French 1936 MAS

[Rap Scallion]

Got me a nice little MAS36........Clean and seems to shoot well. No real problems for a 70+yo MilSurp with the exception of that stupid metal tab saftey. I don't know if was an add on by the importer who did the custom job on it or if it was the original *** the French came up with? I had a shell in the chamber and cocked and went to shoot and found the saftey had slid in to a fire position.

Danergerous at best....So I took it apart and tried to see how it could be fixed with some kind of shim, or filling the stock back in, putting a wedge or a detent in it to hold it in place?

Anybody had this problem and if so how did you correct it! :bigsmyl2:

[Shepherd2]

The MAS36 does not have a safety. The one on your rifle is an add on. I'm not an authority on French military arms but I think there are other French rifles without a safety.

[Multigunner]

The MAS 36 did not have a safety but a gunmaking firm built many sporting rifles with surplus 36 actions and added a safety.
A Vietnam bring back I examined had a safety just as described, probably a french sporter captured when the French were driven out of Indochina.

That rifle looked to be a carbine with fore end cut down, but well done as if a factory alteration.

If I'm not mistaken some captured French army rifles were also fitted with a safety when issued to North Vietnamese home guards and anti-aircraft gunners.
From what I've heard the modified MAS carbines were issued to female soldiers in training, and non combat support troops.

PS
Most French military bolt action rifles had no safety catch, after study proved most accidental discharges were caused by carrying loaded rifles and relying on worn or defective safeties.
Instead the French troops either left the chamber empty or left the bolt handle turned up as an obvious visual cue that the rifle was not ready to fire.
IIRC the last year they used rifles with a safety catch they had 60 fatal accidental shootings, the next year they had none.

[Hang Fire]

To rely upon a trigger blocking safety, is a route not well taken.

I like the Mauser firing pin blocking safety, it is positive and sure. The MN FPB safety is also good, but too many people cannot set it, so for most part goes unused.