Lever-Delayed Prototype SMG: The MAS Mle 1948 Series
France
•
21m
When France decided to adopt a new 9x19mm submachine gun after World War Two, all three of the main French arsenals (St Etienne/MAS, Chatellerault/MAC, and Tulle/MAT) developed designs to compete for adoption. Tulle would eventually win and their design became the MAT-49, but the other lines of development are quite interesting.
The MAS design from 1948 was a lever-delayed system, anticipating perhaps the later FAMAS rifle. We have a series of developmental prototypes to look at today, from early prototypes to an example used in field trials in Indochina. They all share the same basic mechanical system, but cary in many details including stock design and barrel length. Overall the design is pretty good, and they performed will in trials - but the lever-delayed action was much more complex and expensive to produce than MAT's simple blowback design.
Many thanks to the IRCGN (Institut de Recherche Criminelle de la Gendarmerie Nationale) for allowing me access to film this series of prototype for you!
Up Next in France
-
That's not a knife, *this* is a knife...
Jonathan gets hands on with one of the wackier combination weapons seen in this series. The object is one of a number of patented combination weapons by Parisian gunmaker, Dumonthier & Chartron, that exist in the museum's collection.
-
Keeping your powder dry. The ingeniou...
Parisian gunmaker, Nicholas Bouillet is the designer behind this ornate weapon, featuring two steel box covers to literally 'keep your powder dry' and avoid misfired in wet conditions.
-
A must have self defense weapon for c...
At the end of the 19th century, cycling was booming in Europe. Unfortunately for enthusiasts of two-wheeled conveyance, so was rabies in dogs. A solution to this problem was found in the 'Velo-dog', a French/Belgian self defence revolver that gives us a fascinating peek into the perils of pedalli...
