MAS AAT-52
Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1952
Also known as: AA-52, AAT Mle 52, AAT Mod.52, Arme Automatique Transformable Modèle 1952, AA 52
Overview
The MAS AAT-52 (Arme Automatique Transformable Modèle 1952) is a French general-purpose machine gun chambered in 7.5x54mm French. Adopted in 1952, it uses an unusual lever-delayed blowback action firing from an open bolt and a fluted chamber to ease extraction. Configurable as a light squad weapon on a bipod or a sustained-fire weapon on a tripod with a heavy barrel, it served the French armed forces from Indochina and Algeria through to its later 7.62mm NATO derivative, the AAT NF-1.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 9970 g (351.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1245 mm (49.02") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Lever Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 200 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Belt |
| Muzzle Velocity | 830 m/s (2723 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3100 J (2286 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3200 m (3500 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 900 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.5x54mm French · primary — also known as 7.5 French, 7.5x54 MAS, Cartouche Mle 1929 C
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Disintegrating Belt 50 Rounds, Disintegrating Belt 200 Rounds
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Quick-Change Barrel, Open-Bolt Firing, Integral Bipod, Delayed Blowback Action, Fluted Chamber
Production
Production years: 1952-1980s
Manufactured by MAS and MAC; remained French standard GPMG for decades before the NF-1 NATO variant.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault
Discontinued: 1980
Notes
Production was shared between Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) and Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault (MAC). The delayed-blowback principle traces to designs by Pál Király. A NATO-caliber version, the AAT NF-1 (7.62x51mm), replaced the original in French service.
Background
Nicknamed for its distinctive long-stroke open-bolt clatter, the AAT-52 became the workhorse machine gun of French colonial and post-colonial campaigns, mounted on infantry bipods, vehicle pintles and tripods alike.