Wanting to buy a MAS 36 in 7.5 French.
- Thread starter T-90
- Start date
"•Matching serial numbers (left side of receiver, bottom of receiver, bottom of trigger guard)"
Original MAS 36 rifles have numbers on the receiver, bolt, floorplate, trigger guard, butt stock, forestock and bayonet
He doesn't list a matching serial number on the bolt handle and the photo of the back of the bolt doesn't show it.
So maybe it's not matching there---but that's a minor thing, right?
The furniture isn't numbered, so it's replacement wood---the proper numbers on the butt are about 1" tall and hard to overlook---so much for the rifle being "unissued".
Get a firm statement on bore condition, too. The French would rebuild a rifle with a bad bore and when the first imports arrived in the 1990s, there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
In my completely jaded opinion, $400 is too much gelt for a shooter grade rifle, but if you want to drive the price up on mine, I say go for it.
Annoying photo:
This is the only photo I have showing the butt stock number and it is obscured by bullet holes. The guy I bought it from said the previous owner, a guy named Charles, didn't need it anymore.
-----krinko
Original MAS 36 rifles have numbers on the receiver, bolt, floorplate, trigger guard, butt stock, forestock and bayonet
He doesn't list a matching serial number on the bolt handle and the photo of the back of the bolt doesn't show it.
So maybe it's not matching there---but that's a minor thing, right?
The furniture isn't numbered, so it's replacement wood---the proper numbers on the butt are about 1" tall and hard to overlook---so much for the rifle being "unissued".
Get a firm statement on bore condition, too. The French would rebuild a rifle with a bad bore and when the first imports arrived in the 1990s, there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
In my completely jaded opinion, $400 is too much gelt for a shooter grade rifle, but if you want to drive the price up on mine, I say go for it.
Annoying photo:
This is the only photo I have showing the butt stock number and it is obscured by bullet holes. The guy I bought it from said the previous owner, a guy named Charles, didn't need it anymore.
-----krinko
"...a place I can just buy one..." Like any milsurp, there's no place retailers can order 'em from any more.
There's always the 'buy now' option on the auction sites. Know what stuff is worth though.
"...when they were $70 dollar rifles..." M1C's and D's were $250Cdn, up here, not so long ago. Thought, "No, it's backwards." Still kicking myself.
There's always the 'buy now' option on the auction sites. Know what stuff is worth though.
"...when they were $70 dollar rifles..." M1C's and D's were $250Cdn, up here, not so long ago. Thought, "No, it's backwards." Still kicking myself.
kilimanjaro
New member
You should be able to find a nice matching example for $200 or less, just be prepared to look for a while.
Set the money aside and pounce when pounceablilitude is called for.
Set the money aside and pounce when pounceablilitude is called for.
shuvelrider
New member
You also need to know that no more of the French rifles are being brought into the US. After the early 90's flood of milsurp rifles, the French government got on-board with a UN initiative of destroying their old stock war reserve, rather then selling it on the world market. Like Kilimanjaro suggested, put some money to the side and be ready to "jump", when a rifle comes up for sale locally. Clean examples are usually in the 2-$300 range, from what I have been seeing.
I tried to take some photos this evening, but I thought I could skip the tripod and I was very wrong about that. Blurry.
Later this week I can do a 1940 Manufrance and a 1953 St. Etienne 36-51 and if it all works out, the 1940 will show all the early serial number locations and the 36-51 will show variations used in that model.
Meanwhile, here's an old shot of another 1940---
And here's a 100 yard target from this rifle using Chilean .308 "Cartouches De Guerro" repacked into 7.5 cases---
This second rifle is one of the mysterious unmarked rifles that has a simple series number stamped into the receiver and bolt handle, without Military acceptance marks---
Other side. The three blotches on the receiver ring are the series number---
These unmarked rifles seem to be a collection of parts with some function problems. Mine will allow the striker to slip into the "fired" position during bolt cycling. Which is why I don't shoot it.
They get marketed as "Resistance" rifles...but caveat emptor, as always.
More later.
-----krinko
Later this week I can do a 1940 Manufrance and a 1953 St. Etienne 36-51 and if it all works out, the 1940 will show all the early serial number locations and the 36-51 will show variations used in that model.
Meanwhile, here's an old shot of another 1940---
And here's a 100 yard target from this rifle using Chilean .308 "Cartouches De Guerro" repacked into 7.5 cases---
This second rifle is one of the mysterious unmarked rifles that has a simple series number stamped into the receiver and bolt handle, without Military acceptance marks---
Other side. The three blotches on the receiver ring are the series number---
These unmarked rifles seem to be a collection of parts with some function problems. Mine will allow the striker to slip into the "fired" position during bolt cycling. Which is why I don't shoot it.
They get marketed as "Resistance" rifles...but caveat emptor, as always.
More later.
-----krinko