MAC Mle 1950 explained

MAC Mle 1950
Origin:France
Type:Semi-automatic pistol
Is Ranged:yes
Wars:First Indochina War
Algerian War[1]
Suez Crisis
Vietnam War
Chadian Civil War[2]
Chadian–Libyan conflict
Shaba II[3]
Design Date:1950
Manufacturer:Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault
MAS
Production Date:1950–1970
Number:341,900
Weight:860g
Length:195mm
Part Length:111mm
Height:135mm
Cartridge:9×19mm Parabellum
Action:Short recoil, locked breech, dropping barrel
Velocity:315m/s
Range:50m (160feet)
Max Range:1900m (6,200feet)
Feed:9-round detachable box magazine
Sights:Fixed iron sights
155mm sight radius

The MAC 50 (also known as MAC 1950, MAS 50 or PA modèle 1950) is a standard semi-automatic pistol of the French army and adopted in 1950. It replaced the previous series of French pistols, the Modèle 1935A and Modèle 1935S, and was produced between 1950 and 1970 with around 341,900 being created during that timeframe.

It was first made by MAC (Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault) then by MAS (Manufacture d'Armes St. Etienne - two of several government-owned arms factories in France)[4]

It is now superseded by the PAMAS G1, the French version of the Beretta 92, and since 2020 by the 5th-generation Glock 17.[5]

History

In Châtellerault, 221,900 were made until it was closed in 1963 with production continuing in St. Etienne with 120,000 pistols would be made by 1978.[6]

Design

It uses the Browning system like the FN GP 35 with an integral barrel feed ramp, it is a single-action trigger with slide mounted safety that locks the firing pin so the hammer can be lowered by pressing the trigger with safety engaged.[6]

The MAC-50 is primarily based on the Modèle 1935S, for which MAC was the primary manufacturer, although it shares some characteristics with the Modèle 1935A, the design basis for the SIG P210 (SIG licensed the Modèle 1935A design from SACM in 1937).

Users

Armée de Terre and [8]

Notes and References

  1. fr . Gazette des Armes . 220 . March 1992 . L'armement français en A.F.N. . 12–16 .
  2. Book: Windrow, Martin . French Foreign Legion Paratroops . limited . Elite . 6 . 26 September 1985 . 978-0-85045-629-5 . Osprey Publishing . 56-57.
  3. Les armes de Kolwezi . Jacques . Sicard . 25–30 . La Gazette des Armes . fr . 111 . November 1982.
  4. Web site: Mle. 1950 . 22 October 2010 . Modern Firearms.
  5. Web site: PSA : GLOCK 17 Gen 5, un bon choix pour remplacer MAC 50 et PAMAS ? . PSA: GLOCK 17 Gen 5, a good choice to replace MAC 50 and PAMAS? . 2020-01-09 . TRE - Tactical Response To Efficience . fr-FR . 2020-01-10.
  6. Web site: MAC 1950: Disassembly & History . 27 February 2017 . Forgotten Weapons.
  7. Web site: Algeria . 2015 . World Infantry Weapons . 20 March 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161124203856/http://sites.google.com/site/worldinventory/wiw_af_algeria . 24 November 2016.
  8. Book: The Central African Republic and Small Arms: A Regional Tinderbox . Eric G. . Berman . Louisa N. . Lombard . December 2008 . . 978-2-8288-0103-8 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140802224632/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/D-Book-series/book-07-CAR/SAS-Central-African-Republic-and-Small-Arms.pdf . dead . August 2, 2014 . 35, 42.
  9. Book: Wiener, Friedrich . The Armies of the NATO Nations: Organization, Concept of War, Weapons and Equipment . Truppendienst Handbooks Volume 3 . 1987 . 425 . Herold Publishers . Vienna.
  10. Book: Anders, Holger . Identifier les sources d'approvisionnement: Les munitions de petit calibre en Côte d'Ivoire . https://web.archive.org/web/20150323040111/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/C-Special-reports/SAS-SR21-CotedIvoire-FR.pdf . dead . March 23, 2015 . June 2014 . . 978-2-940-548-05-7 . 15 . fr.
  11. Book: Web Trafficking: Analysing the Online Trade of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Libya . N.R. . Jenzen-Jones . Ian . McCollum . April 2017 . Working Paper No. 26 . Small Arms Survey . Small Arms Survey . 83 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170516085143/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/F-Working-papers/SAS-SANA-WP26-Libya-web-trafficking.pdf . dead . May 16, 2017.
  12. Book: Huon, Jean . 1981 . Un siècle d’armement mondial . A Century of World Armaments . fr . Paris . Crépin-Leblond.
  13. Book: Ezell, Edward . Edward Ezell . 1988 . Small Arms Today . 2nd . Harrisburg, PA . Stackpole Books . 978-0-85368-977-5.