Forget the MAS 49/56!!

W

White Tiger

New member
Thanks to many of you - most stridently WildAlaska - and after MUCH research, I decided on a sweet, unissued, Yugoslav SKS!!

Thanks guys, while I haven't given up the desire to one day own a MAS 49 - I am STOKED about my SKS. I actually don't pick it up for a couple of weeks...

I was surpirised how much I had to pay for it, though?! Last year these things were going for $300 -but gunlust/economic-fears/inflation/whatever - have driven prices for decent semi-auto rifles through the roof!?

I know one of the reasons I paid more was because my research (due to testimonials from shooters who have owned several types - they swayed me with the the "machined parts vs stamped parts produce better accuracy" argument.

...which leads me to another question for the experts...I'm collecting cosmoline removal recipe's...!
 
You will also find 7.62x39 ammo allot easier and cheaper than a 7.5x54 I'm sure.
Click to expand...

I don't see it that way. Of course I buy almost no loaded ammo either. 7.5 French is easy to reload and .308" bullets are everywhere.

I have a Yugo SKS and a 49/56. From a firearm design standpoint, no contest whatsoever. The 49/56 is the more advanced rifle. The SKS is an end of WWII era rifle. The 49/56 is pointing towards the M16. I probably put ten rounds through the 49/56 for every one round through the SKS. Maybe more.

Like everybody else... one does have to shake your head over that giant metal clothes pin holding the magazine in place. Just bizarre. It does work but talk about something that would have created a snagging hazard with your other gear!

The other bad thing about the 49/56 is actually shared by the SKS. You can't reload it with standard soft commercial primers or you will get slam fires. Reloads must use the hard military primers like CCI sells.

I know Americans just automatically like to make fun of anything involving the French and their military but the 49/56 is a surprisingly useful little gun. If I had one of those scope mount bases that slides into the slots on the side, I would probably put a short scope on it and use it to whack a deer or two.

Gregg
 
MAS vs SKS

Actually, both the MAS and SKS were late WWII designs. The only real similarity between the MAS and the M-16 is the direct gas impingement system (which is not new - the French tried it first in 1901). So, both MAS and SKS were postwar designs (although a few SKS were used by Russkies in late WWII. Interestingly both were used in Vietnam/Indochina. Advantage to MAS is detachable magazines and its novelty. Advantage to SKS (some models) is chrome chamber and bore and availbility of lots of cheap ammo.
 
TulsaMal - where were you when I was first considering the MAS?!

Actually, I'm pretty stoked about my Yugoslav SKS! I know the MAS is generally a better rifle than most SKS' out there, but I think the differences are mainly in production, not so much design. Simonov's design (based on my research), I think rivals any of the period. Of course, anyone who lived throught the cold war era knows that only a scarce few Commbloc nations had production capabilities that could rival French production facilities - but I've heard/read that Yugoslavia just might. The one troubling issue is the non-chrome barrell (no thanks to the bad blood between Moscow and Tito, I'm sure), but I think if I wash it down after firing and then give it a thorough cleaning when I get home, it should be fine (anyone know if I can replace the barrell if it becomes a distraction?).

The difficulty in obtaining ammunition (without reloading), the weight of the MAS, as well as the extra $100 to $150 needed to acquire the MAS - kind of nuetralized any advantages it had over the SKS (for me).

As for the power of the 7.62 x 39 versus the 7.5 French - the LGS owner where I'm buying mine told me he recently sold a SKS to customer who wanted to test it's accuracy. Once he'd removed the cosmoline, he set up a target, backed by a steel plate, 100 yds away - but he fired from the end of his driveway towards his house...figuring the distance and the steel plate would provide plenty of protection - he never figured on missing - the errant round punched through 2 exterior walls (concrete block), and a couple of interior walls, exited the house and hammered itself into a telephone pole accross the street...

I think that will be plenty of power - at least for any SHTF/emergency I can envision.

If I need any more, I've got my eye on a sweet little Mosin Nagant in 7.62 x 54R...

Now, what's happened to WildAlaska?
 
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