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French Rifles
MAS
49/56 Service Manual (continued 4/4)
by
Melburn Park (mpark@nb.utmem.edu)
4. MAINTENANCE
4.1. MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS TO BE PERFORMED
4.1.1. Before firing
Degrease the weapon then lightly lubricate it with gun oil (cf. 4.2.).
4.1.2. After firing
Field strip the weapon and clean it carefully. For the bore, use a patch
soaked in oil and a brass bore brush. Then dry with a dry patch.
Finally, apply a "protective layer,"
-- in the field, by means of a light oiling, to be renewed weekly;
-- in normal service, by means of a more ample oiling, to be renewed every
two days for the barrel and weekly for the other parts.
4.2. CLEANING SUBSTANCES TO BE USED
-- gun oil
-- anticorrosive oil (only for stored arms)
-- gasoline
Gasoline facilitates the cleaning of encrusted weapons but requires
very careful drying of parts before lubrication, in order to prevent rust.
Forbidden are:
-- abrasive materials
-- chlorinated solvents and acetone, which will disolve the plastic
envelope that contains the radioactive luminescent material in the
night sight fixture.
4.3. AUTHORIZED DISASSEMBLY
Before any handling, remove the magazine and cycle the mechanism to assure
that no cartridges are in the chamber. Close the breech and engage the safety.
4.3.1. Remove the bolt cover
Depress the bolt-cover latch, push the bolt-cover forward, lift it (fig.
13) and remove it upward and to the rear while controlling the recoil spring;
remove the latter.
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Fig. 13. -- Disassembly of the bolt-cover
4.3.2. Remove the slide assembly
With the help of the bolt handle, guide the bolt carrier and bolt toward
the rear and upward (fig.14); separate the bolt from carrier; remove the firing
pin.
Fig. 14. -- Disassembly of the slide assembly
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4.4 REASSEMBLY
Proceed in the reverse order of disassembly.
In reassembling the slide assembly, be sure that the ejector prong [within
the magazine well] is seated.
For the reassembly of the bolt cover (fig. 15),
-- use two hands (the recoil spring must be firmly held and guided);
-- assure that the bolt-cover latch is properly engaged.
Fig. 15. -- Reassembly of the bolt cover.
4.5. SIGHT ADJUSTMENT FOR THE F.S.A. 49-56
4.5.1. Windage adjustment
This adjustment if made by moving the rear sight to the right or to the
left.
Using the ejector-hook-screwdriver tool:
-- unscrew [CCW] the peep-sight screw to drive the rearsight to the right
and, consequently, move the point of impact to the right.
-- screw [CW] the peep-sight screw to drive the rearsight to the left and,
consequently, move the point of impact to the left.
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Each half-turn of the screw, marked by a click, displaces the rear sight by
one-half mil (half graduation), which corresponds to a displacement of the
center of impact by 5 centimeters at a distance of 100 meters, or by 10
centimeters at a range of 200 meters.
[Note on the difference between the units of arc used by French and US Aramy
Artillary. The unit used in this manual is the millime which is the arc
subtended by 1 m. at a range of 1000 m. I have translated this to the mil,
which is the US unit of arc corresponding to 1/6400 of 360 degrees. They differ
by a bit less than 2%, the mil being 0.00098 radians whereas the millime is
0.0010 radians.]
It is possible to displace the rear sight by three complete turns on side
to the other from the central position.
Example -- At 100 meters, the group center is 20 centimeters to the left of
point of aim: turn the rear-sight screw 2 turns CCW.
4.5.2. Elevation adjustment
This adjustment is done by moving the front sight bead with respect to its
mid-position.
Depress the locking boss with the tip of a cartridge and:
-- screw (CW) the front sight down if fire is to be moved upward;
-- unscrew (CCW) the front sight up if fire is to be moved down.
Each quarter time corresponds to a half-mil, that is a displacement of the
average point of impact by 5 cm at a range of 100 m or of 10 cm at a range of
200 m.
It is possible to displace the rear sight by one-and-one-half complete
turns on side to the other from the central position. The front sight post,
viewed from above is engraved with numbered gradations going from 1 to 4.
Example of elevation adjustment -- At 100 meters, the average group center
is systematically found to be 10 centimeters above point of aim: screw the
front sight screw two quarter-turns downward.
4.6. SIGHT ADJUSTMENT FOR THE F.S.A. 49-56 M.S.E.
4.6.1. Windage adjustment
The adjustment of this modified version of the rifle is similar to that of
the F.S.A. 49-56, but each click corresponds to a quarter-turn and moves the
rear sight a quarter-mil, which corresonds to a displacement of the average
point of impact by 5 cm at a range of 200 m.
4.6.2. Elevation adjustment
The adjustment of this modified version of the rifle is similar to that
of the F.S.A. 49-56, but it is possible to adjust by one-eight turns,
corresonding to a displacement of the average point of impact by 5 cm at a
range of 200 m.
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Fig. 16 -- Nomneclature of the 7.5 mm semiautomatic rifle, model 1949-1956.
A. Bolt cover
B. Sight (rear)
C. Receiver
D. Carrier
E. Bolt lever
F. Hand guard
G. Forepiece
H. Gas port (stop) cock
J. Lever for the gas port cock
K. Barrel
L. Sighting bar for grenade launching
M. Front sight
N. Sliding ring stop for grenades
P. Flash suppressor
R. Magazine
S. Safety lever
T. Trigger
U. Trigger guard
V. Stock
W. Bayonet knife
X. Bayonet sheath
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