If you follow the news, you've probably heard in cases of mass shootings how they were caused by "weapons of war" and how they have no place on America's streets. Often, this is followed by some bated breath, media orgasmic reference to an "AK-47". No matter what happened, if more than two people were shot, you can wager money that the police spokesman will report it was an "AK-47". Of course, they know that detail but never bother to back it up with images of cartridge cases, witness descriptions of the perpetrators, the color of their car or what clothes they were wearing. But they do know the gun.
Funny how some details manage fall into place and others do not.
So today we're going to talk a little about "weapons of war".
AK-47, AR-15, G3/HK91 and FN FAL lookalikes are not "weapons of war". They certainly resemble them but they are not. People are confused about their appearance and assume they are battlefield rifles. Although they possess many of the desirable characteristics of such rifles like reliability, ease of maintenance and so on, these guns have never seen the dirt or grit of a war zone. More like the padded rest of a bench or the sterile lighting of a range. But as long as people will lie or distort the truth, this confusion will continue.
The funny thing is that "weapons of war" are far more common in America that these rifles if a visit to a gun show is any indication. I'd argue for every AR-15 or AK pattern rifle I see on a table at a show, I can find five true "weapons of war" nearby and readily available for sale.
By "weapons of war", I'm referring to surplus firearms. Things like Mausers in all their shapes and variations, Italians Carcanos, Mosin-Nagants in all their shoulder-bruising glory, your grandfather's M1 Garand, Great War Springfield 1903s, majestic Enfields, obscure semi-automatic rifles that only saw limited use like the Egyptian Hakim or FN-49, Civil War-era muskets and breechloaders, Zulu War Martini-Henrys and everything in between. A century or more of armed warfare all arranged for convenient access and ready sale.
And no one bats an eyelid when someone buys one and walks out the door with it after passing the required background check. Yet, people get up in arms over the lone military-style look-alike rather than real thing.
Where is the outrage? Where is the demand for something to be done? There are literally thousands if not millions of real, honest-to-God former "weapons of war" in civilian hands today and no one is screaming about that. Hell, some even come with their combat accessories and cleaning kits including bayonets. Where's the hue and cry over this?
Many of these guns are semi-automatic. But because they often have fixed magazines and are bedded in a traditional wood stock, most people think of them as hunting guns. They don't look dangerous so they're ok. Or they are bolt-action weapons so they get a free pass too. This despite the fact many have detachable magazines or capacities greater than five rounds.
Such as the Lee Enfield. This bolt-action rifle has a ten round box magazine. Although detachable, it never was removed and instead was loaded with 5 round stripper clips from the top. But during World War 1 and after, the British would exercise their troops in what was called "the Mad Minute". Soldiers had 60 seconds to fire as many aimed shots as possible with their Enfield rifles. The expectation was a soldier could put 30 aimed shots downrange in that minute. That was with reloading. That's a shot every two seconds on average with a bolt-action rifle that had to be loaded manually with two stripper clips for each full magazine between relays.
Which simply goes to show that the effectiveness of the firearm depends a great deal on its user and not necessarily its functionality.
Yet no one cries about the availability of Lee Enfields. Despite the fact that guns like this did serve on battlefields, likely shed blood and often bear the scars of those encounters. But no one complains about an average citizen owning a "vintage high-powered battle rifle". Apparently only the modern ones are evil.
So this edition of "Bite Me, Brady" is dedicated to those "weapons of war".
May I present one of the more obscure "weapons of war", specifically from World War II: The French MAS36.
This is a bolt-action rifle with a few unusual features. First, it fires the oddball (at least to us) French 7.5mm cartridge. Like most nations of the day, the French had their own standard rifle cartridge. But typical for the French, they had more than one. The 7.5mm French was a modification of their earlier 7.5x57mm MAS mod.1924 cartridge used in the FM24/29 light machine gun.
The second unusual feature is its bolt handle. Notice that it is canted forward. This gives the MAS36 its distinctive look. The reason for the forward cant of the handle is due to the fact that unlike the Mauser and several other rifles, the locking lugs for the bolt are at the rear rather than the front. The bolt face is smooth and the chamber machined only to accept the extractor. As a result, the handle is canted forward to allow for better leverage when cycling the bolt to allow the shooter to lock it in place properly without excessive force.
Despite its classic and attractive stock, the MAS36 is a weapon meant to shed blood and it shows in its design. One non-visible aspect of this is the fact the MAS36 has no safety whatsoever. Childproof this rifle is not. The moment you chamber a round, the rifle is ready to shoot. MAS36s were often carried on patrol with no round in the chamber and the soldier cycled the bolt to load a round the moment combat occurred.
The other combat feature it possesses and only found on feared "weapons of war" is an integral bayonet. The MAS36 features a 12 inch spike bayonet stowed under the muzzle. To affix it, the user presses the retaining clip in, pulls the bayonet out of its handy carry slot and flips it around and places it back in its receptacle which locks it in place.
It makes the rifle into a true menace. Or it would if it wasn't a French weapon. Alas, unlike the "weapons of war" used by the Allies, French rifles didn't see a lot of combat usage. It's one of the reasons why they can be found today in such great condition. My MAS36 is in near-mint condition. I guess the reason is because most French rifles have never been fired and only dropped once.
To facilitate its proper role in French service, the bayonet tube contained space for the most used accessory on the rifle in combat. Below we see the rifle in its typical French Army combat configuration*:
As you can see, the spike bayonet came in very handy. Not to mention the good proportions of the rifle made it easy-to-use in this configuration. The long length and sturdy bayonet made the MAS36 an ideal surrender flag. Foreign Legion service excepted, of course.
The MAS36 was redeemed in French service and really did see reliable usage in combat in Algeria and French Indochina before being replaced by the MAS49/56 semi-automatic carbine. The MAS36 did also serve as the basis for the MAS44 semi-automatic rifle and served with distinction with the French Army in heavily modified form for years as the FR F1 sniper rifle.
The French experience aside, "weapons of war" like my MAS36 are in the hands of millions of collectors nationwide. I personally own around a dozen including this most recent acquisition.
So I don't understand this demand to get "weapons of war" off our streets when a) they're already on our streets in our homes without being misused and b) they probably outnumber "evil black rifles" by a factor of five or ten to one.
And in almost all cases, far more powerful than an AK-47 look-alike with much greater reach. Why would a gang banger go to close range when a good, old fashioned war horse can do the job from a dozen blocks away? You can even hold them sideways if you want.
So our "weapons of war" remain lurking in the shadows, waiting and watching for that moment to burst onto the criminal scene. But in a way, I'm glad the glamorous AK-47 and sexy AR-15 take the spotlight. That way, we can be left to collect and accumulate these well-worn and reliable weapons peacefully. I'm sure Paul Helmke will get around to demonizing them when he gets the chance. Not that I expect he'll succeed in making his delusions of "common sense gun laws" come true.
At least if he tries and I decide to throw in the towel, I'll have the means to surrender properly in the finest French tradition.
Vive la France!
* No, the French did not issue white flags as standard equipment for their soldiers nor did they have a space with the bayonet for one to be stored to make surrender easier. But we like to make fun of them due to their military prowess. Google "French military victories" for an exhaustive list.
Funny how some details manage fall into place and others do not.
So today we're going to talk a little about "weapons of war".
AK-47, AR-15, G3/HK91 and FN FAL lookalikes are not "weapons of war". They certainly resemble them but they are not. People are confused about their appearance and assume they are battlefield rifles. Although they possess many of the desirable characteristics of such rifles like reliability, ease of maintenance and so on, these guns have never seen the dirt or grit of a war zone. More like the padded rest of a bench or the sterile lighting of a range. But as long as people will lie or distort the truth, this confusion will continue.
The funny thing is that "weapons of war" are far more common in America that these rifles if a visit to a gun show is any indication. I'd argue for every AR-15 or AK pattern rifle I see on a table at a show, I can find five true "weapons of war" nearby and readily available for sale.
By "weapons of war", I'm referring to surplus firearms. Things like Mausers in all their shapes and variations, Italians Carcanos, Mosin-Nagants in all their shoulder-bruising glory, your grandfather's M1 Garand, Great War Springfield 1903s, majestic Enfields, obscure semi-automatic rifles that only saw limited use like the Egyptian Hakim or FN-49, Civil War-era muskets and breechloaders, Zulu War Martini-Henrys and everything in between. A century or more of armed warfare all arranged for convenient access and ready sale.
And no one bats an eyelid when someone buys one and walks out the door with it after passing the required background check. Yet, people get up in arms over the lone military-style look-alike rather than real thing.
Where is the outrage? Where is the demand for something to be done? There are literally thousands if not millions of real, honest-to-God former "weapons of war" in civilian hands today and no one is screaming about that. Hell, some even come with their combat accessories and cleaning kits including bayonets. Where's the hue and cry over this?
Many of these guns are semi-automatic. But because they often have fixed magazines and are bedded in a traditional wood stock, most people think of them as hunting guns. They don't look dangerous so they're ok. Or they are bolt-action weapons so they get a free pass too. This despite the fact many have detachable magazines or capacities greater than five rounds.
Such as the Lee Enfield. This bolt-action rifle has a ten round box magazine. Although detachable, it never was removed and instead was loaded with 5 round stripper clips from the top. But during World War 1 and after, the British would exercise their troops in what was called "the Mad Minute". Soldiers had 60 seconds to fire as many aimed shots as possible with their Enfield rifles. The expectation was a soldier could put 30 aimed shots downrange in that minute. That was with reloading. That's a shot every two seconds on average with a bolt-action rifle that had to be loaded manually with two stripper clips for each full magazine between relays.
Which simply goes to show that the effectiveness of the firearm depends a great deal on its user and not necessarily its functionality.
Yet no one cries about the availability of Lee Enfields. Despite the fact that guns like this did serve on battlefields, likely shed blood and often bear the scars of those encounters. But no one complains about an average citizen owning a "vintage high-powered battle rifle". Apparently only the modern ones are evil.
So this edition of "Bite Me, Brady" is dedicated to those "weapons of war".
May I present one of the more obscure "weapons of war", specifically from World War II: The French MAS36.
This is a bolt-action rifle with a few unusual features. First, it fires the oddball (at least to us) French 7.5mm cartridge. Like most nations of the day, the French had their own standard rifle cartridge. But typical for the French, they had more than one. The 7.5mm French was a modification of their earlier 7.5x57mm MAS mod.1924 cartridge used in the FM24/29 light machine gun.
The second unusual feature is its bolt handle. Notice that it is canted forward. This gives the MAS36 its distinctive look. The reason for the forward cant of the handle is due to the fact that unlike the Mauser and several other rifles, the locking lugs for the bolt are at the rear rather than the front. The bolt face is smooth and the chamber machined only to accept the extractor. As a result, the handle is canted forward to allow for better leverage when cycling the bolt to allow the shooter to lock it in place properly without excessive force.
Despite its classic and attractive stock, the MAS36 is a weapon meant to shed blood and it shows in its design. One non-visible aspect of this is the fact the MAS36 has no safety whatsoever. Childproof this rifle is not. The moment you chamber a round, the rifle is ready to shoot. MAS36s were often carried on patrol with no round in the chamber and the soldier cycled the bolt to load a round the moment combat occurred.
The other combat feature it possesses and only found on feared "weapons of war" is an integral bayonet. The MAS36 features a 12 inch spike bayonet stowed under the muzzle. To affix it, the user presses the retaining clip in, pulls the bayonet out of its handy carry slot and flips it around and places it back in its receptacle which locks it in place.
It makes the rifle into a true menace. Or it would if it wasn't a French weapon. Alas, unlike the "weapons of war" used by the Allies, French rifles didn't see a lot of combat usage. It's one of the reasons why they can be found today in such great condition. My MAS36 is in near-mint condition. I guess the reason is because most French rifles have never been fired and only dropped once.
To facilitate its proper role in French service, the bayonet tube contained space for the most used accessory on the rifle in combat. Below we see the rifle in its typical French Army combat configuration*:
As you can see, the spike bayonet came in very handy. Not to mention the good proportions of the rifle made it easy-to-use in this configuration. The long length and sturdy bayonet made the MAS36 an ideal surrender flag. Foreign Legion service excepted, of course.The MAS36 was redeemed in French service and really did see reliable usage in combat in Algeria and French Indochina before being replaced by the MAS49/56 semi-automatic carbine. The MAS36 did also serve as the basis for the MAS44 semi-automatic rifle and served with distinction with the French Army in heavily modified form for years as the FR F1 sniper rifle.
The French experience aside, "weapons of war" like my MAS36 are in the hands of millions of collectors nationwide. I personally own around a dozen including this most recent acquisition.
So I don't understand this demand to get "weapons of war" off our streets when a) they're already on our streets in our homes without being misused and b) they probably outnumber "evil black rifles" by a factor of five or ten to one.
And in almost all cases, far more powerful than an AK-47 look-alike with much greater reach. Why would a gang banger go to close range when a good, old fashioned war horse can do the job from a dozen blocks away? You can even hold them sideways if you want.
So our "weapons of war" remain lurking in the shadows, waiting and watching for that moment to burst onto the criminal scene. But in a way, I'm glad the glamorous AK-47 and sexy AR-15 take the spotlight. That way, we can be left to collect and accumulate these well-worn and reliable weapons peacefully. I'm sure Paul Helmke will get around to demonizing them when he gets the chance. Not that I expect he'll succeed in making his delusions of "common sense gun laws" come true.
At least if he tries and I decide to throw in the towel, I'll have the means to surrender properly in the finest French tradition.
Vive la France!
* No, the French did not issue white flags as standard equipment for their soldiers nor did they have a space with the bayonet for one to be stored to make surrender easier. But we like to make fun of them due to their military prowess. Google "French military victories" for an exhaustive list.
9 comments:
very interesting. I did not realize that a forward canted bolt handle made it easier to cycle a bolt that has rear locking lugs.
I just linked to the post from my blog.
btw, how much do these rifles go for at the moment? Are they commonly available rechambered for any modern cartridges?
It looks like the forward cant puts the bolt handle in the normal place for a bolt to be. The rear locking lugs make the rear of the bolt pretty far back compared to the trigger, and the forward rake puts the bolt handle back in the normal location. I imagine a bolt as far back as the MAS-36 would be with a normal, straight bolt handle would be rather difficult to operate quickly.
At one time, the French were known as "The Brave Nation." They helped us during our Revolution and Helped settle Texas.
A local merchant of death has a MAS36 chambered for .308. It's a cool rifle, I wonder if it would hold up to the pressure of modern ammo?
Steve, a Mas36 is going between $200-350 depending on its shape. You can find them cheaper.
It is a normal bolt.
They are very accurate weapons.
Red; I would not buy one in the .308. There have been problems with Mas 49/56 that were re-chambered in that caliber and the Mas36 have been messed with to the point, they may not function well ( Some rifles)
France was the first European nation to recognize the Republic of Texas. We Texans will always love the French for that. The French Legation is the oldest building in Austin.
BTW: I deer hunt on a regular basis with my Mas36. While there is no safety, there are tricks one can learn to avoid discharge.
There was a brief spate of MAS36 rifles for sale in the Los Angeles area this past fall.
Most were approximately $190; the big drawback was the lack of available ammo.
7.5 French uses .308 bullets, so good news if you reload.
The one rifle I handled seemed to be in good condition mechanically (warning--I Am Not A Gunsmith) and still had gummy cosmoline in various grooves and such (dust bunnies?).
The one drawback is the sight adjustment system. The front sight is fixed and the rear is adjusted via stamped metal inserts--good luck finding those!
Thanks for the comments everyone!
This rifle was the result of a month-long search on my part to spend an unexpected holiday bonus. So I treated myself.
I got it off GunBroker. I saw several in good shape go for $150-$180 and kicked myself. Average prices seem to hold between $250-$300 with some at $400 (for the MAS36 with grenade launcher, original buttpad, matching numbers and mint condition).
I got mine for $227 shipped and consider it a very good deal.
Ammo is an issue and I will be getting some. Rechambered guns are to be avoided in the '36 unless you get it done yourself. The MAS receiver is very strong though and can take the higher pressures of the .308/7.62NATO round. I wouldn't be wary of the rechambered on the basis of it handling the pressure (it can) but rather then quality of the work.
Several prototypes of the MAS49/56 were chambered in 7.62 but needed slight work to avoid timing and cycling problems. The .308 MAS49/56 conversions done by Century are hit-or-miss. I have one and it seems to work fine.
As aughtSix points out, the forward cant of the handle places it in the proper position as compared to other rifles. From what I've read, if the handle was even with the rear of the bolt, it would be difficult to keep tension on the rear lugs to lock into place. The sweep forward solves the problem. From research I've done on the MAS36, the forward canted handle was a designed solution for the rifle.
The later derivative FR F1 uses a standard bolt handle.
The MAS36 is a pretty gun. I'm a collector of Foreign Legion stuff and I would like an example of each gun they used. I have two out of three for the WWII up to the 1970s period that are readily available to civilians without a colonoscopy.
The ammo front is the hard part. However, 6.5x55mm Swedish brass can be resized for 7.5mm French. The case sizes are apparently virtually identical. So if you have a Swede and a MAS, they can share brass.
FYI: Graf & Sons has 7.5 French.
"http://www.grafs.com/ammo/233"
Remember that massacre at the Ecole Polytechnic in Montreal- where a whackjob killed some female engineering students- they banned the AK47 in Canada because of that, (although you can still buy the Mini14 that the nutbar used to kill them with).
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