French M.A.C. 1935 - S

D

Doc Hoy

New member
Picked up a good condition very shootable M.A.C. 1935 at the Doswell GS today.

Caliber is the French .32 Long.

Most of the dimensions of that round are close to .32 ACP but a little longer.

Anyone have experience shooting .32 ACP in this pistol?
 
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It won't work with .32 ACP as the French gun is a locked breech and has a heavier charge and heavier bullet. Also, the .32 ACP is semi-rimmed and that can interfere with feeding. Sorry, but I don't know of any source either for ammunition or reloadable cases. (Of course you can get cases by pulling the bullets from Pedersen device ammo should you have a bunch of that laying about.)

Jim
 
Thanks for the leads guys....

I think as soon as Buffalo gets it is stock, I'll get some.

We have a local reloader in Virginia Beach and he routinely has some exotic stuff. MAC'S RELOADS. Good fella.

Heres some photos





 
The 1935A is, to my mind, the best feeling pistol I have found. It is too bad someone hasn't been able to make it in 9mm P.

The SIG 210 is much the same gun, but is a lot bigger and heavier.

Jim
 
Go on Midway's site and read the reviews for their brass, before you order any.
I believe it's Bertram brass.
 
I would swear that some years ago there was an article in American Rifleman about using .32 ACP in these guns by installing a chamber spacer. No other alterations (IIRC) were needed because the gun would feed and chamber .32 ACP.

Maybe they cut the rim down, I don't know...
 
Mike, I have heard and read the same thing over the years. First, the .32 ACP won't feed. In fact, it .32 ACP of three makes won't even fit into the magazine of my 35S; they will fit into the 35A magazine.

Then they won't feed; the rims will fit in the breech face, but in feeding hang up on the extractors. If they did, they would be supported on the extractors, since they would not headspace properly.

But that doesn't really matter. The French guns are locked breech, recoil operated, and the factory .32 ACP with its light bullet and relatively low charge just doesn't have enough oomph to work them reliably. The French cartridge case is longer, has a longer and heavier (85 grain) bullet, and a heavier powder charge.

Could the .32 ACP and the guns be modified to work? I think so, if one wanted to spend the time and effort.

P.S. It is often written that the French 7.65 Longue is the same as the Pedersen device cartridge. That is not true. The cases are the same, but the French round, with its longer bullet, won't fit in the Pedersen device magazine. The usual story is that the U.S. left millions of rounds of Cartridge, Pistol, Ball, Caliber .30, M1918 in France and the thrifty French made pistols to use it. I have no doubt that the Pedersen device round was the starting point for the 7.65 Longue, but the cartridges are not identical.

Jim
 
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Ah, but the Pedersen rounds will fit into the 1935 pistols! I had 50 or 60 Pedersen rounds and planned to reload them for my 1935A, and they hand cycled perfectly. I ended up selling the pistol and rounds before I got around to the reloading project.
 
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