The bolt action rifle, rapid bolt manipulation and follow-up

The French Connection in the history of the M1 Garand Rifle

The forgotten French developmental history of the All American M1 Garand rifle

- OR -

A funny thing happened in France on the way to develop a Main Battle Rifle.

The United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 aka - "M1 Garand"

The United States Rifle, Caliber .30, M1 designed by John C. Garand often with the same reverence of a god or the Titan Prometheus the giver of fire. Just as Zeus's warning to Prometheus that every gift brings a penalty - that man is happy as long as he does not gain the knowledge that can change his world.

Mr. Garand's rifle would certainly play a part in the changes in the world. How could the M1 be any less with production in the multiple millions, the M1 rifle had the highest front line infantry distribution of any issued semi-automatic rifle of the World War II.

All American military firearms collectors have all heard the story of the later development of of the M1 rifle by John Garand, his tenacity in wanting the "primer actuated" action and his quick development of the .30 caliber rifle over the earlier .276 experiments. Our question is where did all this come from, why the .276 and where do we trace the ideas and origins of the M1?



Mr. Garand with one of his prototypes (note the cocking handle and op rod).

While I was researching the development of the French MAS 49-56 rifle I came across a comment, "...the trigger group from the MAS is so similar to the M1 it must have been a development from the M1."

Because the French MAS auto-loading rifles dates of development are far too early for this to be the case I started to find connections and they start in France.



The RSC Mle.1917 French auto-loading rifle.

Where did it start? The connection starts with the then new weapon, designed by Ribeyrolle, Sutter and Chauchat, a rifle that would become the Le fusil automatique de 8 mm RSC modele 1917 or RSC Mle. 1917.

Over 80 thousand rifles of RSC Mle. 1917 were produced for the French army in 1918. France arming it's soldiers in large numbers with a self-loading rifle was a forward thinking concept at the time. The production numbers of the RSC Mle.1917 show a clear intent of France to equip many of it's infantry with the rifle and attempt to change their battlefield tactical procedures.

But we need to back up a bit and talk about Mr. Garand and the connection to the Le fusil automatique de 8 mm RSC modele 1917 or RSC Mle.1917 and Mle. 1918.

Mr. Garand was born Jean Cantius Garand born in Quebec part of a French speaking family, later Mr. Garand was to list his name in the Anglo form John. There are many articles and books focused on his famous rifle that describe some of Mr. Garand's poor childhood and his early entry into machine design. Mr. Garand's talents for mechanical devices and unusual ideas fill more than a few pages of historical reviews. I find Mr. Garand's story in many ways similar to some of the aspects of Mr. Kalashnikov and his talents. Both men seem to be tireless tinkering mechanical obsessives with a few eccentricities (a sign of creativity).

What is almost always missing is the work Mr. Garand did with Springfield Arsenal where he was involved with attempts to adapt the RSC Mle. 1918 design to the 30-06 cartridge. With this early Springfield Arsenal we now we have our direct connection from early concept rifle to the development of the United States Rifle, Caliber .30/M1.

So now we can clearly review how French rifle design had such a large impact on military rifles. The question is why is this rifle so forgotten when it clearly is so important to military self-loading rifle history?

My conclusion was that the "all American rifle" indeed had a French grandfather and a French Canadian father. Who would have guessed that M1 would have been that French in lineage. The closer you look the more connections you can make in the relationship from one rifle to the other. I would even hazard a guess that the .276 was a reaction to the problems with higher pressure cartridges and auto-loading rifles like the RSC Mle.1917, metallurgy would of course later improve negating that concern.



RSC Mle.1917 with bolt and op rod in the reward position.

It is like the first time you find the connection from sewing machines and gun manufacturing and strangely history becomes interesting, unlike your old boring classes in school.

Lets start with a simple review of the two rifles with photographs.



The RSC Mle. 1917 trigger group (a progression from a Browning design, used to this day in many firearms).



The M1 Garand trigger group (note the improvements).

As you can see from the photos there are clear indications that the US M1 and even later rifles have trigger groups that show a mechanical lineage to this rifle. The spring and detents of the RSC Mle. 1917 look a lot like same parts in the much later M16 as the mechanism of the RSC Mle. 1917 is quite simple. I thought it was noteworthy how you can see the development and the source from the RSC Mle. 1917 to the M1 Garand. For any of you interested the above also links to the Browning Auto shotgun the source for many derivative designs in trigger/hammer design.

The operating rod is so obvious that I am surprised this has not been noted more often (if at all).



RSC Mle.1917 side view with operating rod highlighted.



RSC Mle.1917 operating rod disassembled from the rifle.



M1 Garand side view with operating rod highlighted.



M1 Garand operating rod on a partly disassembled rifle, highlighted in blue.

The "en block" clip always catches my attention.



RSC Mle.1917 worm's eye side view of the "en block" clip highlighted, note that this rifle was designed to have the clip inserted from the bottom after the casing was rotated forward.



M1 Garand .276 prototype with side view of the "en block" clip highlighted in blue.

The bolt group - ahead of it's time?

Some views of the bolt group from both rifles you can clearly see the rotating mechanism and how the RSC Mle.1917 connects to it's flat op rod and how the M1 Garand has a "floating" connection slide built into the op rod.



RSC Mle.1917 bolt and bolt face.

Note how the cocking handle knob threads onto a protruding shaft to connect to the op rod. Note the multiple lugs on the bolt, this complexity is one of the binding areas for contamination and fouling.



M1 rifle's bolt and bolt face.

Note the improvements over similarities from the M1 bolt and it's predecessor Garand’s improvements are many his improved op-rod and bolt are noteworthy.

Patent drawings comparing the two rifle designs.



RSC Mle.1917 rifle drawing, note the relationship of the working parts.



Mr. Garand's .276 prototype drawings.

While in no way a direct copy, clearly Garand’s review of the French rifle earlier in his life left a lasting impression and this system eventually developed into the Garand designed rifle. Some criticism could be leveled because there are so many other rifle designs that also did lend features, but Garand’s direct connection to the original French rifle via his employer and direct study is unmistakable.

There is no shame in admitting that “America’s Rifle” had French origins, that is unless bumper sticker patriotism and beer clouded pride is more important.



As an historical item, Mr. Garand's Springfield Arsenal magazine fed prototype rifle for consideration.


Information gathered from:

Small Arms of the World: A Basic Manual of Small Arms (12th revised edition)
By - Edward Clinton Ezell

Proud Promise
French Autoloading Rifles, 1989-1979
By - Jean Huon

The FN-49, The last elegant old-world military rifle
By - Wayne Johnson

Les fusils semi-automatiques:
Le fusil automatique de 8 mm RSC modèle 1917

Le fusil FN FAL expliqué
Par - G. Henrotin

Armes à feu de l'Armée française 1860 à 1940
Par - Jean Martin chez Crepin Leblond

L'Armement De L'Infanterie Francaise 1918-1940
éditeur - Argout - Gazette des armes

la grande aventure des fusils réglementaires français 1866-1936
éditeur - Argout - Gazette des armes

La Notice Sur Le Fusil à Répétition De 7,5 Mm. Modèle 1936
éditeur - Charles Lavauzelle & Cie

More information has popped up from the original article above.

RSC 1917 et Garand

Analyzing accuracy in a rifle

Note the hidious new camouflage the army "developed" - pathetic and stands out like a sore toe, and to think they could have had the Multicam! (More on camo later)

A post from Total Survivalist Libertarian Rantfest made me think of this bit of info about rifles.

The posts were generally about the new Army Stoner weapons platform in 7.62x51 NATO (.308 win) the "AR-10" XM110 SASS model rifle.

While the Stoner platform is quite old (and outdated IMO) the M14 is even older (based on the M1), the Stoner designed system is easier to produce and "make accurate" with less effort than is needed with the M1/M14 Garand system. and has features that make in inherently more accurate, many that are shared by the common bolt action rifle (that of course can be more accurate than either rifle system.

Of course the largest problem with the direct impingement system is heat (from the ejection gasses) and contamination (gas produced and from outside the action - ie: dirt, sand) induced failure - as our military is intimately familiar with the Stoner design and trained on it's weaknesses this should not be a excessive problem (particularly in this role).

Accuracy in a rifle depends on several things (strictly the mechanical design and construction).

First think about accuracy without the shooter, (outside of mechanical problems the shooter is ALWAYS the point of fail as the most inconsistent part of the total).

What are the most accurate rifles in the world?

The most accurate rifles are not sniper rifles, hunting rifles, or varmint rifles but the Benchrest rifles (Starting cost 3-4k and up, stock, action, barrel - scope extra). Benchrest rifles are designed to eliminate the shooter as much as possible (at least from his physical limitations, grip trigger pull etc.). There are two classes of rifle the Light category at 16.5 to 17 lbs and The heavies are rifles that often have stocks that are CNC produced of solid aluminum or laminated wood and the weight is unlimited, a typical Heavy would be 35 lbs. or heavier. Groups of ten shots within 8 inches at 1000 yards are top scoring! World record is under five inches, a five to six inch group is considered exceptional.

• Quality Materials
  
• Tight repetitive action movement
  
• Lack of conflicting or interfering forces
  
• Lack of vibration, or repetitive vibration dampening
  
• The straightness of parts alignment
  
• Consistent and tight locking
  

Why list all of that - because the Stoner platform is inherently more accurate than the M14. It is more accurate because of design such as the bolt that slides straight back, the locking head of the bolt only turns slightly to lock and the barrel can have all but the gas return tube detached and away from the barrel.

All larger capacity rounds will gain accuracy with a shorter "squat" metallic case for more even burn of powder - the main reason .308 is more accurate and consistent than the 30-06.

That is the mechanical part - true accuracy comes from the ability of the shooter to judge external conditions (grade, wind, distance, humidity, temp., and elevation/air pressure).

The Stoner platform mechanical flaws rest in the tight fitting of the bolt inside the action, the fact that forward movement and contact with the bolt head and the cartridge to be fed into the breech causes the bolt head to turn slightly and cause the lug on the side rear of the head to dig into the side of the action (no spring to resist such as the HK 416) with the addition of even modest fouling or contamination this can cause several types of failure.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - Mauser Bolt Action Rifles

Mauser Turn-bolt Rifles





Personal - I have had several mausers in several calibers. My impressions, first I am not a big fan of 8mm Mauser, it is a hard hitting round and can be accurate, but there are better choices just as there are better choices than 30-06. There is just something "old world" about the full wood stock and metal butt-plate/endcap. In the end, I have to be honest, a turn bolt is just not all that exciting. Ok, a M98k, Swedish M38, or M24/47 Yugoslavian with a bayonet and a full wood stock with a rock crushing butt-plate is one of the starting cornerstones of a collection, what of it? Well, just like all bolt actions they can be loaded down in power and loaded with cast lead or paper patched bullets. even fired with black powder loads. There are cartridge inserts are available for shooting lower power ammunition. Any gunsmith worth a half a spit can do unnatural things with a Mauser including "sporterizing" and an endless array of caliber conversions. My most recent mauser was the M1916 Spanish Mauser in .308, but I have had several examples (far too many) of the M98k one (Israeli conversion in .308), one Swedish M38, and one Yugo. I keep thinking I want one of Mitchell’s "Tanker-Mauser" rifles in .308. I never disassembled any Mauser bolts, just a little sprits of cleaner and hit the barrel with a rod and cleaner, I have also never had a single part break on any Mauser I have ever owned.

Function - If designed for the caliber it currently is barreled for the Mauser is the pinnacle of the bolt action design. All bolt action guns just like the pump, straight pull, and lever action depend on the user moving the action - of all of the manual actions the turn bolt is the most reliable. There is something inherently accurate about the turn bolt and the Mauser for all practical intent is the best of it's type - only tiny incremental improvements have been made after the 98k. I have only had function problems with the conversions, both the Spanish and Israeli conversions to .308 would show failure to feed issues where the round would get turned down into the magazine and fail to feed correctly. Just about anyone above room temperature is capable of understanding and operating a bolt action rifle.

Design flaws - The activation on closing the bolt versions would have better cleaner breaking triggers but are awkward to some shooters like myself. The sights are also typical military inverted v or post and rear notch notch v, the sights can be converted to adjustable with the Mojo sight conversions (nice for any rifle). Complete drop-in triggers or gunsmith modifications can make some US shooters who dislike military triggers happy. Made in a different era they do not have a detachable magazine and were designed to use clips feed into the magazine from the top of the rifle - as with the M1 or FN49 (10 round versions) I find that the clip fed rifle is clumsy and the system outdated. The original examples with metal butt-plates will punish some users, it would not be uncommon to see a new user unfamiliar to heavy recoil even drop a rifle the first time they fire one of the old rock crushers.

Quality - Fit and finish can vary, and condition depended on the users, some are pristine and others (like some of the Israeli conversions) have been so neglected as to be bottom tier trunk guns. Original European manufacture in good condition will be examples of the best of first world craftsmanship.

Caliber/Ammunition - While 7.92x57 is readily available, Mauser rifles were produced or modified for .308, 7x57, 7.65x53, 6.5x55, and a list too long for my desire to reproduce here. One warning be careful of surplus ammunition and the possibility of corrosive ammunition, if left in a Mauser the corrosion in the action and bore can destroy the functioning of the rifle permanently if left too long.

Use - Currently I consider this a great supplemental rifle, a good solid rifle for training and even for a second to lend out when hunting, unlike an "evil assault rifle" even a full stocked military version will only get mild curiosity from the Billy-bob six-packs when hunting with one. Originally designed as a military long arm the design is capable of quick fire and accurate shot placement with rounds far more potent than some small current "assault rifle" calibers.

Current production - There is current production of this old design with some reproductions and some modified, Remington 799, Mitchel, Mauser (new company) and others are available.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - The Mosin-Nagant Rifle

Mosin-Nagant Turn-bolt Rifles



Personal - The real question is - why don't you have one of the Soviet Hammers?...

The Mosin-Nagant is most likely the least expensive, reliable, powerful, and sometimes accurate bolt action rifle model available. Crude, often not cared for well, but about as simple as any turn bolt can get - you could make this rifle in a small primitive machine shop with barely competent labor - oh, yea, that is what it was designed for.... The ultimate throw down buried in a tube last ditch peasant with pitchfork rifle. I actually like this rifle, it has the same type of strange romanticism as a lever action or a single action pistol, I find myself drawn to this turn bold over the Lee-Enfield. My personal Mosin-Nagant choice is the Model 1944 Carbine and I would typically want to remove the bayonet and modify or make a new stock.



The original Girls with Guns









Function - Just about anyone above room temperature, except a neocon lickspittle or neo-liberal progressive is capable of understanding and operating this bolt action rifle. The stiff, awkward bolt sadly will disrupt your sight picture and takes an exaggerated movement to operate, but it works well and is solid and dependable.

Design flaws - I find that all clip fed rifles clumsy and the clip feeding systems outdated, the Mosin-Nagant clips are a fold around style that are odd and awkward to use. The original butt-plates combined with the recoil is punishing to many users. The triggers are often loose and gritty with a high effort needed to pull to fire. The rifle uses a cartridge that is outdated and often supplies are Berdan primed and corrosive making reloading more difficult and cleaning a ritual necessity. Headspace on the rim, simple production but problematic with reloading.

Quality - Fit and finish are often crude, the best examples will be surplus from Finland. Condition often depends on the manufacture and secondly the storage and use from the country of origin before import. Some examples will be reasonable while others are so abused that they would most likely be best for arming friendly troglodytes.

Caliber/Ammunition - Readily available surplus ammunition is possibility or likely corrosive, corrosion in the action and bore can destroy the functioning of the rifle but with this simple design this neglect would have to be advanced. Modern ammunition and Boxer primed brass cases are available, this ammunition even lends itself to be loaded with black powder and of course will function quite well with simple cast lead bullets. While this is a primitive rimmed round it is very powerful and capable of bringing down even large game like elk and bear with ease.

Use - I consider this a supplemental rifle, a solid rifle for training and arming reformed neocons retarded reformed liberals and other useless troglodytes unfamiliar with the necessary skills. This could be a good inexpensive second to lend out when hunting and even modern stocks are available (almost the cost of the original rifle). Like all old turn bolts this is not an "evil assault rifle" leaving this rifle in original full stocked military furniture will only get mild curiosity from the typical troglodyte Billy-bob six-packs when hunting with one. Originally designed as a military long arm to arm simple peasants in mass with rounds far more potent than some small current "assault rifle" calibers.

Current production - I am not aware of any current production (outside of modifications) of this very old design but surplus examples can be measured in tons! the surplus is drying up somewhat, the relations with Russia and the US are starting to sour. There are many models from several countries and many modifications.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - Bolt action .22 LR rifle

Personal - Almost my secret sin, if given a choice I would love to blow a thousand rounds at the range with a bolt action .22... It takes almost all day to cook off that much ammo, but it sure is fun.. and great for kids. Millions of squirrels have been taken for the pot with bolt .22 rifles, I tried to take as many as I could with my turn bolt as a young kid... If you do not have a .22 rifle you should get one, in the long run most likely to most productive way to get small game for the table, from birds to rabbit if it sits still for a split second it is pot meat... A good quality manufactured example should last a lifetime.

Function - Excellent reliable function if reasonably made, Mongo turn bolt, Mongo pull trigger with bugger hook, fire stick go BOOM. Ok, so not every .22 is that easy, well, actually it is, almost, let's start with the bad one first -

Romanian M-69 .22LR Training Rifle - The worst of the lot, lots of flaws. For starters, it is ugly and poorly finished, I had two because they were so inexpensive, and they shared problems... Trigger was crap, and the spring for the firing pin must have been of low strength because about every ten rounds you would have to cock it a second time to fire (both rifles were like this). Reasonable to good accuracy when you don't mangle a bullet from the magazine to the barrel, this happened almost every round. Sold them don't miss them.

Russian Tula TOZ-78, Winchester Wildcat - my current go to general use .22, when I get a chance to hunt small game or just shoot short range off hand this is the rifle I pull out of the safe first. The trigger is adjustable and is crisp and smooth almost as good as the Remington (listed below). This is now imported as the Winchester Wildcat bolt action rifle. I purchased this rifle in its original Russian format - the Wildcat is a modified version of this rifle with non-adjustable trigger typical cheep stamped sights (worse than the russian sights) and a bit nicer wood stock.

Norinco JW15 - I miss this rifle, I sold it and would love to find a second one (if I could find a good price) accuracy on par with the Tula, but the trigger was not as nice, and the bolt not as smooth in operation. Safety was awkward and rough in operation but better than the Romanian rifle.

Marlin Model 980S - I gave this rifle to a member of the family, it is an excellent .22 with excellent accuracy. Stainless model was almost maintenance free, the trigger was acceptable, but could be much better.

Remington 513 Matchmaster - A CMP rifle that is the best NON SPECIALIZED .22 I have ever fired, accuracy is superior with premium target .22 lr it will shoot tighter than 1/2 MOA.

Design flaws - Strangely almost all .22 bolt guns share one particular problem, feeding the small rounds from a magazine into the bore often results in the bullet scraping the top of the entry port and sometimes shaving some lead off or mangling the bullet, however Marlin figured this out I do not know how but the Marlin clip fed bolt actions do not do this, I think it is the magazine design.

Romanian M-69 - The feed ramp and magazine are poorly designed and lots of lead would get shaved off the bullet going into the barrel or the bullet would get bent out of the casing (if you were not watching) the safety was awkward to the point of unusable and the magazine was of poor design and function. Typical eastern sights of very poor quality a hooded front post and square slot rear "flip up" range selection. Magazine catch lever was primitive bent spring metal.

Russian Tula TOZ-78 - A relatively smooth working action. The stock is a bright wood, I cover it with a slip on camo cover when needed. Light and accurate but shares a similar feed issue with the Romanian .22 you have to be careful when pushing the cartridge into the chamber so as not to shave off lead. A little work on the feed ramp and port are necessary, the plastic magazine works well but the rifle only had one magazine and I cannot find a spare. I would like better rear sights, but they work well for typical russian Post and square notch with turning rear to adjust for elevation by 25 meter increments. I don't like the placement of the safety at the bottom front side of the magazine well, but you can get to it with the left hand while holding it. The magazine release button is a dedicated part in front of the magazine/trigger guard projection piece and is awkward due to placement inside a slotted front section.

Norinco JW15 - Stiff action, simple construction, a typical Chinese copy of a european rifle (BRNOish) sights were crappy, but the rifle worked nicely with an inexpensive scope, similar to the Marlin. Magazine catch and release lever is a primitive bent spring assembly that takes a dedicated finger or thumb pressure.

Marlin Model 980S - Stiff action, but solid and simple, with a simple bent sheet metal extractor and guide. This rifle has a cheesy synthetic stock, but it is light weight and functional. Similar to the norinco the magazine catch is primitive and takes a dedicated finger or thumb to release.

Remington 513 Matchmaster - Smooth bolt action with excellent machining, excellent trigger, mediocre plastic magazine, heavy - in fact, far too heavy for reasonable carry for small game hunting, this is a full featured target rifle. Magazine catch is also primitive for a rifle this well manufactured.

Only the Remington had a full length stock comfortable for full sized male shooters, the Tula and Marlin were close and function in that regard well enough.

Quality - Varying quality from basement construction to top notch... They can go from reasonable accuracy to superior and from poor fit and finish to first world commercial quality. Buy what you can afford, past the bargain basement versions unless restricted by budget. Any of the listed rifles are good utilitarian choices that would serve well as field rifles (Except the heavy target Remington).

Caliber/Ammunition - .22 LR is very inexpensive ammunition with almost no recoil, even the bulk box .22 LR can be reasonably accurate. If you choose target grade ammunition they can be shocking in accuracy, high velocity rounds can be effective in hunting even larger game with proper placement. In backwoods areas many whitetail deer were dropped with head shots using the .22 LR (that was actually legal at one time).

Use - Easy to strip and clean (not that you need to at all with non corrosive .22 LR) EVERY collection should have at least one.

Current production - The Tula (as the Wildcat), and Marlin rifles are under current production.

I consider the .22 rifle a necessary utilitarian tool, too many brands to name are in current production, and they are popular, easy to find, and inexpensive to buy and feed. They make adult and child models and make a great trainer and hunting tool. Many excellent models are available that I have not listed here almost any name brand in the US will have at least one offering of .22LR in a bolt action.

The SAFN 49 rifle in 7.62x51

I looked for about 3 years for a good .30-06 or the .308 conversion, both came up at the same time and I opted for the .308 with six magazines and a cracked stock for $950 over a .30-06 Luxembourg for $1300, the .30-06 was a far second choice, but would have gotten one in that caliber if I had found a good one for 700-1000.

A batch of about 1000 of the .308 versions came in in the late 90's and a second batch of 1000 in 2003, I missed both, the second batch was selling for about $650 each with a bayonet...

The FN49 is the last of the machined, wooden stocked, MBR's and is the direct father of the FNFAL, the shared features are quickly obvious.

The FN49 came in more calibers than any other military rifle and was sold directly from FN on a contract basis to each of the individual countries, and even a few individuals, police forces and companies while in production.

The wiki has some of the information wrong, FN did not modify the bulk of the Argentine rifles, in fact FN only converted ONE as a test on order from the Argentine Navy... The full contract to conversion was produced by Metalurgica Centro/Halcon in Argentina. They did a nice job and at first I thought the stamped numbers indicated an FN job, no, MCH copied the stampings and matched the rifles to the conversion parts. Every rifle in the Argentine contract except a few samples purchased by individuals and museums was converted - over five thousand.

The contracts were Argentine, Belgian, Belgian Congo, Brazilian, Colombian, Egyptian, Indonesian, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Police, and Venezuelan, there were Sniper versions and many prototypes, presentation models and special orders for small orders even some individuals...

K-mart sold quite a few for less than 100 bucks (69.99 I think) in the 30-06 versions...

Except for the 2000 plus .308 in Argentina and the bulk of the Indonesian contract almost every other contract rifle was destroyed in war/conflicts, or sold to private individuals, I would risk a guess that over 80% are here in the states in private collections.

Dieudonne Saive patented what would become this rifle in 1936, worked on prototypes then due to the war it was not to hit the production floor until 1948... He would use many of the concepts and functioning of this patent in the FN FAL...

While the Fn49 did not see as much combat as other rifles, it was involved in many local conflicts in contract countries, and can be seen in many third world hot spots. The Argentine version was involved in the Coup attempt, and heavily involved in the civil war/September rebellion. All Belgian troops in Korea (Once assigned to the US 3rd Infantry support) were issued the FN49 in .30-06. The Belgians also used the FN49 in the first stages of the Congo Civil War. The Belgians have a habit of keeping rifles in small individual armories and many FN49 rifles ended up in "hot spots" in Africa because of the Congo armories. In the Congo there was a chance where the FN49 rifles from FOUR countries and several calibers could have come into the same conflict...

The conversion of the FN49 in Argentina was AFTER the adoption of the FN FAL, they were regulated from the Army to the Navy and placed on ships... Later to inact caliber compatibility they were converted to .308. They use a modified magazine that is unique to the conversion and is expensive, the top was cut and formed to use the standard metric FN FAL stripper clip charger/loader.

The .308 barrel is 23 inches and has a twist of 1 in 12 inches and the 30-06 is 1 in 10... the .308 versions have chrome lined barrels and chambers (is nice yes?)... the gas piston tube and gas piston are not chromed (boo).

I is an exceptionally accurate rifle that is as reliable as the FN FAL (with some modifications). Will it stay in the collection? I do not know.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - Kel Tec SU 16 CA

Personal - There are several versions of this rifle, I purchased the rifle for my youngest boy, I had a previous version, but chose the CA incarnation because of the threaded heaver barrel, shorter length, and improved front sight (back aperture sight is crap). I like it... I am not a fan of .223 but the rifle is handy, capable of reasonable accuracy and is based more on the AK than the AR platforms. Very light weight, and it has a neat folding stock making it very small an easy to pack. I found I liked the folding stock that folds out into a traditional stock, it looks a bit queer but it feels good in the hand for shooting, very comfortable.

Function - Excellent reliable function, an earlier version also was excellent in reliability, this version has been 100% with every magazine I have tried, it likes both 20 and 30 round Thermold (LE marked) 20 and 30 round Tapco, and two old 30 round Adventureline magazines someone gave me years ago.

Design flaws - The front folding hand-guard will fold out into a "bipod" if you want to call that spindly insect like abomination a "bipod" I used it for a few magazines worth and never bothered again my first thought was "tits on a boar-hog" and that did not change after I gave it a chance, have not bothered to unfold it again except to clean under it.

Light weight also translates to lightly constructed, you would not want to hit someone with it like you could a Mosin-Nagant, but the construction is not THAT bad, that is as bad as some input I have seen from who think that every gun has to help fight you out of some muddy foxhole.

There is a trick to getting the bolt in and out, follow the directions it is not "user intuitive.” Take great care not to launch parts into low earth orbit (or into your body) in disassembly, spring loaded parts could be easy to loose. Rear sight aperture is crappy cheap and the safety is a funky shotgun-style cross bolt. The full stock of the CA model will not allow the rifle to fire folded, that could be a problem if you needed a quick "get to” while folded, but the weirdo version of the pistol grip folder is just too funky, when I ordered my "california" version the dealer also ordered one of the funky pistol grip versions for the shop - Blech! even he said he hated that version and liked the CA better.

Quality - Molded polymers - and you can tell there are some "corner cutting" parts here and there - you can tell this was intended as a light duty carbine. I would choose the SU16CA rifle over the Mini 14 (problems and all) any day...

Caliber/Ammunition - .223 small, inexpensive (well, as inexpensive as surplus or new center-fire is going to get nowadays), light recoil, accurate, not all that exciting but it is a carbine, what did you expect?



Use - Accuracy is reasonable, better grouping when hot (or cold) than any Mini-14 I have ever seen but NOT on par with the AR15, about halfway from Mini-14 to AR, and less expensive than both. Uses standard AR15 magazines and has two little 10 rounders that press fit into the stock and can stay (well they are supposed to stay in, just don't hit it too hard when open) there when folded - as the Russians would say "is very nice, yes?” - of course, and inexpensive also.

Current production - Waiting at the Kel tec factory fresh off the molding machine, this entire series of rifle is one of their most popular products, and is not always in great supply.

I consider this rifle a secondary choice carbine or a nice light weight, light duty carbine for small users. The SU16 series is in a mid range price level and is less expensive than either the AR or Mini 14. Currently in production, using popular easy to find magazines, and small limited parts interchangeability with the AR make this an attractive choice. I use this rifle myself for hunting where a light carbine is required, but was intended for the smallest child, he loves it. (Update: I have acquired a second SU16CA and both are now regulated to the two women in the family. We use them for small game and varmint hunting quite regularly and both have received a solid diet of reloaded brass and steel cased ammo with no function problems.)

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - FN 49, SAFN 1949 (Fabrique Nationale Model 1949)

The Fabrique Nationale Model 1949



Personal - One of my personal favorites, old world wood stock solidity. A heavy full stocked rifle in the same vein as the M1, SVT40, M14, G43, SMLE, and Mauser.
Function - Reliable function on par with the FNFAL, has an open top receiver like the M1 and can collect dirt and sand, it has a somewhat adjustable gas system similar to the FNFAL.

Design flaws - Most contract versions of this rifle have a semi-fixed 10 round magazine, except the Argintine conversions to .308 with 20 round detachable magazines. This Rifle has a typical mid to heavy military trigger without modification, with a good quality trigger job the Browning Auto type trigger can be excellent. The rifle is heavy at about 9.5 pounds but has a well designed comfortable wood stock and is relatively easy to point and shoot. The gas adjustment sleeve is under the front hand-guard and is smooth in finish and requires a special tool or pliers to adjust it also requires a liberal application of “never seize” to prevent fouling seize-up. The magazine for the .308 is a proprietary magazine only made for this particular rifle conversion and are limited in availability. The single part firing pin is downright dangerous in its sneaky ability to cause out-of-battery firing, and slam fires, the improved two part firing pin is excessively long and must be fitted to the rifle, shortened and the tip flattened to prevent “doubling” of the cartridges. FN expected to fit or have fitted by armorers many of the rifles parts.

Quality - Very high quality FN machined construction, examples of best in first world production, sadly some of the third world countries who purchased the rifle tended to abuse and store and repair them with varying success..

Caliber/Ammunition - 7.92 Mauser, 30-06, 7 Mauser, 7.5 Mauser, 7.65 mauser, and .308 all were accurate and effective cartridges. All contracts were for large full power cartridges, some will find many if not all excessive in recoil. The two most desireable types of this series are the 30-06 and the .308/7.62 only the .308 versions have a detachable box magazine, the 30-06 was the largest produced type, but command a premium due to collectors demand and high quality condition.

Use - Accuracy is excellent if the model is not a sample of abuse, the 8mm versions were the least accurate and the .308 was the most accurate of the examples I have fired. All examples of the FN49 rifle are now surplus. The .308 version I have in my collection is the most accurate of all the full-sized cartridge chambered rifles I have fired and owned (that were not heavily modified). Uses an expensive detachable magazine, currently only available from one supplier in the US.

Current production - None, there are no current productions of this gun and it is regulated to surplus only, All the rifles of this model in circulation are part of the "collectable" market.

I consider this rifle a secondary choice (it was my personal choice - but I am disqualifying this platform for the above reasons as a primary choice) for an MBR, high price, no current production, and expensive rare magazines are a high concern and possible deal breaker. A solid rifle sadly regulated to historical interest and collector categories.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - AR 180 Rifle

Personal - In an effort to fix the problems with the AR15/M16 the AR 180 type of rifle came about...

I like this series of rifles for the most part they prove far more reliable than the AR15 and much more accurate than the Mini 14 from Ruger.

Magazines are a big issue with every clone of this type of rifle they all like aluminum 20 rounders BEST, but will work with good quality aluminum magazines..

I have said before that I am not a fan of .223 but AR180 clone rifles are reliable, accurate and far superior in function and design than the AR15. This system uses an unusual multi part gas piston type operation rod. Not as light weight as the AR15 or the SU16 but far more reasonable for small people in weight than the full size rifles. Some versions have a folding stock and the folding versions when folded are shorter than a "shortie" AR 15. Ergonomics are on par with the AR 15 with a better ballance point for firing from various positions. If I had to go with a .223 this would be my "go to” rifle list.

There are many older and current production versions available, I will say a few things about the older versions not in production but will focus on the two current production clones, the ArmaLite AR180b and the Vulcan V18. The Vulcan V18 is a new rifle I bought "just to try it out", it like many others it is about to go to a new home. I would not buy a second from Vulcan, but the ArmaLite AR180b is in my view the BEST of all the AR180 clones or actual production rifles.

Function - Excellent reliable function, the older versions had to have a cut out on the AR mags or used "made for" mags - I hate cutting a good mag for this use both the V18 and AR180b use regular, standard, AR15 magazines without modification. On the Vulcan I have had FTF issues with the polymer magazines, 30 round and 20 round aluminum magazines were 100% as long as you did not push up on the magazine (causes the bolt to stop at the rear edge of the magazine). The ArmaLite rifle is a good as it gets with gas piston operation, just shy of the AK in this regard. The square bolt rides on two guide rods and has a spring return that keeps the firing pin back and the bolt head forward (less chance of twisting in movement, an issue that plagues the AR15).

Design flaws - Here is something that speaks well for the AR180 design - even Hesse/Vulcan could not "F" this design up... Oh they tried, the front gas block was tilted to the right about 6 to 8 deg. (fixable) the front hand-guards suck and the connection to the folding stock is "wiggly" (I used a hex wrench to try and tighten it, but it stayed "wiggly". The V18 has issues, but the ArmaLite company put together the Best of this design with new materials and make improvements, a top notch product. With the Vulcan V18 the flat top is so low that regular AR detachable sights will NOT work - hell you can go all the way out front and back and I was still three FEET low! No sights were included and the detachable were useless, I just attached a 2 power red dot scope...

Quality - ArmaLite was top notch, Vulcan, well let's just say that drunken Hutu natives would likely have better quality control, but like the AK you just have a hard time screwing this design up... I would choose even the V18 rifle over the Mini 14 ANY DAY.

Caliber/Ammunition - .223 is inexpensive ammunition, light in recoil, and accurate. With the AR180b even Wolf crap ammo just worked without issue, with the Vulcan almost a good as long as you did not push the magazine into the bolt face.

Use - Accuracy is about even with quality AR15 rifles, maybe lacking at most 5% in the group tightness. Easy to strip and clean (not that you need to that much) and both in current production are reliable and accurate.

Current production - ArmaLite has stopped production and the Hesse/Vulcan bunch has again changed names and who knows what they are up to, spend the extra and get one of the few ArmaLite versions.

I consider this rifle a secondary choice due to the cartridge and availability, for small folks this is nice and light weight they are not in current production but do pop up on gunbroker. They both use popular easy to find magazines (of good quality). On a side note, the Vulcan V18 was sold this weekend for a profit, with the money going into the kitty for a new rifle, avoid the Vulcan that company is actually worse in quality control than the angry beavers at Century Arms!

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - SVT 40 (Soviet SVT 38/40)

SVT 40 (Soviet SVT 38/40)
Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva, Obrazets 1940 goda
(Tokarev Self-loading Rifle, Model of 1940)



Personal - I found this rifle to be one of my all-time personal favorites, I have owned three examples one was outfitted with a 2 power PU Russian scope, but I should stay critical and point out the flaws and problems. Even though this rifle fires the full power 7.62x54 R round the recoil is manageable and the length likely adds to the possible accuracy. The rifle is simple to operate and reliable with quality ammunition. Low quality ammunition problems may likely have been the biggest issue with reliability for the Russians.  Historically, outside of lack of training and "mechanical understanding limitations" of conscript Russian troopers, well trained and educated troopers like the Finns and Germans liked this auto-loading rifle.



Function - Can be excellent when clean and properly maintained, dirty surplus ammunition will foul the gas system quickly causing poor and inconsistent ejection. Even when reloading for this rifle there is a limitation of choice, I achieved my best results with a .311 150gr and 180gr bullets loaded to low pressures with the 150gr bullet edging out the 180gr in accuracy, but only slightly. All malfunctions I encountered with my examples were ammunition related.

Design flaws - This adjustable gas system requires a special wrench and is prone to fowling and can be "locked in" with corrosion, magazine is weak and prone to damage and will collect dirt and contaminates. Rifle was designed to be loaded with clips from the top of the action but MN clips are awkward and ill designed. The round is too powerful for this rifle design and should be loaded down to match the capabilities, full power rounds will eventually start to break parts (luckily I never broke any major parts shooting them). The stocks were produced from a cheep soft wood, I refinished my examples and the wood reminded be of American redwood or cedar without the pleasant smell. The rifle is far too long for all but the tallest and largest shooters - it is almost like pointing a flag pole. The sights are typical hooded front post and primitive square notch rear flat, adjustment is difficult and requires special tool.

Quality - Most produced are of reasonable quality, some makers better than other, war time production limitations and heavy demand often produced rifles of various quality.

Caliber/Ammunition - 7.62x54R, can be an accurate and effective cartridge, it is an older rimmed case originally designed for older powders. This round is far from simply obsolete it is outdated, but is in current production.

Use - Use of a rimmed cartridge, poorly designed very expensive magazine that is limited in capacity along with difficult to find replacement parts are all a consideration.

Current Production - There is no current production of this rifle, surplus examples can be of good to very poor in condition.

While there is some historical interest I personally would consider this rifle a third tier choice at best, for a personal MBR. It could be regulated to higher choice if the user expects to have several Mosin-Nagant rifles in collection for interchangeability of ammunition.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - AK 47 (Kalashnikov rifle 1947)

Personal - I have only fired ONE true AK47 a registered class 3 example owned by a friend, I have owned many versions of the semi-automatic imports and domestic builds available currently. I have owned .308, .223, and several of the standard versions of this rifle in the 7.62x39 chambering. Recoil is mild in the .223 and 7.62x39 versions and manageable in the .308 versions. The standard version is short and easy to produce, for goodness sake this rifle can be made in even the worst third world hell-holes with an automotive hydraulic press, drill press, and a ball peen hammer... by oil lamp light! The rifle is currently artificially over-priced because of government regulation, and high demand. The AK type rifle is arguably the simplest auto-loading rifle to operate in existence. I do regret selling my .308 Mitchell Arms "grandfathered" import, I believe it was the single best made AK type rifle I have ever owned, with the Saiga rifles a distant second.

Function - Reliability is superb with this series of rifle it will eat the worst surplus corrosive ammunition like a teenage boy will devour ramen noodles. Dirty surplus ammunition will foul the gas system, and as I mentioned before, if not cleaned, corrosive ammunition will create rust along the gas piston tube and lock the rifle up. I have not found a single type of 7.62x39 ammo that would not feed flawlessly in any of the examples I have owned, I have not had a single operational failure with any of my formerly owned examples. Pull the trigger - Bang! EVERY TIME!

Design flaws - The simple gas system can be "locked in" with corrosion with no maintenance or cleaning (clean the gas tube!). Poor ergonomics and heavy. Marginally accurate.

I had a friend who had not cleaned his properly and had put it away, he came to my house to see if I could help, I looked into the gas tube vent hole and could see that typical "fuzzy rust". I asked him if he had a problem if I broke his bolt attempting to fix it... He looked at me strangely and said if it will get it to open, go ahead... I told him to hold onto the gun on the loading bench barrel up, I then took a scrap of 2x4 and a 6lbs sledge hammer and proceeded (much to his shock) to smack the charging handle with the hammer onto the wood block... IT DID NOT BREAK! and after the first tap and the second good smack it opened up!!! ...

I consider the rifle in standard configuration heavy and somewhat user unfriendly. The safety leaver is awkwardly placed, and the sights and accuracy are marginal. The Saiga with longer barrel in .308 or .223 and trigger work will preform with reasonable accuracy.



Quality - All over the map! Some makers better than others, the Saiga and Yugoslav versions the best of the lot. I think it is interesting that even the sloppy third tier versions from Century built on Romanian poor quality parts show that even Century can't screw up Kalashnikov's design!

Caliber/Ammunition - Available in .308 for an MBR, 7.62x39, .223 and 5.45x39 with all the positive and negative baggage each sized cartridge carries with it...

Use - Easy to find, hell, like the AR you cannot swing a dead cat and not hit an owner/shooter/dealer of the AK variants. Knowing that a full auto version can be had in places like Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey for less than 150 USD, the import restrictions and demand make this rifle a bit over priced. A wide selection of different versions are available, and attachments, spare parts, along with silly and useless crap pour in abundance from retailers and distributers like copious amounts of digested grass from the orifice of a large cow...

Current production ammunition is available from what seems like an endless parade of retailers, gun stores, and online merchants. (I note that with the current election results it is quickly drying up).

Current Production - Only swing a dead cat and the proximity to any troglodyte with a welding setup, press, and hand tools and you can have an AK...

Fondness aside, and I do have a fondness for the AK, I personally would consider this rifle a possible primary MBR or secondary choice depending on maker and caliber, the AK cannot be "dressed up" to be anything but ugly, and evil looking... in fact you could not find a better rifle to cause the typical weenie liberal bed-wetter to faint in horror or have any former bully/wimp Cop with a hard on for legal obfuscation for profit and social climbing to want to run you into the hoosegow...

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - SKS 45 (Soviet Simonov Self-loading Carbine 1945)

Personal - I have a fondness for russian weapons (possibly my Slovak background), I have owned many versions and copies of this carbine from Soviet to satellite to Sino. The standard version of this rifle fires the intermediate (mid level from rifle to pistol) power 7.62x39 round. I mention "standard versions" because I have heard rumors of gunsmiths converting the SKS to other "wild-cat" calibers - but I have never seen one in anything other than the 7.62x39. Recoil is mild to all but the smallest women and children, my two youngest children find the recoil disturbing. The shorter length makes the carbine quite handy and it will typically shows better accuracy than it's Soviet younger cousin the AK 47. The rifle is about as inexpensive and simple to operate as any self-loading rifle can be. I do regret selling my Russian examples, and I found the red chi-com fiberglass stocks a good match for the Chinese imports, reducing the weight. I most likely will never buy any additional examples as I have abandoned use of the 7.62x39 in favor of .308 (large family members) and .223 (small family members).


Function - Reliability is excellent with this rifle even with the worst surplus corrosive ammunition. Dirty surplus ammunition will foul the gas system and if not cleaned, corrosive ammunition will create rust along the gas piston tube and lock the rifle up. I have never reloaded for this rifle and never felt the need, there are reasonsble choises in loadings and bullets from surplus FMJ to soft point hunting rounds. After-market magazines have a bad reputation for unreliable feeding and stove-pipe failures, the non removable 20 round fixed chi-com magazine also had problems. The few SKS rifles built or converted to take AK magazines do not share the unreliable feeding problems with the after-market magazines. This rifle/carbine is best left in its original form.

Design flaws - The simple gas system can be "locked in" with corrosion if maintenance or cleaning is totally ignored. This corrosion lock in is not so much a flaw as a severe lack of maintenance issue. I had a friend that did this to both his AK and SKS at the same time from using Chinese corrosive ammo and not cleaning out the gas tubes. The SKS was made to be loaded with clips from the top of the action and the standard model only holds 10 rounds. Some early Russian rifles had a spring return firing pin that could help prevent slam fire issues. SKS models with a simple sliding floating firing pin have been noted to produce slam fire incidents. This dangerous condition is usually caused by a dirty or grease packed firing pin tunnel. The rifle in it's standard configuration is heavy for a carbine, but noted for rugged construction. The attached bayonet can lower the rifle’s accuracy and is added weight with little use, I recommend removing the bayonet.

SKS slam fire, causes and modification to spring return firing pin.



Quality - Most produced are of good to reasonable quality, some makers better than others, I consider the Russian imports (often KBI) to be the highest quality version with the Yugoslavian versions a second and the chinese a third.



Caliber/Ammunition - 7.62x39, in an SKS is moderate to reasonable in accuracy. Hundreds of hunters in the US find the SKS and 7.62x39 combination an effective pair for hunting deer, coyote, wild hogs and other game. This round is currently used in many countries as the main cartridge for infantry use.

Use - Easy to find, popular, and relatively inexpensive many different versions of the SKS are available, attachments, spare parts, and ammunition are available from what seems like an endless parade of retailers, gun stores, and online merchants.

Current Production - There is only limited current production of this rifle (if any) but surplus SKS carbines in even almost new condition are common.

Fondness aside, I personally would consider this rifle a secondary choice at best for a current MBR. It does share interchangeability of ammunition and stripper clips with the AK47 type rifle and is inexpensive. The benign look and impression the rifle gives (in original wood stock and without bayonet) makes it a good choice for a "trunk gun", hunting and hiking carry.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - AR15 rifle

M16/AR15 Eugene Stoner’s curse, McNamara’s Colt kick-back - the Jamm’n Jenny



Personal - Ridiculously overrated to to point of absolute fantasy, this rifle has formed emotional attachments creating the worst "cult like" followers of any rifle known to the US market. Flawed from the beginning with deliberate (but unplanned for) changes this carbine's direct impingement gas system is prone to reliability problems. While some of the original problems have been lessoned by excessive cleaning procedures, massive training, and modifications (like the forward assist) the basic flaws of this weapon have and will continue in the future to kill fighters fielding this rifle. This rifle is an example of the worst of ill-planned massive kickback programs ever forced on any military. Accurate (in fact it can be very accurate) when matched with the correct bullet to barrel riffling twist rate. Adding a scope to a flat top model can produce an auto-loader capable of hunting ground rodents on par with some bolt action sporting rifles.

Light in weight with low recoil, this rifle can be a reasonable choice for small men, women and children. Similar to the 1911a1 pistol, this rifle designed by Stoner is so common almost any accessory imaginable is available from multiple manufacturers, some practical some downright ridiculous.

I have never had a single version of this rifle that I considered even marginally reliable, I have owned the original Colt SP1, several Bushmaster, and the Olympic Arms made versions. I have never been happy with this rifle's less than reliable service from any of the versions I have owned or been unlucky enough to fire. I have broken parts on all three of the versions listed including at least one charging handle for each example, two extending buttstocks, ejection port covers, and several front handguards.

Function - Will be reasonable, if only marginal, when cleaned and maintained religiously and excessively (the perfect carbine for the anemic mall ninja with obsessive compulsive disorder). Easy to break in the field, will be all but a useless lightweight aluminum and polymer club if contaminated with dust, dirt, or sand. Changing the unreliable gas system for a superior piston type system will greatly improve the performance, but the tight action and twisting bolt head and retainer combination will continue to plague the user with bolt slide function issues. In a short statement - spotless clean and carefully lubricated with limited slow fire this rifle can be minimally reliable, outside of almost pristine conditions this weapon is a liability.

Design flaws - This rifle has a direct impingement gas system that "defecates where it eats" making an already tight fitting easy to stop action super elevated in temperature. Elevated temperatures will cause the aluminum frame to change in dimensions and warp while in use. The tubular bolt travel channel that contains the buffer and spring will not allow for a close fitting folding stock and prevents the rifle from achieving shorter lengths. The charging handle is in an awkward position, hard to manipulate with winter gloves, and very easy to break.

Quality - Many produced are of good quality construction, but the plethora of makers both large and small leads to sub-standard and unsafe products flooding the market. Quality can be all over the map with some surprises, like the original large contractor Colt dropping in quality so far as to be a current joke in the industry. Considering Colt in reviewed comparison to other smaller makers Colt is a third tier choice because of low quality.

Caliber/Ammunition - .223/5.56 is an accurate cartridge very low in recoil, it is often considered underpowered for all but hunting small game.

Use - Accuracy out of the box with a well made example will be better than the average shooter can utilize, trigger can be adjusted or worked by companies like Williams and there are many gunsmiths that specialize in the needed work for higher end target competitions. Can use a detachable magazine that is popular and readily available.

Current Production -Popular and available from many makers and assemblers, fact is you can't swing a dead cat and not hit some maker, seller or shooter of this abomination.

I personally would consider this rifle in the third tier choice, and as a light duty carbine only, any example currently over $400 dollars is far over priced regardless of maker, this is a $350 sloppy, ill performing outdated design that only sells because of the general ignorance and romantic attachment of the typical mall ninja.

I currently do not own one and would never spend any of my own money for one even at 1/4 the current prices - if I were given one I would use it a a possible trade item or for the hunting of small game varmint hunting.

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - The MAS 49/56 rifle

MAS 49/56

(Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de St-Etienne models MAS 38-39/40, 44, 49, 49/56)

History - (A new category I should have added earlier on other rifles in the series.) Most people don't know how influential the French were on gun design and military adoption of new ideas, it was the French that were the first to use smokeless gunpowder, first to introduce a boat-tailed bullet, introduced the tilting block and the direct impingement system to the gun world thus giving rise to the SVT40, SKS45, FN49, FNFAL, Ljungman, Hakim, Rasheed, and of course the AR-15/M-16 and others. Owners of both will note how similar the M1 Garand trigger group is to the MAS, as both rifles trigger groups are modified from the French Le fusil automatique de 8 mm RSC modele 1917/18 rifle. Garand born in Quebec from a French speaking family was familiar with the French RSC 1917/18 design. Garand was involved with US attempts to adapt the RSC 18 design to the 30.06 cartrridge at Springfield Arsenal moving many of the design features to what would become the M1 rifle.

Like the FN49 development of the MAS rifles was interrupted by WWII the French were able to keep the weapon development away from the Germans - so well in fact, they lost information and after the occupation they were forced to reverse engineer their own rifles from prototypes (a story in itself). The MAS 38/39 and 40 rifle had a fixed magazine and was produced in small numbers as prototypes. The MAS 40 was adopted for French service in March 1940 but the war was to stop further plans until parts of France were no longer under German control.

The MAS 38/39/40 rifle

Production is estimated at less than 60 rifles total including prototypes.

The MAS 40 and early rifles were used as a base for the next development in the series, the MAS 44 rifle, notably adding the detachable magazine. The MAS 44 rifle was produced in limited numbers starting near the end of WWII The MAS 40 and MAS 44 are very rare, the 40 unavailable and the 44 commanding collector prices.

The MAS 44 rifle

Total production 6,200 rifles.

The MAS 44 series of rifles was modified and improved in the late 1940's into the MAS 49 (with the detachable magazine, better metallurgy, and other features).

The MAS 49 rifle

Total production 20,600 rifles.

The MAS 49 was the main rifle of the heavy conflicts in French Indo-China and Algeria where the MAS 49 and MAS 49/56 rifles became particularly identified (to outside observers) with the French Foreign Legion troops. The MAS 49/56 rifle was the main rifle of all branches of the French military until the adoption of the FAMAS bulpup rifle.

The MAS 49/56 rifle

275,240 rifles of the MAS 49/56 model were produced for the French Military.

Personal - I wish my first experience with this rifle would have been the original French 7.5x54 French cartridge, the MAS 49/56 is known as one of the most reliable military rifles ever fielded by any military. Sadly there was a batch of Century Arms imported MAS 49/56 rifles that were "converted" to use the .308/7.62x51 NATO round and my first experiences with this rifle were mixed because of the mixed quality of the conversions. The "rabid angry one-eyed beavers" at Century Arms produced a series of conversions of the MAS 49/56 that are known for function problems in well over 1/2 of the rifles that were converted. I would have no problem recommending this rifle if in it's original form, converted or repaired by a good gunsmith.

The MAS 49/56 is a short handy rifle that is accurate for it's size, it is heavy at about 8 1/2 pounds but the weight makes the recoil more manageable, honestly the size makes the rifle very handy, for a daily carry in a pouch in a car or truck, on an ATV or even on horseback or hiking it could make itself quite useful.

If you have a McCann Industries or other competent gunsmith conversion the rifle is excellent, if one of the Century Arms conversions they are plagued with failure to chamber, eject, and extract problems, along with the typical slam-fire incidents inherent with the all too common military rifle "free floating" firing pin and (more impact sensitive) commercial primers. I will review caliber conversion choices later in this article.

I have to put this rifle in a second tier choice for a preparedness rifle if in it's original 7.5x54 French round because of the lack of availability of ammunition.

Sadly the rifle is rare in the United States and as a consequence some spare parts, and aftermarket accessories are low in number and can be difficult to find, yet 10 round magazines, and basic parts are available (or can be modified from other rifles parts.

Function - Will be reasonable to marginal with the Century Arms conversion, and Excellent to superb with good conversions and in it's original unmodified 7.5x54 form.

Design flaws - This rifle has a direct impingement gas system, in this rifle it is not necessarily a design flaw, because the bolt carrier is "in the open" the collection of powder fowling and heat that plague the "closed" action of the AR10 and M-16 family of rifles does not come into play. The rifle is a hefty 8 1/2 pounds, a bit heavy for the size and length. The stock has a short "length of pull" (a short butt-stock) that can be uncomfortably short unless in excessively heavy and thick winter clothing or bulky web gear, basically the stock is too short for the average statured American and almost ridiculous to tall and long armed gorillas like myself.

Quality - First world, all machined, good to excellent quality construction, machining, and metal finish when originally produced. The fact is that because the MAS 49/56 are examples of military surplus, the range of "use and abuse" can be quite vast.

Many consider the Century Arms conversions to be so badly butchered that the price of repair is too high to justify buying the rifle (I would disagree), but if you intend to modify the rifle then you may want to consider a CA conversion because any collectors value the rifle may have had was spoiled in the modification.

Caliber/Ammunition - 7.5x54 French is an accurate full power battle rifle cartridge, like all other full powered military rifle rounds it is often considered excessive in recoil. Suitable for large and smaller game the 7.5x54 French is as useful as .308 Win. but suffers in the US due to lack of availability (rareness).

Conversions in Caliber/Ammunition - Because the rifle was direct impingement and can even be modified to make the system adjustable, many gunsmiths have used this rifle for conversions into other more common cartridges used in the US. The most popular MAS 49/56 rifle cartridge conversion is of course is the 7.5x54 to .308 Win./7.62x51 modification. With only minimal modifications the MAS 49/56 has been converted to .250 Savage, .308 Win., .243 Win., and a host of other "one-ofs" that have a similar base/extractor rim and a similar or shorter length. Basically the design of the MAS 49/56 rifle lends itself to a relatively simple conversion with a new or modified barrel, gas adjustment fabrication, extractor modification, bolt face modification, and other minor parts like springs. If a gunsmith can change a barrel in a Mauser they can modify the MAS 49/56. How cool would it be to have a short little semi-auto brush gun that is more accurate and more powerful than an SKS in about the same size?



Use - Accuracy with an original example or a well done conversion will be on par with any first world production military rifle, in other words better than the average shooter can utilize. The MAS 49/56 uses a simple detachable magazine that is available on-line and some users have modified FNFAL magazines for use with this rifle. The The MAS 49/56 magazine is a short 10 round alternating dual stack formation that has the catch latch attached to the magazine itself, this locks into the side of the receiver and makes it very easy to remove and change magazines with one hand.



Current Production -This rifle is surplus only but examples are still available from private owners and gun show dealers, future import of more examples is possible, as several batches have entered into the US periodically.

I personally would consider this rifle a second tier choice for an MBR, but only because of the ammunition and limited magazine capacity, a good example using .308 and modified to use standard capacity magazines would place this higher, and even the magazine capacity of 10 rounds is not particularly troubling.

An excellent trunk gun, brush rifle, or hunting rifle.

A company, McCann Industries provides an interesting MAS 49-56 Receiver Conversion

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - FN FAL (FN FAL/L1A1 clone)

Personal - My personal very close second choice in a general use MBR, slim, attractive, modern lines, reasonable ergonomic layout and construction, and very accurate. There are many versions and accessories to pick from, but I prefer the full length fixed stock version. One of the types of rifles on my list that I regret selling the versions I have had. Inch versus metric? I will leave this to the mounds of information available online, I do recomend an all inch or all metric rifle without mixing into a "frankenFAL" in function the inch and metric are equal in quality and reliability with just some small changes in parts form.

Function - Reliable function, but succeptable to heavy fouling in the gas system with dirty burning powder, and dirt or fine sand in the action. Dry desert environments seem the most likely to cause malfunctions from fouling and added environmental contaminants. There are, or can be issues with heavy bullets with high pressures or blanks of low quality. Both blanks and live surplus ammunition of low quality or inconsistent QC have destroyed several FN FAL rifles in the US.

Design flaws - Rear sights can be of poor quality and are primitive compared to other rifles. This rifle often has a poor heavy trigger with excessive creep if it is not modified, sadly some cannot be modified if the internal parts are of low quality. Williams Trigger Specialties offers an excellent trigger upgrade service. The balance point of this rifle can be awkward for some smaller and shorter shooters, or traditionalists.

Quality - All over the map! There are examples of first world production, available, along with some of the worst slapped together crap you have ever seen. Quality of parts can also be an issue with many parts having large voids and cavities incased in poorly cast and heat treated metal.

Caliber/Ammunition - .308 an accurate and effective cartridge, one of my favorites, easy to reload, but the round is a large full power cartridge and some consider it excessive in recoil. .308/7.62 is one of the most popular cartridges high quality commercial and surplus is widely available. (Same as before)

Use - Accuracy out of the box will be good to excellent with a good quality example. Poor quality makes can not only be inaccurate but dangerous to fire. There are services available where the trigger can be modified and attachments such as the SuperTune to dial in loadings for better accuracy. The FN FAL uses a detachable magazine that is widely available on the US market, there are quality steel and polymer magazines available.

Current production - Quality reproductions are in production in the US currently along with many past imports of widely variable quality.

I consider this rifle an excellent primary choice for a current MBR, higher prices are a possible concern, but a quality reproduction should be the first choice.




Da!

Personal Critical Review of Firearms - HK91 and PTR91 (HK91 Clone)

Personal - My personal first choice for caliber, inexpensive magazines and reliability, UGLY but funky-retro space-gun cool. Made for large individuals with large hands with heavy winter clothing on (short butt stock). My favorite trick with the HK91 here at the heretic abode is to add a bit of braided para cord to the charging handle, it makes a quick grab even with thick winter gloves.



Function - Reliable function second only to the AK, so reliable that it is often referred to as the "Kraut Kalashnokov" or the "AK of the West". I have personally fired my HK91's in sub-zero temps, and also sopping wet with slime in 100 plus temps with the only malfunctions based on ammo. Weak charges will stove pipe, and bullets over 190 grains can cause excessive recoil and shake the next bullet out of the magazine in front of the bolt causing a double fed or have a cartridge folded in half by the bolt face as it turns sideways.

Design flaws - No bolt hold open, poor ergonomics for small hands and arms, poor heavy trigger (without modification), fluted chamber engraves brass this does not make it un-reloadable contrary to stories you hear on the internet. The PTR91 “GI/Special edition” will have the odd brass chewer that dents the side of the case - an ejection port buffer fixes this and changes the direction of ejection to forward 2-3 O’clock.
Rifle has extremely violent fired case ejection - woe to anyone on the right of the shooter to catch one on the noggin! (I have a scar on my forehead from a friend who moved while shooting from a bench).

Felt recoil is higher with this delayed blow-back system.

Press-formed sheet steel construction is heavier than some other metals (and stronger) and because it is formed into shapes a large enough blow or crushing force to the steel can cause deformation that can lead to malfunctions, most knocks can be “ironed out” some with common tools and severe dents with special internal forms. With decades of military service including Africa, the design holds its own in even the worst of conditions and care, including possible dents.

There is some debate that states it is possible that the G3/HK91 was specifically designed to work with brass cased cartridges, and that firing steel cased ammunition can damage rifle parts and excessively wear the throat of the barrel. It is possible that if the steel case shows signs of excessive amounts of hot gas jetting past the flutes in the chamber and into the case shoulder this could erode the metal in that area. There was some indication that the German engineers actually designed the G3 rifle to handle not only full power cartridges but also cheep steel cased ammo with a very wide range of acceptable powder burn rates in the 4895 category.

Quality - While the construction of the frame is of relatively inexpensive precisely formed steel, contrary to internet ignorance "stamped steel" does not equate to low quality but rather inexpensive production, most car frames are made of formed steel, even the "muscle cars" of US production were of formed steel. Both the HK and PTR clone's internal parts are very high quality construction, interchangeable and examples of first world production. The last of the PTR rifles to arrive in the collection had a Rheinmetall AG bolt carrier!

Caliber/Ammunition - .308 an accurate and effective cartridge, one of my favorites, easy to reload, but is a large full power cartridge and some consider it excessive in recoil (this recoil is heightened in the HK system). .308/7.62 is one of the most popular cartridges for rifles in the US and high quality commercial and surplus ammunition is widely available. While on a related subject the HK91/G3 uses one of the best designed and reliable .308 box magazines ever produced, currently there are several high quality choices the older steel (heavy but very tough), aluminum, and then the polymer magazines (the only magazine from this company I would recommend and the Thermold magazines count for US compliance parts).



Use - Accuracy out of the box will be good to excellent (suffering somewhat from the heavy "drop proof" pull of the original trigger), the trigger can be adjusted or worked by companies like Williams Trigger Specialties (an excellent "set trigger" I use is available) and Bill Springfield. There are services available where the action can be stiffened and attachments such as the SuperTune to dial in loadings. The HK91 uses the least expensive detachable magazine available in the US market, there are steel, polymer, and aluminum magazines readily available. I am on my original locking rollers and have cooked off thousands of rounds (over 7k) on my current original HK made rifle. A must addition to this rifle on top of the para-cord handle is the Tac-Latch to replace the removed magazine release from the back of the magazine well (the Tac-Latch returns the rifle to the easy either-hand/two hand operated magazine release).

Current production - PTR is considered the highest quality clone in current production, repair parts are widely available, but HK stopped official production years ago forcing the existing HK produced rifles in circulation into the "collectable" market.

I consider this rifle a first and primary choice for a current MBR, high price is a possible concern with the true HK build collectable rifles, but when considering the inexpensive magazines, the total price can be lower than expected (I consider 8 a minimum of magazines per rifle). Because the Special Edition “GI” PTR91 clone is the least expensive .308 except the .308 AK from Saiga and the used magazines are so inexpensive it is difficult to find a better deal.