What do you think of these?  I think I'm going to grab one after Christmas, if someone doesn't give one to me.  I'm a C&R freak, and like the old battle rifles.  For the price, they seem like a steal, in "like new" condition.  I reload so I'm not too concerned about ammo.  What kind of accuracy did you get with yours?  I have a MAS 36/51, but have never shot it yet.  It seems like a decent old rifle; the 49/56 would make a nice mate to it, I hope.  Thanks for your input.
guns762

I didn't seem to mind the rifle. The ammo is expensive and VERY corrosive,the 7.5 mm ammo that is. I have heard nothing good about the ones chambered in 308.

Sorry, should have stated 7.5X54 MAS.  I wouldn't consider buying something like this, unless it was in the original caliber.  I hate it when people rechamber c&r guns for modern calibers.  Too much like sporterizing!  

bobeaser, how was the accuracy?  Any jams, problems with reliability?  Hard to clean?  Thanks.

I haven't shot mine in a while, but the French ammo is good for 2" at 100 yards.  It was tough for me to cook up something that shot as well.  The brass flies pretty far unless you can catch it.

I don't know if this is a common problem, but there is something going on in my rifle that jars the trigger when the rifle is fired.  Not just a little tap, but a viscious sting that will numb my trigger finger before too long.  Until I can figure this one out, the rifle is sitting in the corner.  

I was using 4064 and 3031, so the powder is not too slow.  If anyone has any ideas, I would sure like to hear them.

Otherwise, the rifle is a tough simple rifle with little to go wrong with it.  It's just French, thats all.  

I have two of the MAS 49/56.  They are great for being $200 new condition semiauto 30 caliber rifles.

It is easy to make ammo from Lapua 6.5x55 swedish mauser brass.

You do hear about some of these rifles that don't work well.

I must be lucky since both of mine function fine.

SOG has a satisfaction guarantee.

Dennis Jenkins

Quoted: What do you think of these?  I think I'm going to grab one after Christmas, if someone doesn't give one to me.  I'm a C&R freak, and like the old battle rifles.  For the price, they seem like a steal, in "like new" condition.  I reload so I'm not too concerned about ammo.  What kind of accuracy did you get with yours?  I have a MAS 36/51, but have never shot it yet.  It seems like a decent old rifle; the 49/56 would make a nice mate to it, I hope.  Thanks for your input. guns762

I've got one, but haven't shot it much. It's got a pretty heavy firing pin, and such a stiff recoil spring, it puts a scary-looking dent in the commercial primers I was using when it slams closed. AR's and several other rifles do the same thing, but not so bad.

You can make brass easily from 6.5 Swedish, but the chambers are so oversize on my French rifles that the necks split pretty soon. I'm thinking about rebarrelling my 49/56 for the very old 6.5 Swedish, which I like better anyway and is better suited to the action than .308. I'll have to try some military primers and see if they are harder before I start that project, or maybe I can cook up a lighter firing pin.

I forgot about that one - the CCI milspec primers are a must with this rifle.  I had quite a few slamfires with it until I used them.

THe only drawback for me is that they were a special order item & cost about 20 bucks a brick.  I use them for a Tokarev as well.

OT:  I read an article somewhere where someone converted a MAS 36 to a true sporter.  Half the article was the poor guys effort to make this thing shoot worth a damn.

Don't get a 7.62 one unless you plan on doing a lot of work to it.  I have one and can't get it to run right.  Someday I will build an adjustable gas system for it.

I have only shot mine a few times but it worked flawlessly . I bought a sniper scope for it about a year ago and haven't made it out since then to check the scope out . The scope looks great it was in like new condition . Mine is 7.5 by the way.

I was just looking again at my French guns. Maybe having a thumb notch is mandatory for old military rifles, but it sure seems to me both the MAS 36 and the MAS 49 types would have been much stronger and more rigid without it. Also there are deep and not particularly necessary grooves running vertically inside the magazine well that just about cut the receiver wall thickness in half. It's bad enough to have the deep thumb cut on Mausers, but at least they're front locking.

Also, the 49/56 locks by tipping the rear of the bolt down, and it's held down by the bolt carrier. But there really isn't all that much holding the carrier down. There's a rail on the left side engaging the receiver at the front of the carrier, and the receiver top cover over-laps it at the rear by about 3 hairs worth.

I suppose those darn French gun designers must have known what they were doing, but I suspect they got some kind of thrill out of this dare devil engineering.

Pogo, I'm glad to hear somebody else had slamfires. The first day I got mine I was checking it out with live ammo (in my usual careless fashion) and shot a hole in the kitchen floor and blew out the basement window.

So much for Mr. Gun Expert.