Serial number check on mas 36

The closest would be the year of 1949, but so many were reworked and the later series built to smaller batch orders, it is beyond me to say which month, or season for that matter.

marine 1058 said:

I don't know if this helps, my s/n is K10811 and was made in June 1940.

Click to expand...

Thank you Marine. Does the receiver stamping read MF,"E",MF,L,M or "E",L,M,G? The first indicated ManuFrance assemblage, the latter is St Etienne. What is the difference? Well aside from the trivia of it all, ManuFrance was the more common among the pre-Armistice "K" block, but the minor assembler over all, responsible for perhaps 30,000 of the 250,000 that were produced before June 22, 1940. (This disregards the "F" series, the numbers and fate of which are unknown)

Marine:
Is the bayonet marked by two digits on the end-cap or the full serial number, with prefix? It is indicated that the two number markings began in early May with the "J" series, but it is a slippery matter to confirm. When we have a preponderance of examples from matching rifles, and no prefixed S/N to negate the supposition, then we can declare what the French have probably known all along.

All we need is one bayonet with the full serial number for the "J" or "K" series, and we will be good on those. Lacking that, I am doomed to chase two digit bayonets. The correct pre-Armistice bayonet would be of the first Type without the unlocking hole; erroneously called the 'oil hole'. Partway down the "MAS Mle 1936 Questions" 'sticky' there are pictures of the various types, explained by a short narative.