MAS-38

The MAS-38 was the standard submachine gun of the French Army in 1940, a compact, well-made weapon that arrived too late and in too small numbers to make a difference in the Battle of France. Developed by the Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) in the 1930s and adopted in 1938, the MAS-38 was chambered for the French 7.65 mm Longue cartridge and fed from a 32-round box magazine. Only about 2,000 examples had been delivered by the time of the German invasion in May 1940, and the weapon saw only limited combat in the campaign that ended with the fall of France. Production continued under German occupation and after the war, and the MAS-38 remained in French service into the 1950s, serving in Indochina and in the French colonies. The weapon was notable for its unusual design: its receiver and barrel were not in line, the barrel being angled slightly downwards, and its bolt was machined from a single piece of steel. The MAS-38 was a good weapon that was overtaken by events, and its story is a small illustration of France’s unpreparedness for war in 1940.

1. Key Facts

Type	Submachine gun
Origin	France
In service	1938–1950s
Number built	About 2,000 by June 1940; production continued under occupation and after the war
Crew	1
Weight	About 2.87 kg unloaded; about 3.65 kg loaded
Armour	Not applicable
Main armament	7.65 mm Longue cartridge, 32-round box magazine
Engine	Not applicable
Top speed	Not applicable; muzzle velocity about 350 m/s; cyclic rate about 600 rounds per minute
Operators	France, Germany (captured), Vietnam, and others

2. Development

The French Search for a Submachine Gun

France was slow to adopt the submachine gun. The French Army had used the Chauchat and the Hotchkiss machine guns in the First World War, and it had little interest in a short-range automatic weapon for infantry. In the 1920s the French Army tested foreign submachine guns, including the German MP 18 and the Italian Beretta, but it did not adopt any of them. In the early 1930s the Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne began to develop a French submachine gun, using the 7.65 mm Longue cartridge that was already in service for the Mle 1935 pistol. The design, by the engineer Pierre Joseph Clément, was a simple blowback weapon with a distinctive angled receiver, and it was submitted for trials in 1935.

Adoption in 1938

The MAS-38 was adopted by the French Army in 1938, after trials in which it proved reliable and accurate. The weapon was intended for tank crews, artillerymen, engineers and other troops who needed a compact weapon for self-defence, and it was also issued to some infantry units. Production began at Saint-Étienne in 1939, but it was slow: the weapon was made to high standards, with machined parts that took time to produce, and the French arms industry was already stretched by the production of rifles, machine guns and artillery. By May 1940 only about 2,000 MAS-38s had been delivered, and most French soldiers who needed a submachine gun did not have one.

Production Under Occupation and After the War

After the fall of France in June 1940, production of the MAS-38 continued at Saint-Étienne under German control, and the weapons were used by the German Army and by Vichy French forces. The Germans designated the captured weapon the MP 722(f), and they used it in small numbers. After the liberation of France in 1944, production resumed, and the MAS-38 was issued to French forces in Indochina and in North Africa. The weapon remained in service into the 1950s, when it was replaced by the MAT-49 submachine gun, which used the more powerful 9 mm Parabellum cartridge. Total production of the MAS-38 is not precisely known, but it was in the tens of thousands, most of them built after 1940.

3. Design

The Angled Receiver

The MAS-38’s most distinctive feature was its receiver: the barrel and the bolt were not in line with the stock, but were angled slightly downwards, at about 5 degrees, so that the barrel pointed slightly below the line of the receiver. This unusual arrangement was intended to reduce muzzle climb and to make the weapon more comfortable to fire, and it gave the MAS-38 a distinctive appearance. The bolt was machined from a single piece of steel, and it was heavy, which helped to control the rate of fire. The weapon’s overall length was about 63 cm, and it weighed about 2.87 kg unloaded, which made it compact and easy to carry, especially for tank crews and other troops in confined spaces.

Operation and Controls

The MAS-38 was a simple blowback weapon, firing from an open bolt, with a selector for semi-automatic and fully automatic fire. The cocking handle was on the right side of the receiver, and the safety was a small lever on the left side. The magazine was inserted into the front of the receiver, and it held 32 rounds of 7.65 mm Longue ammunition. The sights were simple: a fixed front post and a flip-up rear sight with two apertures, for 100 and 200 metres. The weapon’s rate of fire was about 600 rounds per minute, which was moderate for a submachine gun, and its effective range was about 100 metres, which was adequate for its intended role.

Materials and Construction

The MAS-38 was made to high standards, with machined steel parts and a wooden stock. The weapon’s construction was expensive and time-consuming, which was one of the reasons production was slow. The barrel was about 22 cm long, and the weapon’s overall finish was good, with blued steel and a polished wooden stock. The MAS-38 was a well-made weapon, and its reliability was good, but its high manufacturing cost was a disadvantage in wartime, when simpler weapons like the British Sten and the Soviet PPSh-41 could be produced in much larger numbers. The MAS-38’s quality was also its weakness: it was too good, and too expensive, for mass production.

4. Technical Specifications

Dimensions and Weight

The MAS-38 measured about 63 cm long, with a barrel length of about 22 cm, and it weighed about 2.87 kg unloaded and about 3.65 kg loaded with a full 32-round magazine. The weapon was compact, and its fixed wooden stock made it easy to carry, though the fixed stock made it longer than some contemporary submachine guns with folding stocks. The weapon’s size was well suited to its intended users: tank crews, artillerymen and engineers who needed a weapon that would not get in the way in a confined space.

Cartridge and Ballistics

The MAS-38 fired the 7.65 mm Longue cartridge, a French pistol cartridge developed in the 1920s for the Mle 1935 pistol. The cartridge fired a 5.6 gram bullet at a muzzle velocity of about 350 m/s, giving a muzzle energy of about 340 joules. The cartridge was less powerful than the 9 mm Parabellum used by the German MP 40 and the British Sten, and its stopping power was modest. The 7.65 mm Longue was, however, the standard French pistol cartridge, and using it for the submachine gun simplified ammunition supply. The cartridge’s main weakness was its low power, which limited the weapon’s effective range to about 100 metres.

Rate of Fire and Magazine

The MAS-38 had a cyclic rate of fire of about 600 rounds per minute, which was moderate and controllable, and its 32-round box magazine gave it a reasonable capacity. The magazine was inserted into the front of the receiver and was held in place by a catch, and it was a double-column, single-feed design. The weapon’s magazine was reliable, though it was not interchangeable with any other weapon’s magazine. The MAS-38’s rate of fire and magazine capacity were adequate for its role, but they were not exceptional, and the weapon was outclassed by the German MP 40 and the Soviet PPSh-41 in terms of firepower.

5. Armament

The 7.65 mm Longue Cartridge

The 7.65 mm Longue cartridge was the MAS-38’s defining feature and its main limitation. The cartridge was developed in the 1920s as a French service pistol cartridge, and it was used in the Mle 1935 pistol and in the MAS-38. The cartridge’s bullet was light and its velocity was modest, and its stopping power was inferior to the 9 mm Parabellum. The French Army was aware of the cartridge’s limitations, but it was unwilling to adopt a foreign cartridge, and the 7.65 mm Longue remained in service until the 1950s, when it was replaced by the 9 mm Parabellum. The MAS-38’s cartridge was adequate for close-range self-defence, but it was not a good cartridge for a front-line submachine gun.

Firepower in Combat

In combat, the MAS-38’s firepower was modest. Its rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute was controllable, and its accuracy was good at short range, but its cartridge was weak and its effective range was short. The weapon was intended for self-defence by troops who were not primarily infantry, and for that role it was adequate. For front-line infantry, however, the MAS-38 was inferior to the German MP 40, which fired a more powerful cartridge and had a similar rate of fire, and to the Soviet PPSh-41, which had a much higher rate of fire and a larger magazine. The MAS-38’s firepower was not the reason it failed in 1940 — its small numbers were — but it was a limitation that was noted by French soldiers who used it.

Comparison with Contemporary Submachine Guns

Compared with its contemporaries, the MAS-38 was a well-made but underpowered weapon. The German MP 40, introduced in 1940, fired the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, had a similar rate of fire and was simpler to produce. The British Sten, introduced in 1941, was much cheaper and simpler, and it could be produced in large numbers. The Soviet PPSh-41, introduced in 1941, had a rate of fire of about 900 rounds per minute and a 71-round drum magazine, giving it far more firepower than the MAS-38. The MAS-38 was a good weapon for 1938, but by 1941 it was already obsolete, and its replacement by the MAT-49 in the 1950s was long overdue.

6. Variants

The Standard MAS-38

The standard MAS-38 was the only version produced in significant numbers. It had a fixed wooden stock, a 32-round magazine and a selector for semi-automatic and fully automatic fire. The weapon’s design did not change significantly during its production life, though there were minor variations in the sights and in the finish. The standard MAS-38 was the weapon issued to French forces in 1940 and in Indochina, and it was the version captured and used by the Germans as the MP 722(f).

Experimental and Prototype Versions

The Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne developed several experimental versions of the MAS-38, including a version with a folding stock and a version chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, but none of these entered production. The folding-stock version was intended for paratroops, and the 9 mm version was an attempt to improve the weapon’s firepower, but the fall of France in 1940 and the disruption of the French arms industry meant that neither version was produced in quantity. The MAS-38’s design was also used as the basis for the MAT-49, which was a much simpler weapon with a folding magazine and a 9 mm chambering.

Captured and Post-War Use

Captured MAS-38s were used by the German Army as the MP 722(f), and by the Vichy French forces. After the war, the MAS-38 was used by the French Army in Indochina, where it was issued to colonial troops and to the French Expeditionary Corps, and by the Vietnamese forces. The weapon was also used by the French police and by the forces of the French colonies in North Africa. The MAS-38’s post-war service was longer than its wartime service, and it remained in use until the 1950s, when it was replaced by the MAT-49.

7. Combat Record

The Battle of France, 1940

The MAS-38 saw only limited combat in the Battle of France in May–June 1940, because only about 2,000 examples had been delivered and most French soldiers did not have a submachine gun. The weapons that were issued went to tank crews, artillerymen and some infantry units, and they were used in the fighting around Sedan, on the Somme and in the retreat to the south. The MAS-38’s performance in combat was good, but its numbers were too small to make a difference. The French Army’s lack of submachine guns in 1940 was a serious weakness, and the German Army, which was well equipped with the MP 38 and MP 40, had a significant advantage in close combat.

Under German Occupation

After the fall of France, the MAS-38 was produced under German control at Saint-Étienne, and the weapons were used by the German Army and by the Vichy French forces. The German Army used the captured MAS-38 as the MP 722(f), mainly for second-line troops and for the police, and the weapon saw service in France and in the Balkans. The Vichy French forces used the MAS-38 in North Africa and in the colonies, and the weapon was also used by the French Resistance, which captured examples from German and Vichy stocks.

Indochina and the Colonies

After the war, the MAS-38 served in Indochina, where it was issued to French and colonial troops in the war against the Viet Minh from 1946 to 1954. The weapon’s compact size and its reliability made it popular with troops in the jungle, though its weak cartridge was a limitation against the Viet Minh, who were often armed with more powerful weapons. The MAS-38 also served in North Africa, in Algeria and Morocco, and in the French colonies in Africa. The weapon’s service in Indochina was its longest combat service, and it was not withdrawn until the 1950s, when it was replaced by the MAT-49.

8. Operators

France

France was the MAS-38’s main operator, using the weapon from 1938 to the 1950s. The French Army issued the MAS-38 to tank crews, artillerymen, engineers and some infantry units, and the weapon served in France in 1940, in Indochina and in North Africa. The French police also used the MAS-38, and the weapon remained in service with the police into the 1950s. The MAS-38 was the French Army’s first submachine gun, and its service marked the beginning of French interest in the weapon type.

Germany

Germany used captured MAS-38s as the MP 722(f), mainly for second-line troops and for the police. The German Army captured about 2,000 MAS-38s in 1940, and more were produced under occupation at Saint-Étienne. The weapon was not a front-line weapon for the German Army, which had its own MP 40, but it was used in France, in the Balkans and in the East, and it was a useful weapon for troops who needed a compact automatic weapon.

Vietnam and Others

The MAS-38 was used by the Vietnamese forces, both the French-backed State of Vietnam and the Viet Minh, who captured examples from French stocks in Indochina. The weapon was also used by the forces of the French colonies in Africa and by the police in France and in the colonies. The MAS-38’s wide distribution reflects its long service life and its use by the French colonial forces, and the weapon is still found in collections and museums in France and Vietnam.

9. Legacy

A Good Weapon, Too Late

The MAS-38’s legacy is that of a good weapon that arrived too late and in too small numbers to make a difference in 1940. The weapon was well designed and well made, and its reliability was good, but its production was slow and its cartridge was weak. The MAS-38’s story is a small illustration of France’s unpreparedness for war in 1940: the French Army had a good submachine gun, but it had only 2,000 of them, while the German Army had tens of thousands of MP 38s and MP 40s. The MAS-38’s failure was not a failure of design, but a failure of production and of planning.

Influence on the MAT-49

The MAS-38 influenced the design of the MAT-49, the French submachine gun that replaced it in the 1950s. The MAT-49 was a much simpler weapon, with a folding magazine and a 9 mm chambering, and it was designed for mass production. The MAT-49’s designer, Pierre Joseph Clément, had also designed the MAS-38, and the MAT-49’s blowback operation and its general layout were influenced by the MAS-38. The MAT-49 served in Indochina and in Algeria, and it remained in French service into the 1970s, and its success was in part a result of the lessons learned from the MAS-38.

Survivors and Memory

Surviving MAS-38s are displayed in museums in France, including the Musée de l’Armée in Paris and the Musée de l’Armement in Saint-Étienne, and in collections around the world. The weapon is a popular subject for collectors, and its distinctive angled receiver makes it instantly recognisable. The MAS-38 is remembered as France’s first submachine gun, and as a weapon that was well made but produced in too small numbers, and its story is a reminder of the importance of production and logistics in war.

10. FAQ

How many MAS-38s were built before the fall of France?

Only about 2,000 MAS-38s had been delivered by June 1940, when France fell, and the weapon saw only limited combat in the campaign. Production was slow because the weapon was made to high standards with machined parts, and the French arms industry was already stretched. Production continued under German occupation and after the war, and the total production was in the tens of thousands. The MAS-38 remained in French service into the 1950s, serving in Indochina and in the French colonies, and it was replaced by the MAT-49.

What cartridge did the MAS-38 use?

The MAS-38 used the 7.65 mm Longue cartridge, a French pistol cartridge developed in the 1920s for the Mle 1935 pistol. The cartridge fired a 5.6 gram bullet at about 350 m/s, and its stopping power was modest compared with the 9 mm Parabellum used by the German MP 40. The cartridge was the weapon’s main limitation, and the MAS-38 was a good weapon for 1938, but by 1941 it was obsolete. The weapon was chambered for the French cartridge and fed from a 32-round box magazine, and it was compact, well made and reliable at short range.

Why is the MAS-38’s receiver angled?

The MAS-38’s barrel and bolt were angled slightly downwards, at about 5 degrees, relative to the receiver and stock. This unusual arrangement was intended to reduce muzzle climb and to make the weapon more comfortable to fire. It gave the MAS-38 a distinctive appearance, and it is the weapon’s most recognisable feature, making it easy to identify. The weapon was notable for its unusual design: its receiver and barrel were not in line, the barrel being angled slightly downwards, and its bolt was machined from a single piece of steel.

Was the MAS-38 a good weapon?

The MAS-38 was well made, reliable and accurate at short range, but its cartridge was weak and its production was slow. It was a good weapon for 1938, but by 1941 it was obsolete, and it was outclassed by the German MP 40 and the Soviet PPSh-41 in terms of firepower. Its main fault was not its design, but the small numbers in which it was produced, with only about 2,000 delivered by June 1940. The weapon was a good illustration of France’s unpreparedness for war in 1940, and it remained in French service into the 1950s, serving in Indochina.

What replaced the MAS-38?

The MAS-38 was replaced by the MAT-49 submachine gun in the 1950s, after remaining in French service into the 1950s. The MAT-49 was a simpler weapon, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, with a folding magazine and a much lower manufacturing cost. The MAT-49 served in Indochina and Algeria, and it remained in French service into the 1970s, long after the MAS-38 had gone. The MAS-38 had been the standard submachine gun of the French Army in 1940, a compact, well-made weapon that arrived too late and in too small numbers.

Where can I see a MAS-38 today?

Surviving MAS-38s are displayed at the Musée de l’Armée in Paris, the Musée de l’Armement in Saint-Étienne and in military museums and private collections around the world. The weapon is a popular subject for collectors, and its distinctive angled receiver makes it easy to identify. Only about 2,000 MAS-38s had been delivered by June 1940, when France fell, and production continued under German occupation and after the war. The MAS-38 was chambered for the French 7.65 mm Longue cartridge, fed from a 32-round box magazine, and it remained in French service into the 1950s.

11. Sources

• Huon, Jean. Les Pistolets-Mitrailleurs Français. Editions Crepin-Leblond, 2007.
• Huon, Jean. Un Siècle d’Armement Mondial: Armes à Feu d’Infanterie. Various editions.
• McNab, Chris. Submachine Guns. Amber Books, 2014.
• Smith, W. H. B. Small Arms of the World. Stackpole Books, various editions.