C&R · II · 265
French MAS 49/56, 7.62mm NATO
Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act
Official wording
ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 9 ↗
French Military Rifle Model 1949/56, in cal. 7.62 x 51mm (NATO).
What this entry requires
- INFOATF states no date; production was about 1957–1978.
Editorial facts · Our research
- Country
FranceBasis: the ATF wording - Manufacturer
- Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS)Basis: outside reference ²
- Type
- RifleBasis: the ATF wording
- Action
- Semi-autoBasis: no citation
- Caliber
- 7.62×51mm NATOBasis: the ATF wording
- Made
- c. 1957–1978production; ATF states no dateBasis: outside reference ¹
- Service
- Military
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 9 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: Medium · Last revised 17 October 2026 (Data-trust review) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. Wikipedia, “MAS-49 rifle” ↗, years: MAS-49/56 introduced 1957; replaced by the FAMAS starting 1978
- 2. Wikipedia, “MAS-49 rifle” ↗, maker: made by the MAS arms factory
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- 2 changes · see below
Correction history
- Data-trust reviewEditorial confidence: Low → Medium. Re-rated after supporting references were added or re-checked.
- Data-trust reviewYears: 1960–1978 → 1957–1978. Wikipedia: MAS-49/56 introduced 1957, replaced by FAMAS from 1978
Historical context
Image: Wikimedia Commons, “MAS Mle. 49-56 with APX Scope and Bayonet.jpg” by TL-Wiz63, CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “MAS-49 rifle”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The MAS-49 is a French semi-automatic rifle that replaced various bolt-action rifles as the French service rifle that was produced from 1949. It was designed and manufactured by the government-owned MAS arms factory. The formal French Army designation of the MAS-49 is Fusil semi-automatique 7 mm 5 M. 49.