MAS-38
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1939
Also known as: Pistolet Mitrailleur MAS Mle 1938, PM MAS-38, MP 722(f)
Overview
The MAS-38 is a French open-bolt blowback submachine gun chambered in the underpowered 7.65x20mm Longue cartridge. Designed at Saint-Étienne in the late 1930s, it features a distinctive downward-angled receiver in which the bolt travels at an angle relative to the barrel. Production was severely limited by the 1940 German invasion, with fewer than 2,000 produced before France fell. Captured examples saw German service as the MP 722(f).
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2870 g (101.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 623 mm (24.53") |
| Barrel Length | 224 mm (8.82") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 32 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 350 m/s (1148 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 306 J (226 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.65x20mm Longue · primary — also known as 7.65 French Long, 7.65mm MAS, .30 Pedersen
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Trigger Safety Via Folding Trigger
- Features: Open Bolt Full Auto Only, Downward Angled Receiver, Wooden Full Stock, Telescoping Bolt
Service history
Operators
- French Armed Forces · adopted 1939 · as Pistolet Mitrailleur MAS Mle 1938
- Wehrmacht (captured) · adopted 1940 · as MP 722(f)
- Italian Partisans
- French Gendarmerie
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,000 · Production years: 1939-1949
Approximately 1,958 units completed before the 1940 German invasion; small post-war production
Origin
Country of origin: France
Discontinued: 1949
Notes
The 7.65x20mm Longue chambering was a serious handicap - the round was significantly underpowered for an SMG. Famously used by the partisans who killed Mussolini in April 1945.
Background
The MAS-38 became infamous as the weapon used by Italian communist partisans Walter Audisio and his squad to execute Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci on 28 April 1945.