THE FRENCH MAS-36 BOLT ACTION RIFLE

The MAS-36, the French main battle rifle of the Second World War, has long carried the reputation that it was “never fired; only dropped once.” This slight is based on the fact that the French Army was utterly overrun and defeated by the German Blitzkrieg in May and June of 1940. However, that statement forgets that the MAS Modèle 36 still was used by various Free French forces throughout the world and remained in French service as a training rifle until 1978.

The MAS-36 saw action in many far flung conflicts, including the First Indochina War and the Algerian War (where France did end up on the losing end again). France’s enemies liked the rifle, as captured stocks were used in the Vietnam War and the Cambodian Civil War. In the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of South East Asia, the MAS-36 was more than up to the task.

Ironically, the rifle wasn’t designed with either the desert or jungle in mind. It