Pre-War And Post-War MAS 36

[@jean-christophearraez803]

Just acquired a like new MAS36. Late 44 production, 72 refurbished then into storage until last week. After viewing your most informative video (again!) I just had to remove the wood. I didn't find any greasy material bedding the forend, just kleen wood and fresh parkerized steel. Can't wait for the range to reopen to see how it shoots!

[@saoirse5308]

About a decade ago (maybe closer to two) I helped a widow move and in the garden shed was a MAS 36. She had no idea her husband had owned it, and asked me if I wanted the rust/dusty thing. . . . Still in a box in the gun room somewhere 🤦‍♂️ I have forgotten it all this time until this video. Guess if the Virus closes my work down, I'll have a project seeing if the old French girl can be brought back to life.

[@worldwarwill1278]

I wonder if it was a GI bring back?

[@ascendedfashy9632]

I'm getting Gun Jesus vibes off this and I love it

[@stephenbond1990]

I enjoyed Ian McCollum's video on the Mas 36 as part of his French rifle series but somehow your videos feel more friendly for the average collector, thank you again.

[@thebotrchap]

Stephen Bond Thanks, to give Ian his due though he has a very busy schedule and has to cram in as much info as he deems important in relatively short vids. I’m lucky enough to have none of those constraints.

[@julianamir4323]

Sorry to be so off topic but does anyone know a method to log back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can give me.

[@leroyian8836]

@Julian Amir Instablaster ;)

[@julianamir4323]

@Leroy Ian I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@julianamir4323]

@Leroy Ian It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thank you so much, you really help me out :D

[@themedhunter]

Super helpful! I just bought a post-war version and I love it.

[@bakaneko113]

Love my mas 36. They're so simple it's beautiful.

[@50StichesSteel]

yeah the yellow stuff seems to protect the interface between the metal and wood. maybe slightly different metals between screws, bands could corrode overtime and swell into the wood causing nasty issues..bless whoever refurbed them because they seem to hold up great!..Great video Chap

[@mdkd99]

Thanks, this helped me a lot with my MAS-36 modelling project. Great video!

[@MrGarwest]

Well presented and very informative as expected.Thanks for showing both examples of much maligned French rifles.Regards,Guy and Leonard A-R-West FHBSA

[@jenkinsonian]

Those "fork" headed screwdrivers are relatively common to buy nowadays as the screws are used as tamper-proof screws on some essential electrical equipment like kettles. I have a screwdriver bit set with a number of sizes, along with tamper-proof torxs. Got mine cheaply from Halfords of all places.

[@thebotrchap]

Foxtrot_13 Yeah I have small ones but I always need to grind them down a bit as the slots in the screws seem to be smaller.

[@rudi_m9148]

They are great rifles, I have the post war 36 and a 36-51. As far as ammo availability goes if you roll your own you can use 6.5x55 brass, just neck up and trim to length.

[@tskunlimited]

Just acquired a type 2 36. It is non matching but has a cartouche and s/n on the stock and a s/n on the magazine plate so some mixing and matching during refurbishment process. Great informative video thx.

[@stewbacca117]

I don't remember if Ian mentioned the resolution to that problem in his video... I have visions of two MAS stuck together at the muzzle ends travelling up the echelons to the appropriate level armourer for disassembly, with the eejiot soldiers still at either end being shamed along their long walk. 🤔🧐😅

[@thebotrchap]

stewbacca117 He did a feature on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enKWh6aDqcp0rs0

[@johnlewis7160]

Stay healthy Chap, Bloke & families!

[@renelopez2244]

Exceptional job! Thank you

[@thebotrchap]

Thank you! Hope it helps people figure out what they have or want to have.

[@SafetyProMalta]

This video caused me to have flashback to 1978/9 I remember when I was a kid in the 70's having a toy MAS36 which looked very lifelike and being stopped by a copper once for taking it out to play "war" It had a real bolt action system and I have no clue how I got it.....Must have swapped it for something.

[@herknorth8691]

14:26 "Un... deux... CINQ!" "Trois, chef!" "Uhhh... TROIS!"

[@simontan6248]

Fabien...is worthless if you dont shoot them!

[@tomunterwegs1206]

I love how on all the videos, no matter if gun, computer parts etc. related the person wants to remove something ... and its not working and there is really emberassed fiddling :-D

[@thebotrchap]

Tom unterwegs There’s only so many times you can repeat filming a section before you just say “oh f#ck it” it’ll do 😂

[@luissantiago5163]

Oh lovely!

[@richardroberson2564]

Always loved this gun.

[@novauviolon]

The "idiot hole" for the bayonet mount actually exists on all prewar/wartime MAS 36 rifles. It was likely a necessary hole for some part of the machining process. In prewar/wartime rifles, its placement seems to be random (my May 1940-dated example is in a slightly different spot than yours). It pre-existing is why the problem was easily fixed by adding such a hole to the bayonet itself, and on postwar examples the idiot hole is always found in a spot that can be easily accessed.

[@F1ghteR41]

The amount of machined parts is just crazy for a rifle that was intended to be a cheap substitute and a stop-gap measure before semi-auto rifles were introduced. The thing has no safety, yet every piece is machined and serialized. What the hell were they thinking?! It's not like they didn't have WW1 experience to judge their armament industries potential. 6:51 Henry over at 9-Hole reviews uses this characteristic as a helpful implement for easy windage adjustment, although I suspect that it would be more useful for a semi-automatic rifle. 14:21 Were they saving on this one milling operation?

[@jean-marcthurnherr2387]

Excellent fusil, remarquable économie de moyens, élégance de l’ingénierie à la française, tout aussi efficace pour perforer des extraits de naissances qu’un k31.

[@keithplymale2374]

Ian's just released book on French rifles and carbines from the Lebel to the Famas might have info on what that material you mentioned is all about Chap.

[@thebotrchap]

Keith Plymale No it doesn’t 😉

[@keithplymale2374]

@@thebotrchap Okay do not have a copy so I did not know that.

[@thebotrchap]

Keith Plymale I highly recommend that you do!

[@quentintin1]

on the numbering, the serial n° is also repeated under the bolt handle, this is valid for both pre and post war patterns. normally all MAS 36 had the stock numbered and cartouched but it's rarer to see in the 2nd pattern as they saw much more use than the 1st and as such, many lost theirs or had the stock replaced when refurbed in the 60's. they apparently carried putting the n° at least on the magazine floorplate since I've also seen pictures of serialised examples. here a good page with some great pictures of both patterns of rifle, with also a pic of the 2nd pattern sling swivel, a FJ series stock with number and a serialised stamped floorplate: armesfrancaises.free.fr/FR%20MAS%2036.html i can concur on some features lingering on, i have a 2nd pattern MAS 36 (series FH, i think the barrel is dated 1952 (62?) but i can't be arsed to check atm) with the machined magazine floorplate and trigger guard, a numbered forestock (the numbers are heavily worn and barely visible), both the floorplate and trigger guard are smooth and no trace of markings on the stock.

[@Berthier_Enjoyer]

It may also not be a machined trigger guard. They went to a stamped version, then they went to a cast version after finding the stamping was too weak.

[@shockwave6213]

I bought a sporterized 1938 MAS 36 for a steal at a pawn shop to restore to original condition and the rear peep sight is damaged so I need a new one. I can't find the early leaf type in stock anywhere but there are a huge amount of later leafs out there. Is it possible to have somebody cut the notches into a late style rear leaf if they used mine as a template for correct alignment? As far as I can tell, the later leaf if identical to the early one, but just without the notches cut into it.

[@xtangero]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@Burningwhisky96]

My mas 36 is a mix of postwar and pre war parts, made in 1946 :)

[@SirSyllabi]

Seen a post war FH serial, has a serialized stock

[@captainswoop8722]

sticky stuff to act as some kind of damping medium to stop rattles?

[@JamesFrenchTX]

One question I have on the MAS 36 is why did they move from a front sling bar to a ring. If you are using a flat leather sling the ring wears out the sling at the outside edges. A bar wouldn’t do that.

[@thebotrchap]

James French The French had used the round ring universally since the Lebel, I guess eventually replacing a worn sling was cheaper than expensive machining.

[@JamesFrenchTX]

@@thebotrchap Rather than comparing it to the original sling bar, compare the ring to a Lee-Enfield front sling swivel. No major machining required, it’s just a bent bit of heavy gauge wire attached to the pivot. The later MAS 36 ring appears to be a stamping; it could have been stamped as rectangle rather than a circle. I’m happy to accept organizational inertia (tradition) coupled with the sling swivel design not being considered important, but the rest of the rifle does seem to be so well thought out.

[@thebotrchap]

James French I think that tradition was indeed heavily involved.

[@RabbitusMaximus]

Good comparison

[@VosperCDN]

Great, now I want one - my wallet thanks you.

[@cheesenoodles8316]

Is there any difference in slings from early to late? I have a light tan color on the post war model....but I have seen some looking brown. PS: Nice video on a rifle that was under appreciated for a while.

[@thebotrchap]

Cheese Noodles Yes, the first pattern sling is dark brown leather with brass fittings.

[@cheesenoodles8316]

@@thebotrchap Now I want am early pattern MAS 36 with a brown sling and brass fittings. Brass fittings look the coolest. Add it to the French want list...Adrian helmet, MAS 49...with a scope....a tri color flag....yesh.

[@beefcakes27]

Are the bayonets two digit numbered on the end on late paterned rifles?

[@newpeupyoass]

I notice a finish difference. Did later Mas 36s come with a different type of finish?

[@thebotrchap]

Mattias Petrmichl Yes Sorry didn’t mention it for some reason. The finish did indeed change from a baked on painted finish to parkerization.

[@davecarlson1918]

@@thebotrchap From Le Creuset-style "enamel" or "stoved" to parkerization... ;)

[@thebotrchap]

Dave Carlson Far thinner than Creuset enameling

[@davecarlson1918]

@@thebotrchap Unfortunately so, no? Scrapes off way too easy... And yet, my own late 1946 MAS Mle. 1936, while it has all of the postwar features, used up pre-war and/or wartime parts, some of which the arsenal workers couldn't apparently scape off all of the old finish? Thanks for the video of this often dismissed bolt-action gem! I got mine "in the wrap" with a heavy coating of cannon grease and some sort of heavily waxed/greased paper and "mummy wrap" in a plastic bag indicating it had been buried that way in Clérmont Ferrand circa 1976...

[@sjeta]

These are awesome shooters! If only the ammunition was easier to come by...

[@HDSME]

I had no real problem I loved this like for some reason it just has a feel My gun guys just ordered it if they didn't have it

[@gtc1961]

Almost impossible to find one of these rifles in the US now without paying well over $1000 for the post-war model....never saw a early model for sale anywhere....

[@michaellorusso4912]

What’s the LOP on the MAS ?

[@MrJerry160]

during the heat of combat i'd rather not count to five. Theres tons of other things to worry about

[@daetslovactmandcarry6999]

Interesting.

[@DNchap1417]

Wie vergleicht der Verchluss des Mas36 mit z.B denen von den Lee Enfield, Mauser und Mosin Nagant?

[@thebotrchap]

Es ist ganz einfach gebaut, leicht und relativ kurz.

[@user-dl8si4mx2x]

Hi I'm french... These rifles are not sold to the french public unless very complicated to get permission while they're sent overseas to the american market!

[@jeremyhannaford1306]

Water pump grease?

[@mackharmon5818]

How does BotR look 5 years older and 7 kilos lighter from 9 days ago on Inrange? Or am I blind and this isn't the Bloke??

[@BlokeontheRange]

That's not me... that's El Chappo. Who is 18 months older and 8-10kg heavier...

[@mackharmon5818]

@@BlokeontheRange Thanks mate, I don't know what I was thinking!

[@wrxs1781]

Chap this is a very kind revue of a “not that great” rifle.

[@lefr33man]

Depends on what your conception of "great" is. It is a terrific troop rifle, but as a shooter, it is certainly an acquired taste.

[@davecarlson1918]

@@lefr33man These are capable of very good accuracy. They're also built heck for stout, are reliable, robust, easy to service, and simple. Trigger pull is too heavy, and the inability to alter windage without an armorer fully set-up with spares and parts by the "armée de terre" is annoying to us civilians who've inherited them, certainly. Easily one of the better bolt-action rifles, in my humble opinion...

[@hjorturerlend]

Guess the lesson is... Fine machining gives you no tactical advantage whatsoever.

[@thebotrchap]

H. E. Only if slacken off on the right components

[@hjorturerlend]

@@thebotrchap I know, couldn't resist the reference tho.

[@mattfisher5220]

Have you seen one of these rifles with a grenade launcher.

[@thebotrchap]

matt fisher Yes, there’s the MAS36-LG48 and MAS36-51

[@mattfisher5220]

@@thebotrchap picked one up about 20 years ago.looked like it had never been issued.$140.00.the only ammo I found was Serian.

[@simontan6248]

D