Neat Photo of a Marksman in Indochina With a Scoped MAS 49

[Combloc]

A man I'm doing Business with in France sent this picture to me. He's a Laotian fighting for the French. Notice that his scope has the early type mount and rubber eyecup and you can clearly see the leather scope case slung over his shoulder.



If only these things could talk:

 

[Doctor_M]

Love your passion for the subject. Thanks for sharing. Cool photo.

 

[Combloc]

If anyone had told me I'd be so intensely interested in French automatics just a few years ago, I would have laughed at them. I have NO idea why I'm so fascinated but I am.

 

[mawkie]

Welcome to the party! I've felt like I was alone in the wilderness for so long. Started with the big import of 49/56s by Century and snowballed from there. The best shooter of my four 49s and a lone 44 is a Syrian Export 49 with a mildly pitted pore (Syrian ammo is not the greatest to be sure).

 

[clandestine]

A man I'm doing Business with in France sent this picture to me. He's a Laotian fighting for the French. Notice that his scope has the early type mount and rubber eyecup and you can clearly see the leather scope case slung over his shoulder.



If only these things could talk:

Fantastic post. Thank you Combloc.

A 49/56 is something I plan to add to my collection. Having real D.I. examples helps show students what a real D.I. operating system looks like. They have gotten quite pricey and collectible.

 

[mawkie]

Vogt had an auction over the weekend in Texas that featured a neat group of MAS 44/49s. Included a 49/56 that still had the muzzle "mummy wrapped" after arsenal re-work and storage (sold for $960 OTD). MAS 44/49 prices were in the $1200-1300 OTD range. There was even a nice pre-war MAS 36 along with a large bunch of Berthiers. Someone had a nice French rifle collection consigned.

 

[Combloc]

I checked that out. Someone got some smoking deals!! The 44 Serial N° 6273 must be at the very end of production.

 

[Sirex]

Those are cool, I always wanted one, but one of the rechambered ones in 7.62x51. Until I read the horror stories about the gunsmithing at Century. I just didn't want to hunt for another rifle caliber. But, these are really interesting guns.

 

[Doctor_M]

Shout-out to Combloc on another excellent military manual translation. You did a fantastic job and the fold-outs are well done. Thanks for your efforts!

 

[89P13]

Seeing this stuff is so cool. And you’re right. If they could talk would be an incredible conversation.

 

[Michigander08]

Indochina (Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam) people have served in the French force.

Vietnamese conscripts for France in the first World War. They fought in the Somme, Balkans and the Middle East​

(Reddit)

What kind of rifles are those?

 

[Michigander08]

 

[Michigander08]

Some local kids to fight against communists somewhere in Vietnam in 1954. I don't think they survived.

 

[Doctor_M]

Wow... hand grenades but no shoes. Kind of sad. Never been a fan of the exploitation of child soldiers, but war is in fact hell. Powerful pictures.

 

[Trepang]

Very cool pictures - love seeing stuff like that.

If you would have told me a pre-occupation French rifle would become one of my favorite MilSurps, I’d have laughed….

Both pre-German invasion MAS-36’s. A 1939 and early 1940. One with mismatched bolt, the other all matching.

My favorite WWII gun to shoot.

 

[Combloc]

Good posts guys!!

 

[Combloc]

Shout-out to Combloc on another excellent military manual translation. You did a fantastic job and the fold-outs are well done. Thanks for your efforts!

I'm happy you are satisfied sir. We had to trash most of the first batch of those manuals when we inadvertently mounted a bunch the fold-outs incorrectly. There is definitely a learning curve to putting this stuff together. Proper translation, scrutinizing details in the writing process, trying to get the most out of the original less than stellar pictures, a myriad of decisions about tiny aesthetic details, deciding whether to leave original errors in or correct them, printing, assembly, and things I've not even mentioned.....it's a lot of work reproducing these manuals and then I sell them as cheaply as I can. However, I enjoy doing it.

 

[89P13]

I’ll ask my mom for my grandfathers war photos. I’ve seen them
But I was only a kid. This brings me back.

 

[mawkie]

Indochina (Cambodia, Lao, and Vietnam) people have served in the French force.

Vietnamese conscripts for France in the first World War. They fought in the Somme, Balkans and the Middle East​

(Reddit)

What kind of rifles are those?

Odds are they're GRAS rifles.

 

[calicojack]

I'm happy you are satisfied sir. We had to trash most of the first batch of those manuals when we inadvertently mounted a bunch the fold-outs incorrectly. There is definitely a learning curve to putting this stuff together. Proper translation, scrutinizing details in the writing process, trying to get the most out of the original less than stellar pictures, a myriad of decisions about tiny aesthetic details, deciding whether to leave original errors in or correct them, printing, assembly, and things I've not even mentioned.....it's a lot of work reproducing these manuals and then I sell them as cheaply as I can. However, I enjoy doing it.

I am very happy with my Model 1950 manual and tech guide. As a matter of fact I am going to try and get manuals and guides for all my C&R guns where possible.