My French MAS Project

Post by **normsutton** » November 8th, 2007, 8:30 am

carguy

found you a sling
http://www.buymilsurp.com/zencart/index ... ts_id=3285

NORM

trent · Post by **trent** » November 8th, 2007, 1:14 pm

Norm inspired me, so I found some stuff as well, (sorry, it's ebay...)
http://cgi.ebay.com/French-Mas-49-56-Ba ... dZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/French-MAS-Rifle-se ... dZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/French-MAS-49-56-Ha ... dZViewItem

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 8th, 2007, 2:47 pm

Thanks guys I appreciate the gesture. I am getting an order together with Numrich to rebuild the MAS 36. I am waiting for some info in the mail to set up my account. I have a dealer number with them but when I called last week I was given some info and they said they would mail it out so I could go on-line and get my dealer discount with my order.

Norm: Thanks for the link.

Trent: I have a MAS 36 not a 49/56...but I appreciate the thought.

By the way I just wanted to send a public thank you to Volfandan as he was kind enough to send me some stripper clips he picked up at a gun show, for my MAS 36.

It is nice to have nice people think nice things about you...

trent · Post by **trent** » November 8th, 2007, 4:30 pm

whoops! I just searched for "Mas", oh well. ::)

polock · Post by **polock** » November 10th, 2007, 4:22 pm

carguy-I also have a weakness for restoring "project" guns to somewhat military configuration.
Unfortunately, I am mechanically challenged, so most don't turn out very well!! It would seem to me you have the basis for a neat "tanker MAS 1936" or some such.

Please keep us advised (with pics)--I get some good ideas and learn from you guys that follow thru with these projects--good luck!

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 14th, 2007, 7:29 pm

I finally got the account info and dealer number necessary to get my discount at Numrich and ordered on Tuesday, received a 10% discount on everything (out of stock on only one screw so I'll have to be creative there) and got notification that it shipped today!!

I guess I won't be waiting for Santa to get this project going!!

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 15th, 2007, 5:27 pm

The big brown truck just dropped off a package from Numrich!

Fast delivery...but when I opened the package to my surprise everything was there just...bleech...what a pile of really really really surplus stuff! :'( The metal parts are caked with crude, part of which I'm sure is rust and the wood... :'(...black with cosmoline, oil, grime and maybe a little french fry grease thrown in for good measure!!!

Where do they get this stuff ??? I guess my project just got bigger.

I really didn't expect to get like new parts but these are gross, scratched and disgusting. But I guess that makes it just that much more challenging...somebody pass me the Easy Off will ya!!

Post by **papabear** » November 15th, 2007, 6:16 pm

carguy,

Thats what happens when the French throw everything down, no one picks it up and it rust, and that's probably not oil or grease on the wood but rather where the honey pots dropped some of their load on it, but we know you can turn this project around and it will come out a jewel.

papabear

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 16th, 2007, 9:30 pm

Thank you for that dig against my ancestors and the compliment to my refinishing skills!

I stripped and stripped and stripped...then I worked on the wood (in my best Groucho Marx voice) and finally got the hand guard to look pretty good but the fore stock is just dark dark wood. It feels clean and dry almost immediately after stripping and wiping. That must be an indication that it is still loaded with crap... :'(

Soooooo, the dish washer is running as I type (the wife doesn't feel well and went to bed moments ago so if I get the stock clean and run the dishwahser again before morning...I'm a great husband (with clean dishes and a stripped stock).

Seriously though, if it doesn't come out any cleaner (lighter in color) I'll eventually strip the butt stock and stain it all to match...somehow... :'(

I just realized that I'll have to drill a 3/8" hole in the new fore stock to facilitate the female threaded piece welded to the barrel for the "sporterization" that holds the small fore stock of the sporterized version. I do not want to cut or grind it off...just in case so I'll be able to use it either way if I wanted.

It really is going to look like an Enfield as the barrel appears to come right to the end on the front strap that holds the handguard and the fore stock on. I also think once I have finished with the cutting and fitting that if it all works I might paint it as the originals were before being re-arsenaled (stripped and parkerized). This is getting more involved but nothing difficult and actually is alot of fun!

Hopefully the fore stock will be dry by morning so I can sand a little to see what I'm dealing with!!! :-/

I will keep you posted and get some pictures up tomorrow one way or the other.

Post by **normsutton** » November 16th, 2007, 9:49 pm

carguy
If you want it to be a little lighter put a half a cup of bleach in the dish washer with dish washer soap

NORM

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 16th, 2007, 11:54 pm

Good idea Norm, thanks.

Just out of the dishwasher and it is lighter but grayer. I hoped for more tan/beige wood looking wood. Maybe when it dries. I now see a crack on the inside front of the fore stock as well so some gorilla glue or wood glue will work some magic tomorrow.

I sure hope my wife's holiday shopping doesn't interfer with my smithing tomorrow...did I say that out loud... ::)

Gotta go load the dishwasher and get dishes clean this time!

barnett3006 · Post by **barnett3006** » November 17th, 2007, 12:19 am

hey carguy,

this is just a thought but, could you have a gunsmith weld an extension to the muzzle? The bore of the extension would have to be slightly larger than the actual bore the the barrel, but if the extension is the right length and diameter and given a good crown and the weld is good and solid and cleaned up nicely and if you paint the rifle like they were originally then it would at least look like it is supposed to instead of like an Enfield.

carguy · Post by **carguy** » November 17th, 2007, 6:11 pm

Great idea Barnett...I thought about that and may do it at a later date.

Right now the fore stock and handguard are drying as I applied Tru Oil 2 coats so far and will see how they look later.

But to stop the suspense I had to put this thing together first to make sure it all fits...so after all the cleaning, dishwashing, sanding, steel wooling and spray painting the grip strap, muzzle strap and trigger guard, before the oil rub...okay, okay here are the first photos of Carguy's FrankenMASfield... ::)

I'll be doing alot of cleaning of the muzzle strap if I shoot it this way... :'( DO you like my little bayonet thingy? I can't get a bayonet as I had to drill into the forestock for the nipple added with the sporterizing. I figure if I like it when it is done (which I already do) I may have a gunsmith see about welding on an extension and cutting off the nipple then I could add a bayonet and really have an original looking MAS 36.

More to follow when it is completed.

trent · Post by **trent** » November 17th, 2007, 8:59 pm

very nice carguy, looks like you are almost done!

Post by **normsutton** » November 17th, 2007, 9:17 pm

carguy

looken good

what's that little flag pole looking thing at the end of the muzzle is that to tie the white flag on

sorry couldn't resist

NORM

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