Does anyone here own or shoot a French Mas 49? Anything I should know about them?

I saw a nice one the other day. It was not the 49/56, but the earlier 49. Think it was made in the early 60's. It is not a Syrian inport. It looks to be the real deal. I know ammo could be tough to find. Serial #

F68xxx.

Thanks.

Thanks Nick, Always want more garands, LOL.

 Ammo availabilty for a Mas has me worried though. Very cool little rifle with some nice extras though, including the scope and carrying case for it.  Does the scope make it a sniper version?

PPU makes ammo for these (assuming it's still in 7.5 French and hasn't been converted to 7.62) and is readily available at gun shows or online, your local NJ gun shop is less likely to have it though......

 

I have a 49/56, but haven't shot it. I have a MAS 36 that I have shot, and will say it's a lot nicer than a lot of people give French guns credit for.......very comfortable to shoot, good sights and accurate.

 

If you're getting it for a good price, they're not bad guns. If you're looking for a rifle with history, as Nick said, a Garand is a better way to go.

It is 7.5 French. I  have a few rifles with History, just looking at something different.

From what I seen online the 49/56 is really sharp looking.

I say go for it, I have a MAS-36 and getting and never really had to look hard to get ammo for it. Even during the worst of the 2013 ammo drought, I was still seeing 7.5 French for sale on all the websites that usually sold it.

 

Of course now after a quick search I am not finding any, but considering that all the machines that they use to load 7.5 ammo were probably being used (and may still be) to load .308 during the drought It might be a little while before they do another run of 7.5 French.

That would make sense.

It is 7.5 French. I  have a few rifles with History, just looking at something different.

From what I seen online the 49/56 is really sharp looking.

If you want something different and it's a good price, go for it, they're not bad guns at all - they, like all French guns, get little respect because they never were a main player in any wars, but they are well made, function well, are  reasonably ergo-dynamic, and reasonably accurate.

If you want something different and it's a good price, go for it, they're not bad guns at all - they, like all French guns, get little respect because they never were a main player in any wars, but they are well made, function well, are  reasonably ergo-dynamic, and reasonably accurate.

Thanks for the info.