Mas 49/56

[Coastie 0]

Was at a gun show this past weekend and had an opportunity to pick up a Mas 49/56 for $275.00. Passed it up cuz I wasn't certain whether it was a 7.62 conversion or the original 7.5 (the guy selling it didn't have clue either which was my first warning). I didn't see any stampings indicating 7.62 but did note it still referenced 7.5 on the outside of the mag well. Can anyone shed any light on these rifles? I know they're ugly as all hell and I've read the horror stories on the conversions with the gas tube problems.

 

Appreciate any advice and/or recommendations you have to offer.

[vjor 2]

Look in here.

 

 

http://www.world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl10-e.htm

 

http://www.mccannindustries.com/rifles/mas/mas.html

 

http://www.websitetoolbox.net/tool/mb/surplusrifle?forum=53

Edited October 5, 2004 by vjor

[Coastie 0]

Thanks vjor. I had reviewed those articles as well. Just wodering if anyone here owned one of these rifles and what their thoughts were about them.

[mr_fubar 0]

Ahhh... The 49/56 Yep There's One Way In The Back Of My Gun Safe. The .308 Conversion Is About Junk Unless You Have More Work Done To It (Gas System Tweaking). I Love The Gun. It Has Great Weight And Is A Blast To Shoot. But Its Just Not Reliable. I Hear The 7.5 Is Better But Still Has Gas Issues. Well, All I Know Is That Next Weekend Im Pulling My Mas Out, Dusting It Off And (Hopefully) Trading It At The Local Gun Show.

[Sheik Yerbouti 0]

Most of the 308 conversions on the 49/56 were [erformed by angry beavers at Century Arms in Vermont. The "gunsmiths" were part time college and high school kids. The 49/56 can be made into a most reliable 308 if done correctly. First, you must take the barrel off. Then trim 9/16 off the breech end. Next, set the barrel shoulder forward to give you the same amount of shank that you had before trimming. Then, rethread the shank. Next, time the barrel. Then, recut the chamber with a finishing reamer. Finally, work the handguard over from the receiver side to match the shortened barrel.

 

As to the gas system, the 308 is approx 10K PSI greater than the 7.5, so you will need to do something or risk fracturing the receiver witht he bolt. One approach is to put stivver springs in. Another is to drill the gas cutoff and put set screws in each sid and fiddle with the gap between the ends (a kind of gas regulator). I have seen both methods work pretty good. Best accuracy is achieved with .311 bullets.

 

If you don't want to do the work yourself, or you would like to salvage a Century converted hack job, a gunsmith named George Stringer does quality work on these rifles.

 

There is nothing wrong with the original 7.5 MAS cartridge. It is very effective on deer and has less recoil than a 308 Win.

 

Or, you might try this:

[cajun 0]

The .308 conversions are clearly marked on the left side of the receiver. Drilling and tapping the gas block, then using a short allen head machine screws with holes of different sizes drilled in the center of each machine screw, as a bleed off of excess gas can get you to a point where you have a reliable rifle. It's the best fix I have found to adjust the gas on a direct impingement gas system.

 

George Stringer and I exchanged ideas on the MAs 49/56 until they dried up on the milsurp market. He rebarreled one to 7mm Mauser, but had to load with short bullets due to the length of the magazine. The last time I talked with him about it, he was going to 7mm-08.

 

There is also another Gunsmith in Pa., I think the town is Millville, and he had an adjustable gas system, and and re-worked the rifle to accept metric FAL magazines. I just cut the side catch off of an original 49/56 mag. and tack welded it to a STEEL FAL magazine, and adjusted the follower a bit.

 

The pix of the McCann (ck. sp.) conversion is quite nice, and quite expensive. I built one using a similar idea based upon an AK style instead of an AR style.

 

As for the rifle in .308, it is a great conversion, which usually needs some fine tuning to tweak it out. After you work out the kinks, you got yourself one tough battle rifle. The strengh of the rifle, coupled with very few moving parts (which are also heavy duty) isn't beat by many semi auto firearms. I wish I had a box car load of them. Hope they find some more stashed in some remote part of the world.

 

If you have a MAS 49/56 that you can't get to work, or has a corroded barrel due to use of corrosive ammo, consider de-horning the bolt, and installing a 45ACP barrel for a Direct Blowback Rifle. Adapt the receiver to accept Thompson or Grease Gun mags.

 

I'm sure at least some of you have seen the pixs and prints on the Scratch Built AR-15 Machine Screw Receiver (not a 80%receiver completed). Well, the French MAS 49/56 is a receiver that can be built from scatch, and either held together with hardened machine screws, or welded together. Make your own short list of parts, and install a milsurp No.1 MK3A1 Indian barrel at $34.95. Nice little project, a/k/a Improvised Rifle. Anyone interested in the Scratch Built AR-15, PM me, and I'll post a link. The whole thing is in PDF form. Cajun