War Gun???

Question
Your question was

I have a Santa Fe Model 1949 rifle made by the Golden State Arms Co.  I
was told my grandfather used this weapon in World War II.  Is this an
actual weapon used by our military or simply something he picked up
during or after the war.  It has MAS M LE 1936 stamped on the side.  He is
no longer living but I really want to know the background on this
weapon and what caliber it actually is.  I would hate to think he had to
fight a war with this simple little gun.


Answer
Pete,

The information you've provided is slightly conflicted.  The stamping on the side of the rifle would indicate that the gun you have is actually a MAS Model 36.  MAS stands for Manufacture 'd Armes de Saint-Etienne.  This would appear to be a French battle rifle calibered in 7.5x54 which is a French cartridge and likely a little tough to find in the US.  If it the gun I think it is, you may find that it has a bayonet that actually resides in a tube in the front stock.  If you have one, it will pull out and when reversed will mount on the tube.

The Santa Fe Model 1949 is actually a different rifle.  If it were a Santa Fe 1949 it should carry the markings MAS MLE 1949-56 with a  the markings Cal. 7,5 below.  Some of the Model 1949's were imported by Golden State Arms, but not manufactured by them.  

Another thing to check, the Model 1949 was a semi-auto.  The model 1936 was a bolt action.  If your Grandfather was in the US Army during WWII he may have acquired the gun when he was overseas.  This was the rifle that was issued to French soldiers during the WWII.

I have provided a link to some details on the characteristics of the rifle itself.  I think you will enjoy reading about the unique history of this particular firearm.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/mas36/index.asp

Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Doug