MAS 44 unitended French Auto Loader Safe Queen

I have posted pictures of my MAS 44 French Auto Loader. I stumbled upon this rifle and it seemed pretty reasonable at the time. I knew a little about them. I fully intended to shoot it and went on a quest for ammo. Before I got enough, I picked up a Swede Auto Loader then an SVT40, both of which I had lots of ammo for. So she sat in the back of the safe for a long time. Now I wonder if it would have been an accurate shooter, if so I would have put some wear on it. Maybe for the best as it kept in nice condition and they did not produce a huge quantity. She is now my French Safe Queen. This is a great forum, I joined to learn about my British Rifles but found a lot of great subjects.

Can you not make 7.5 Mas out of something? .30 cal cartridge for instance? I know the dies can be had, maybe custom but they can be. I'd load for it and get on with it. A nice clean rifle like that should be shot.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Can you not make 7.5 Mas out of something? .30 cal cartridge for instance? I know the dies can be had, maybe custom but they can be. I'd load for it and get on with it. A nice clean rifle like that should be shot.

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6.5x55 Swedish actually is the case of choice for re forming into 7.5x54 French. http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/ByC...5%20French.pdf

Or you can just buy new brass https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog...roductId/12648

I did eventually get some surplus 7.5 French, I think Syrian. Corrosive but that is not a problem. I shot it in my post war MAS 36. I just always had a much larger supply of Swedish 6.5 and Russian 7.62R. I have done some limited reloading but never did much. This was a bit ago, I have not shot the long guns in a while. Got sidetracked, raising 3 boys. Only able to go to the indoor pistol range where I shoot the little guns. Yes I should have shot the French MAS 44.

There's a 44/59 in my French rifle collection that has "suffered" the same fate. Somewhat more common than your earlier version, though! If you decide to exercise it, new manufacture PPU/Prvi Partisan 7,5 ammo can usually be had without much trouble.

PPU ammo is usually available at the shows reasonably priced.

That's an interesting rifle. I would be interested to know exactly when in 1944 it was made? , (or is that the design date?) I assume it was after liberation? I'm not sure what date Saint Etienne was liberated.

I am not the expert but from what I have read, it was designed late in 1930s and was not ready before the war started. The French doing a good job of developing an Auto Loader. They were the first to adopt the smokeless cartridge. As I remind my friends when the wrinkle their nose it the clunky safety less MAS 36. The MAS 1940 had less than 50 made and they sat in the armory with no attention from the Germans. They were very close to the MAS 44 only lacking the 10 detachable magazine. These examples were taken by the resistance during the liberation. The French did regain ground and production of the MAS 44 stated in late 45. They made about 7k. They have some of the typical issues of an auto loader with regulating the gas pressure. I got this one because all my friends had M1 Garands and at a large auction this rifle was in my limit verses the M1 Garands. I was pleased and was always showing up with a different gun than my friends. They had K98k and I had a VZ 24. So I figured to keep it going the MAS 44. Then it turns into a Safe Queen completely unplanned.

The French have been at the front of a few bits of kit over the years. There 75mm artillery field gun was I believe the first to have a recoil system built in so it did not move on the wheels when fired; therefore keeping the aim point. Probably the best field gun of WWI. Developed in the 1890's, it was years ahead of everyone else.
Although to be honest, I prefer my Lee Enfield's to the MAS36

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Originally Posted by 30Three

Although to be honest, I prefer my Lee Enfield's to the MAS36

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I agree, you could have given me free ammo for the MAS 36, I still would should shoot my Lee Enfield more. The MAS did fine and never gave me a lick of trouble, but the Lee Enfield was preferred for its smooth operation and I really liked the sights, (a No4 Mk1 )

I'd like to shoot one to say I had, and to trial it a bit.