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MAS Rifle Series
During and after World War II, the Saint-Étienne Weapons Factory (Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne, abbr. MAS), developed and manufactured a series of semi-automatic rifles that later became the standard service rifles of the French Army.
The MAS Rifle Series and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
MAS-40
The MAS-40 was an early French service semi-auto battle rifle. This was the second prototype in the line of MAS semi-automatic rifles, following the MAS-38/39 prototype (which had a lot of parts in common with MAS-36). While the most of MAS-38/39 and MAS-40 rifles was fed from a standard fixed 5-round magazine (similar to the MAS-36), several was modified to loaded from 20-round Chatellerault M1924/29 magazines.
It was produced only in very small quantities, and was never officially issued by the French army. The stocks of rifles were eventually captured by the German army, but were left without interest. In 1944, they were recapture and ended up in the hands of the Resistance.
Specifications
(1940 - 1944)
- Type: Battle Rifle, Semi-automatic rifle
- Manufacturer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne
- No. built: less than 50 pieces
- Caliber: 7.5x54mm French
- Action: Gas operation
- Rate of fire: Semi-automatic
- Feed System: 5-round fixed mag.
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World War II Online: Battleground Europe | 2001 |
MAS-44
The MAS-44 was an early French service semi-auto battle rifle, derived from the earlier MAS-40. It did not enter mass production due to an excess of weapons received from the Allies (such as the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine). The produced rifles afterwards were was used in Indochina, and, in addition, continued to be in the arsenals of French warships back in the 80s.
Specifications
(1944 - 1951)
- Type: Battle Rifle, Semi-automatic rifle
- Manufacturer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne
- No. built: 6,300
- Mass: 4,4 kg / 9,7 lbs
- Length: 1075 mm / 42,3 in
- Barrel length: 580 mm / 22.8 in
- Cartridge: 7.5×54mm French
- Action: Gas operation
- Rate of fire: Semi-automatic
- Muzzle velocity: 850 m/s
- Effective firing range: 400 m (437 yd)
- Feed system: 10-round fixed magazine
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battlefield V | Added in "Lightning Strikes" update in 2019 | 2018 |
MAS-49
The MAS-49 is the successor to the MAS-44, and was adopted as the French service rifle in 1949, replacing the earlier bolt-action rifles. Unlike earlier MAS semi-automatic rifles, the MAS-49 featured a detachable magazine.
The MAS-49 was adopted in relatively limited numbers, and would later be replaced by the MAS-49/56. It was used by French forces in the Indochina, Algerian and Suez conflicts.
There are two unique variants of the MAS-49 specifically:
- MAS-49 (Syrian): - An export version produced for Syrian orders. The main difference from the French version was that the rifle is equipped with a bayonet base and a bayonet copied from the MAS 38.
- MAS-49 (selection): - A series of accurized MAS-49s used as sniper rifles. They were made from select MAS-49 rifles identified as having low shot dispersion, with their grenade-launching parts removed and equipped with the APX L Mle53 optical sight (magnification 3.85x). This version was replaced by the FR F1 rifles.
Specifications
(1949 - 1965)
- Type: Battle Rifle, Semi-automatic rifle
- In service: 1951–1979 (as standard French service rifle)
- Manufacturer: Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne
- Produced: 1949–1965
- No. built: 20,600 (MAS-49), 275,240 (MAS-49/56)
- Mass: 4.7 kg (10 lb 6 oz) (MAS-49), 4.1 kg (9 lb) (MAS-49/56)
- Length: 1100 mm (43.35 in) (MAS-49), 1020 mm (40.2 in) (MAS-49/56)
- Barrel length: 580 mm (22.8 in) (MAS-49), 525mm (20.7 in) (MAS-49/56)
- Cartridge: 7.5×54mm French, .308 (Century Arms mass conversions)
- Action: Direct impingement gas operation, tilting bolt
- Rate of fire: Semi-automatic
- Muzzle velocity: 820 m/s (2,690 ft/s)
- Effective firing range: 400 m (437 yd), 800 m (875 yd) (with telescopic sight)
- Feed system: 10-round detachable box magazine
- Sights: Iron sights adjustable from 200 to 1200 meters, Removable APX(SOM) telescopic sights
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 317th Platoon | Jacques Perrin | Le sous-lieutenant Torrens | with APX L806 scope | 1965 |
| The 317th Platoon | Laotian soldier | 1965 | ||
| The Battle of Algiers | French soldiers | 1966 | ||
| The Last Adventure | African soldiers | 1967 | ||
| Shock Troops (Un homme de trop) | Jacques Perrin | Kerk | with APX L806 scope | 1967 |
| The Day of the Jackal | French gendarmes | 1973 | ||
| Holy Year (L'année sainte) | Italian police | 1976 | ||
| The Police War (La Guerre des polices) | French police | 1979 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7554 | 2011 | |||
| Rising Storm 2: Vietnam | standard variant; added in Update 1.3 | 2017 | ||
| grenade launcher version with 6 HE Rifle Grenades; added in Update 1.3 | ||||
| Marksman version with an APX scope; added in Update 1.3 |
MAS-49/56
The MAS-49/56 is an improved version of the MAS-49 that was shorter, lighter, and had a built-in muzzle brake/grenade launcher. Originally developed for the airborne troops, the MAS-49/56 soon replaced the MAS-49 as the standard rifle of the French military, being adopted between 1957 and 1979 in larger numbers than the MAS-49. A knife bayonet could be mounted on the barrel.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Eye of the Monocle (L'oeil du monocle) | French Foreign Legionnaires | MAS-49/56 with bayonets | 1962 | |
| The Day of the Jackal | 1973 | |||
| The Secret (Le secret) | French soldiers | 1974 | ||
| Drummer-Crab (Le Crabe-Tambour) | French sailors | MAS-49/56 | 1977 | |
| The Escape (La carapate) | French gendarmes | MAS-49/56 | 1978 | |
| Operation Leopard (La légion saute sur Kolwezi) | French paratroopers | MAS-49/56; Some with rifle grenades | 1980 | |
| Believed Violent (Présumé dangereux) | A police sniper | With sniper scope | 1990 | |
| Operation Corned Beef | French honor guards | MAS-49/56 | 1991 | |
| Goldeneye | French Sailor | 1995 | ||
| Straight Shooter | French Foreign Legion paratrooper | MAS-49/56 | 1999 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7554 | 2011 | |||
| World of Guns: Gun Disassembly | MAS-49/56 | APX L806 scope | MAS-49/56 | 2014 |
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | "MAS 49/56" | MAS-49/56 | 2016 | |
| "All Rounder" | Heavily stylized, with some AK-esque elements | |||
| The Walking Dead: A New Frontier | MAS-49/56; seen in New Richmond Armory | 2016 | ||
| The Walking Dead: The Final Season | with APX L806 scope | MAS-49/56 | 2018 |