MAS-36 CR39
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Rifle · Discontinued · 1939
Also known as: MAS Mle 1936 CR39, Fusil MAS Mle 1936 CR39, MAS-36/CR39, Carabine Repliable Mle 1939
Overview
The MAS-36 CR39 is a French bolt-action paratrooper carbine, a compact variant of the standard MAS-36 service rifle developed for airborne and alpine troops. Adopted in 1939, it replaced the full-length wooden stock with a cast aluminum stock that folds underneath the action, and shortened the barrel from 575mm to 450mm. Folded, the rifle collapses to roughly 620mm for air-dropping. It chambers the 7.5x54mm French cartridge fed from a 5-round internal magazine loaded by stripper clip. Only around 34,000 were produced before manufacture ended in 1960.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3500 g (123.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 895 mm (35.24") |
| Folded Length | 620 mm (24.41") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Fixed Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 790 m/s (2592 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2808 J (2071 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 | Aluminum |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.5x54mm French · primary — also known as 7.5 French, 7.5x54mm MAS, Cartouche Mle 1929 C
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: No Manual Safety
- Features: Underfolding Stock, Integral Spike Bayonet, Spring Wound Sling Retainer, Stripper Clip Loading
Base model
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1939 · as Fusil MAS Mle 1936 CR39
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
- Algerian War (1954-1962)
Production
Estimated total produced: 34,000 · Production years: 1939-1960
Approximately 34,000 rifles produced; small quantities before the 1940 armistice, with production resuming after liberation.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne
Discontinued: 1960
Notes
The CR designation stands for Carabine Repliable (folding carbine). The aluminum stock housed a spring-wound sling retainer that coiled the sling automatically as the stock folded; these winders were fragile and are usually non-functional on surviving examples. Production began in small numbers before the 1940 armistice and resumed after the liberation of Saint-Etienne.
Background
The need for a more compact, transportable rifle was recognized almost as soon as the MAS-36 was finalized. Two years of development from 1937 produced the underfolding CR39, originally intended for paratroops but in practice also issued to alpine mountain troops.