Mas 36

[jaws]

Thanks for sharing the MAS 36 info from gunparts corp. I am now the proud owner of three (yea I got greedy.)

2 of them look like $36 dollar guns. One has a name carved in it and the other some sort of symbol. Both were complete and (IMO) well worth the $$$

the third had what looks like almost new furniture, that got me all excited, until I reached for the bolt and found it was gone. At that point the shipping box and I got into a wrestling match which resulted in a replacement bolt falling out of from under the bottom packing material. Once again I was smiling.

One had a label in english stating that it had been packed in goop to preserve it while it was stored in the arsenal...it was the only one that was really goopy.

I'm not an expert but I would judge the bluing at 75% on all three with the wear spots being around the bayo. Does anyone know where I need to look for all the serial numbers, dates, German marks (or any marks for that matter), pre-war/post-war marks? I've read something about blank mags???? One has a blank mag. What is the significance?

All three barrels looked like they were sleeved or bored out less than 1/4 of an inch.

Has anyone posted a manual online anywhere for reference?

Man us newbies and our questions...probably all have been answered but, the site won't let you search for MAS (3 letters). TIA

[Richard Simmons]

All serial numbers are on the left side of the receiver. I believe that prewar numbers run vertically near the front of the receiver while post war run horizontally near the center of the receiver. I also believe that the bare floorplates are psot war but I'm not sure. If you remove the lower handguard there should be a year stamped under the barrel where it joins the receiver along with a letter code. The last one I had apart ws marked FY above 1945. Untouched stocks as in not refinished will often have a circular stamp on the right side of the buttstock with the year of manufacture and other writing stamped on it. If you look closely at the picture of the buttstock in my "SCORE" post you will see this mark. Stop by the French Forum and we'll see what else we can dig up for ya. HTH:D

[SalBO]

some good info there guys, thanks.

I just got my two this afternoon and one has all matching numbers including the ones on the buttstock. I was amazed. The other I dont think is all matching but the cosmoline removal tomorrow will tell the completer story.....

[jaws]

Darn French with their whacked out screws.

Finally got the furniture off and the one with very little cosmo does have a faint stamp on the right side

1. The stamped one is marked Mas 1945 (parallel to the barrel)
2. this one is perpendicular to the barrel and is stamped Mas 1950
3. perpendicualr and is stamped Mas 1853 CSd but I imagine the die slipped and made what was supposed to be a 9 look like an 8

What I found interesting was the 1945 dated gun had a thick orangish sand all under the handguards and around the barrel (and even under the metal buttpad.) Makes you wonder what all its seen and where it has to go to see it.

This rifle is really neat in its simplicity

[Guinny_Ire]

And somebody told me they gave up on getting their MASs

[SalBO]

I did give up on them.....Here is the copy and paste from another thread.....

Chris, thanks for the good words my friend. You know that you are always welcome at my house. And I will reciprocate on the knowledge of your generousity and good will. Once we got you to buy your first rifle, a mini 30 and you got your C&R, it was all over but the crying for you to save much money from now on....LOL

Well, I decided to take a day off from C&R and spend the day with the family. School clothes shopping and then some groceries.. We ended up at Wal MArt for some of our food stuff and I just had to buy a little ammo while there..hehe...3 more boxes of Winchester personal protection 230 grains went into the amo box a few moments ago. Not much but I do that every other week or so, so it adds up.

I had given up on my MAS 36's from CEntury since they told me last week they never recieved my license and order sheet. I figured I had just missed the boat on that one and chalked it up. Well low and behold when we pulled up in the driveway I noticed a box on the front porch. I made a bee line to the front door after coming in the back and there it was, my Century order. Bigger that @^#* my MLE 36's were home.
I opened them up and would grade them better than good, maybe good plus....loaded inside with cosmoline but all parts are there and one has all matching serial numbers. Both stocks are in very good condition and the metal on both is choice. I cant tell yet if it is blue or painted because of the cosmo. I will degrease them tomorrow and report back. I am excited now and have a couple more jobs to do after I finish my last Ballester 45. So I am good for another week or so....

[Guinny_Ire]

my first semi purchase. My first rifle purchase was a Mod 70 30.06 carbine right before my son was born for all the hunting I wasn't going to be doing! LOL.

You lucky Son of a Gun on the quality of those rifles. Further proof that good things happen to good people unless you're that 1% of the Good that God decides to reward like he did Job. LOL.

OP knew Job SalBO and he told me you're no Job!

[SalBO]

Well, the grease isnt off these yet, so dont hold me to what I think I see right now. Water is on the stovetop to boil. We will see in a few minutes or so what I really have.....LOL

I imagine they are the same as everyone elses.........finish seems pretty good except on the edges and a pretty good ding on one stock. I am tickled with them though , especially at that price.....

OP knew JOB ? LOL

[Guinny_Ire]

I can't wait to see the pics.

paraphrase "one stock has a good ding on it"

A good ding? Mine is beat up good. I've been hitting it with lemon oil every night or other night or so and I swear it's 5 pds heavier. Still soaking it up good. minor crack in the upper handrail right where it fits the front iron. Glue up w/no problems I'm sure. My has virtually no black paint on it except where it wasn't exposed. I've taken MAAS metal cream to it to get off the minor rust. Shines like a mirror right now but I'll it will turn that nice grey soon.

hell you got a camera. put up some pics today! I want to see the rifles I offered to buy if you weren't satisfied! (wink lol)

[SalBO]

I will post some pics later. Water is coming to a good boil now so I am going to go give them a bath......;)

[Guinny_Ire]

don't burn your cache!

[SalBO]

first dose did a good job but not quite all of it is gone. I am real happy with these. More water on the stove for a final dose and these will be ready for a pic and disassembly....Now, where did I put those instructions ? :D :D :D

[Guinny_Ire]

I flipped my upper band around and the sling circle hangs the wrong way!

so what year are your guns? under the barrel by the reciever

[SalBO]

I just finished the second go around of boiling water. I havent taken them apart yet. I will give them an hour or so out in the 95 degree weather to dry out and I will report. I can say this....they dont have as much finish as I thought. The grease was a good camoflauge for the metal......The stocks bleached out pretty good with the water. I think thye are in pretty good shape. Only the one large ding on the one rifle is worth a second thought. I believe the rest will work out ok. It is on the bottom of the butt along the spline. It looks like when it was dropped it hit the soldiers steel toed boots. :D ....They definately have character. :jump:

[jaws]

This is my first clean-up and boy does the cosmo hide stuff. All three have a little rust and two have cracked lower handguards.

The 1945 one has many more proof marks and coding than the other two...right down to the trigger being marked CDI or somehting like that.

On the bottom of one barrel where the lower handguard meets the bayo tude it is flattened (smooth) rather than round.

The 1945 was inundated with the orangish/red sand.

after initial wiping and cleaning the metal appeared tp lose all of the color I was so excited about so I hit it with greased lightening and mineral spirits out of pure spite...now I have very little finish left on it.

the wood turned light and became very rough and dry looking after spraying it with the greased lightening...is this common...will color return after rubbing it down with tung oil?

[Guinny_Ire]

The early rifles were painted black with varnish. No bluing or parkerizing.

[Tracy]

Originally posted by jaws
the wood turned light and became very rough and dry looking after spraying it with the greased lightening...is this common...will color return after rubbing it down with tung oil?

All of mine did that. Once it starts soaking up the tung oil it'll look like it's supposed to. However, I would go over it first with some very fine steel wool to take off the roughness.