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MAS 36 in .308

fastcarsgofast
I've heard and seen evidence that the MAS 49/56 is not the safest rifle to have when converted to .308. So I was wondering about the older MAS 36 bolt action. Common sense tells me that it should be OK, but I wanted some opinions and facts before I went out on a limb and got one.


I love old military bolt guns and since 7.5 French is not readily available in my area, except maybe at gun-shows, I thought it might be a good fit.
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • gary wray
    fastcarsgofast....I, too, have head the rumors of unsafe conversions of French 7.5 to .308. I have several of both the MAS 36 and the 49/56 in the original 7.5 and really like them. I have two MAS 36's and both have had their barrels cut down a bit to make them light and handy in the woods. Both are great little deer rifles and are every bit as good as the several Swede's Model 94 carbines in 6.5 that I have. So, IMHO, I would leave them in the original caliber and enjoy them (it) for what they are...not quite the "pop" of the .308 but very nice nonetheless. Good shooting!
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  • ElMuertoMonkey
    Unless finding ammunition is a concern, I'd stick with the original 7.5 French. Even on a bolt action, shoddy conversion work could make it more trouble than it's worth.
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  • spec.4
    You can convert a MAS 36 to a 308 Win. But the stock is way to short for me to shoot it. I had one converted for my wife and she loves it. The scope is up alitte high but I made a cheek rest for her. At 100 yrds, she can keep it in the X all day long. About 2 to 2-1/2" MOA. There was a guy in NM that was converting them.

    Spec.4
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  • jonk
    Depends how you convert it. If you're talking about having a smith take some off the breech end of the barrel and clean up the chamber, it would be perfectly fine (or installing a new barrel entirely). If you're talking chamber insert, on a bolt gun it should be ok but eventually the insert might pop out.

    Ammo in 7.5 French is readily available at shows, yes; but you can also order from gunbroker or aim or grafs or century or any of the larger places. As a handloading proposition, it's easily managed as the gun uses standard .308 bullets. As I handload I've never wanted one in .308 but it wouldn't be a problem I don't think.

    FWIW the issue with the Mas 49/56 isn't the caliber and pressure, but the shoddy nature of the conversions, usually speaking.
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  • jessdigs
    I too have a French MAS 36 in .308. The gun was converted properly, it fires well, and is accurate. The only problem that I had was that the hand guard was loose. I solved the problem by placing a small TIG weld between the metal tab on the bottom of the hand guard to the magazine area. It has not failed to date, and if I need to remove the hand guard I just remove the screw in the metal tab. The weld has to be done correctly, welding firearms can be very dangerous.
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