Reibel Mle 1931
Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Châtellerault (MAC) · Machine Gun · Discontinued · 1931
Also known as: MAC Mle 1931, Châtellerault Model 1931, Mitrailleuse Mle 1931, Fortress Gun
Overview
The Reibel Mle 1931 is a French gas-operated machine gun chambered in 7.5x54mm French, designed by Commandant Reibel and built by the Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault. Adopted in 1931 as a dedicated tank coaxial and fortification weapon, it fed from a distinctive side-mounted 150-round drum magazine and featured a heavy barrel to sustain prolonged fire. It armed French interwar and World War II tanks as well as the casemates of the Maginot Line.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 11800 g (416.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1050 mm (41.34") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Magazine Capacity | 150 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Drum |
| Muzzle Velocity | 800 m/s (2625 fps) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 750 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
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: Drum Magazine
- Features: Heavy Barrel, Side Mounted Magazine, Coaxial Mount, Fortification Mount
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1931 · as Mle 1931
- Nazi Germany · adopted 1940
- Israel Defense Forces
- Syria
Conflicts
- World War II (1939-1945)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
Production
Production years: 1931-1942
Produced at Châtellerault; manufacture continued under German occupation into 1942
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Commandant Reibel
Notes
Designed specifically for armored vehicles and fortifications rather than infantry use, so it was not fitted with a buttstock or bipod in its standard configuration. Many were captured and reused by German forces after 1940.
Background
Named after its designer, Commandant Reibel, the Mle 1931 became iconic for its vertically mounted side drum magazine, an unusual layout dictated by the cramped interiors of tanks and Maginot Line casemates where a top-mounted magazine would not fit.