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Where can I find a MAS 49/56? Is it worth the search?
- Thread starter CSAY
- Start date
Well ... I have been looking for a much simpler thing ... a mil-surp bolt action in .308 and all I keep hearing is that the actions aren't built to take it. I have heard that the feeding on the 49/56 with 7.62x51 is not very reliable, but I also read (http://www.jpfo.org/masrifle.htm) that a variable gas system takes care of the problem ... at least in some cases ... yielding a functional rifle. I thought about this one and eventually went with a Garand. For the bolt in .308, it looks like I will go the Mauser rebarrel route.
Hope this helps,
Saands
Hope this helps,
Saands
Mas 49/56
I've got a MAS 49/56 and just love to shoot it. It is very reliable yet does not have any gas ajustment system on it. I've yet to have any jam or ftf at all. I'll admit, however, that I seem to have one of the better "convesions" out there, however I also think that the whole preconception that all of the Century NATO conversions were horrible is plain wrong. For those of you who are having problems, there are solutions available as the JPFO organzation paper says. You can even have your own 7.5 converted today and shoot a very plentiful, accurate, and powerful round.
As for where you can find one? I recently saw a bunch of them at SOG for around $225. if I not mistaken. You'll also find them at Jersey City Armory on the web for a little less, I think.
You can take one of two approaches with a "virgin" MAS 49/56. You can suffer finding enough ammo to keep feeding it over the years and keep the rifle in it's original state or you can have it customeized to accept the NATO round. Many stalwart collectors will tell you that changing the caliber will "ruin" it's collector value. Well, so does shooting it, frankly. I "collect" old rifles but shoot all of them regularly. I'll bet just about anything that every one of the is worth more today than when I bought them just a couple of years ago. That's because they are all working, accurate, and very handsome. There are no closet queens in my collection.
I'll also tell you again, that I love shooting the 49/56 in NATO. It is a fine piece of machinery that is extremely easy to aim and be accurate with. I'll also tell you that FYI, the French actually did make a very small production of the MAS 49/56 in NATO caliber themselves. So, it is not a completely "custom" conversion aferall. It can be easily and properly done with terrfic results. Also, if you buy the rifle as originally issued, it is C&R so it will be much easier to find and purchase. Once it's convered by you or a smith, it is no longer C&R as far as I understand it.
Good luck find your MAS. You won't be unhappy. Join us at:
http://www.gunandknife.com/cgi-bin/boards1/frconfig.pl?
There is a good board which addresses precisely what you're looking at. Ton's of great info. If you have any other question, email me if you'd like.
Rome
I've got a MAS 49/56 and just love to shoot it. It is very reliable yet does not have any gas ajustment system on it. I've yet to have any jam or ftf at all. I'll admit, however, that I seem to have one of the better "convesions" out there, however I also think that the whole preconception that all of the Century NATO conversions were horrible is plain wrong. For those of you who are having problems, there are solutions available as the JPFO organzation paper says. You can even have your own 7.5 converted today and shoot a very plentiful, accurate, and powerful round.
As for where you can find one? I recently saw a bunch of them at SOG for around $225. if I not mistaken. You'll also find them at Jersey City Armory on the web for a little less, I think.
You can take one of two approaches with a "virgin" MAS 49/56. You can suffer finding enough ammo to keep feeding it over the years and keep the rifle in it's original state or you can have it customeized to accept the NATO round. Many stalwart collectors will tell you that changing the caliber will "ruin" it's collector value. Well, so does shooting it, frankly. I "collect" old rifles but shoot all of them regularly. I'll bet just about anything that every one of the is worth more today than when I bought them just a couple of years ago. That's because they are all working, accurate, and very handsome. There are no closet queens in my collection.
I'll also tell you again, that I love shooting the 49/56 in NATO. It is a fine piece of machinery that is extremely easy to aim and be accurate with. I'll also tell you that FYI, the French actually did make a very small production of the MAS 49/56 in NATO caliber themselves. So, it is not a completely "custom" conversion aferall. It can be easily and properly done with terrfic results. Also, if you buy the rifle as originally issued, it is C&R so it will be much easier to find and purchase. Once it's convered by you or a smith, it is no longer C&R as far as I understand it.
Good luck find your MAS. You won't be unhappy. Join us at:
http://www.gunandknife.com/cgi-bin/boards1/frconfig.pl?
There is a good board which addresses precisely what you're looking at. Ton's of great info. If you have any other question, email me if you'd like.
Rome