handle, this is valid for both pre and post war patterns. normally all MAS 36 had the stock numbered and cartouched but it's rarer to see in the 2nd pattern as they saw much more use than the 1st and as such, many lost theirs or had the stock replaced when refurbed in the 60's. they apparently carried putting the n° at least on the magazine floorplate since I've also seen pictures of serialised examples. here a good page with some great pictures of both patterns of rifle, with also a pic of the 2nd pattern sling swivel, a FJ series stock with number and a serialised stamped floorplate: armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR%20MAS%2036.html i can concur on some features lingering on, i have a 2nd pattern MAS 36 (series FH, i think the barrel is dated 1952 (62?) but i can't be arsed to check atm) with the machined magazine floorplate and trigger guard, a numbered forestock (the numbers are heavily worn and barely visible), both the floorplate and trigger guard are smooth and no trace of markings on the stock.

Seen a post war FH serial, has a serialized stock

sticky stuff to act as some kind of damping medium to stop rattles?

Ian's just released book on French rifles and carbines from the Lebel to the Famas might have info on what that material you mentioned is all about Chap.

Interesting.

I bought a sporterized 1938 MAS 36 for a steal at a pawn shop to restore to original condition and the rear peep sight is damaged so I need a new one. I can't find the early leaf type in stock anywhere but there are a huge amount of later leafs out there. Is it possible to have somebody cut the notches into a late style rear leaf if they used mine as a template for correct alignment? As far as I can tell, the later leaf if identical to the early one, but just without the notches cut into it.

These are awesome shooters! If only the ammunition was easier to come by...

Are the bayonets two digit numbered on the end on late paterned rifles?

One question I have on the MAS 36 is why did they move from a front sling bar to a ring. If you are using a flat leather sling the ring wears out the sling at the outside edges. A bar wouldn’t do that.

Is there any difference in slings from early to late? I have a light tan color on the post war model....but I have seen some looking brown. PS: Nice video on a rifle that was under appreciated for a while.

i have a question. I friend of mine gave me one for helping him move. The side of the receiver says 7.5 France on it. But I was also told by a a pawn shop that any French MAS 36 in the US was imported and all have been converted to 308 even if it says 7.5 on it., but then i have heard the opposite. can you shed some light on this for me

I notice a finish difference. Did later Mas 36s come with a different type of finish?

Wie vergleicht der Verchluss des Mas36 mit z.B denen von den Lee Enfield, Mauser und Mosin Nagant?

Almost impossible to find one of these rifles in the US now without paying well over $1000 for the post-war model....never saw a early model for sale anywhere....

Water pump grease?

during the heat of combat i'd rather not count to five. Theres tons of other things to worry about

Hi I'm french... These rifles are not sold to the french public unless very complicated to get permission while they're sent overseas to the american market!

How does BotR look 5 years older and 7 kilos lighter from 9 days ago on Inrange? Or am I blind and this isn't the Bloke??

Chap this is a very kind revue of a “not that great” rifle.

D

Guess the lesson is... Fine machining gives you no tactical advantage whatsoever.

Have you seen one of these rifles with a grenade launcher.