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| MAS-49 | |
|---|---|
 Syrian contract MAS-49 rifle | |
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1951–1979 (as standard French service rifle) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne |
| Produced | 1949–1965 |
| No. built | 20,600 (MAS-49) 275,240 (MAS-49/56) |
| Variants | MAS-49 MAS-49/56 MAS-49 Syrian contract |
| Specifications | |
| 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) |
| Caliber | 7.5 mm |
| 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 1,200 m (660 to 3,940 ft) Removable APX(SOM) telescopic sights |
The MAS-49 is a French semi-automatic rifle that replaced various bolt-action rifles as the French service rifle that was produced from 1949. It was designed and manufactured by the government-owned MAS arms factory.[1] The French Army formal designation of the MAS-49 is Fusil semi-automatique 7 mm 5 M. 49 ("semi-automatic rifle of 7.5 mm model 1949").[2]
The initial MAS-49 semi-automatic rifle was produced in limited quantities (20,600 units), whereas the shorter and lighter variant, the MAS-49/56, was mass-produced (275,240 units) and issued to all branches of the French military. Overall, the MAS-49 and 49/56 rifles gained the reputation of being accurate, reliable and easy to maintain in adverse environments. All the MAS-49 and 49/56 rifles feature a rail on the left side of their receivers to accommodate a designated rifle scope.
The MAS-49 and MAS-49/56 were replaced as French service rifles by the FAMAS assault rifle in 1979.
- ^ Huon, Jean; Proud Promise—French Semiautomatic Rifles: 1898–1979, Collector Grade Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-88935-186-4.
- ^ Manuel du Grade TTA 116 (in French). Berger-Levrault. 1956-03-19. p. 213.