MAS-36/51
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Rifle · Discontinued · 1951
Also known as: MAS Mle 1936-51, MAS 1936-51, Fusil MAS-36/51
Overview
The MAS-36/51 is a French bolt-action rifle chambered in 7.5x54mm French, a grenade-launching development of the MAS-36 introduced in 1951. It permanently mounts a 22mm NATO-standard rifle-grenade launcher at the muzzle together with a folding grenade sight, allowing it to fire anti-personnel and anti-tank rifle grenades using special blank cartridges. Retaining the MAS-36's robust two-piece stock, rear-locking rotating bolt and five-round internal magazine fed by stripper clips, it served as the French Army's primary grenade-launching rifle until being supplanted by the semi-automatic MAS-49/56.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3850 g (135.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1020 mm (40.16") |
| Barrel Length | 575 mm (22.64") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 830 m/s (2723 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3100 J (2286 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.5x54mm French · primary — also known as 7.5 French, 7.5x54 MAS, Cartouche Mle 1929 C
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: No Manual Safety
- Features: Integral Grenade Launcher, Folding Grenade Sight, Stripper Clip Loading, Bayonet Stored In Forend, Two Piece Stock
Base model
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1951 · as MAS Mle 1936-51
Conflicts
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
- Algerian War (1954-1962)
Production
Production years: 1951-1957
Produced as a grenade-launching evolution of the MAS-36; superseded in this role by the MAS-49/56.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne
Discontinued: 1957
Notes
The 36/51 replaced the earlier MAS-36 LG48 grenade-launching rifle and standardised on NATO 22mm rifle grenades. Like the parent MAS-36 it has no manual safety and stores a spike bayonet reversed within the forend.
Background
Adopting the NATO standard 22mm rifle grenade, the MAS-36/51 let the standard French service rifleman double as a grenadier without a separate launcher, bridging the gap between the wartime MAS-36 and the self-loading rifles of the 1950s.