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When France was developing it's new suite of small arms in the late 1940s, there was a debate over whether to adopt an intermediatepower cartridge or retain the fullpower 7.5x54mm round for the infantry rifle. Initially, a French 7.65x35mm cartridge was developed and used for several years of development (the US .30 Carbine round was also used). During this time, the MAS arsenal submitted prototypes for both submachine gun and assault rifle ("carabine mitrailleuse" machine carbine) trials. Their model 1949 system was leverdelayed blowback, and virtually the exact same design was used for both types of firearms. A number of different models were made, including folding wood stocks, collapsing wire stocks, and various fire control setups and barrel lengths. Today, we are looking at two of the MAS 49 Carabine Mitrailleuse prototypes, one long barreled with a progressive trigger and folding wood stock, and one shorter with a wire stock and fullautoonly trigger.

Ultimately, the French Army decided to keep the fullpower cartridge, and adopted a different MAS49; the 7.5x54mm semiautomatic rifle that is well known today (and was later improved to the MAS49/56 pattern). The submachine gun selected was the MAT49, a simple blowback design. The whole development program for leverdelayed systems at MAS was abandoned, although it would come back twenty years later with the FAMAS.

Many thanks to the IRCGN (Institut de Recherche Criminelle de la Gendarmerie Nationale) for allowing me access to film these prototypes for you!

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