MAT 49: Iconic SMG of Algeria and Indochina

Comments · 1.1K

• JA

  @jameshealy4594 · 8 years ago

  This is what machine guns I drew as a kid looked like. Almost like it's made of Duplo.

  906

• AR

  @ArnoSchmidt70 · 8 years ago

  That I found out: There is a french town called Tulle who had a french armoury for small arms until the 80s and there is also a russian town called Tula that is one of the centers of russian small arms manufacturing still today.

  873

• GH

  @ghassanmina · 6 years ago

  I was 5 years old the first time I saw the Mat 49. I am from Beirut and troops from the Lebanese army where equipped with this gun. My grand mother used to live near a military barrack and the guard was always equipped with a mat 49. I used to ask him always about the name of the weapon and they just used to call it Mat. This was in 1975 unfortunately for the remaining years (15 years) of the war it disappeared from the hands of the fighters. In my area under control of the Christian militia most of the boys where equipped with AK 47, FN Fal, M16 and VZ 58 that they used to call Slavia.

  183

• GR

  @gradh3123 · 8 years ago

  French guns have a very distinct aesthetic

  980

• PA

  @paulpiscitelli6465 · 8 years ago (edited)

  My father served in the French foreign legion 2nd rep paratroopers in Algeria from 1957 to 1962. He loved his Mat 49 and use to tell me how accurate he was with it thank you forg getting one of these on your show

  953

• CO

  @copperandradium · 8 years ago

  I want to see a Viet-modified 7.62x25mm MAT-49.

  640

• FA

  @falloutlover5443 · 6 years ago (edited)

  Engineer #1: We have added a revolutionary feature to our smg: an extended bolt face to ensure that any out of battery discharges will safely vent while being fully supported.<br>Engineer #2: Excellent! What type of safety mechanism did you come up with to stop the trigger and sear from moving unintentionally? Rotary, or an old fashioned push through?<br>Engineer #1: The what now?

  80

• AL

  @alexandrelarsac9115 · 8 years ago (edited)

  Sorry for my broken english ;-) &nbsp;I have used the thing a lot during 10 months. Until 2000, we had a mandatory military service in France. Did mine in French Air Force in 1992. The MAT 49 was still the air force official weapon. Famas was for the Army and for Air force commandos only. Yes the magazine was for 32 cartridges but we were taught never put more than 20 rounds because of old/weak spring into the mag. Also like shown in the vid, it was very easy to forgot to bring the charging handle back after cocking the gun. This would often jam the gun. I recall very well that the rate of fire &nbsp;was low enought (600rds/mn) to shoot the gun in semi auto. Instructors wanted us to shoot it in full auto only but with a very light pull on the trigger, like in Ian&apos;s video on the M3A1 Grease Gun (450rds/mn), i was able to shoot my 20 rounds one by one making a decent group at 50 meters. Shooting the thing full auto raised the gun to the left. One thing about the grip savety : in 1992 they were already pretty old , used weapons so, releasing the trigger and/or the grip savety was not enough, sometimes, to stop the shooting : the gun would still run until empty. At the range we were told about this. I had once an officer at the range who told us to keep the thing toward the targets if it happened to us. he said &quot; the first one i see turning around in panic because his gun doesn&apos;t stop, i shoot him in the head&quot;. While we were shooting he had is hand over his MAC50 pistol at the ready to draw standing in our backs.. Made everybody to focus :-D &nbsp;Another issue with the thing that (Can&apos;t say if it was a design flaw or just because they were old/used) sometimes the holding of the magazine into his well was not safe. On the ready to fire position, the magazine would sometimes fall down. On the field, we had to use rubber bands to make sure not to lose a magazine. The thing felt very heavy and was very cold during winter. On the field we had to sleep with it in our sleeping bags.. The good things about it : Very strong, solid built, AK47 like. Very compact when fold. Like in the video it was simple stupid to take it appart. . It was a solid, decent , reliable gun. Like a hammer. I would add this gun is still used in the French commando schools. Our navy commandos trainees have to carry them around without magazines to simulate a real active weapon because its heavy and umconfortable to carry around when crawling on a wet rope : <br><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lt2crWiQw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lt2crWiQw</a> &nbsp;(go to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIe-thE3LXY&amp;t=1600">26:40</a> ) (But this gun won&apos;t float :-D ! at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIe-thE3LXY&amp;t=2210">36:50</a>) &nbsp;Just a &quot;dead weight&quot; . Noboby shoot them anymore.<br><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhlm-J4Wg_g">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhlm-J4Wg_g</a>

  60

• NO

  @notcardlinsytaccount1355 · 6 years ago

  Ah yes, the TF2 Sniper’s stock secondary.

  394

• AN

  @antonioarroyas7662 · 8 years ago

  My father ended up fighting in Algeria and said that they were issued the magazines fully loaded, one in the gun and two extra. &nbsp;They would keep the mag after an encounter if able and they would be sent in to the armory when empty. &nbsp;The would explain why they didn&apos;t have a loading tool integrated into the weapon. &nbsp;When I showed him your video he said that he &quot;slept&quot; with that gun. &nbsp;He also said that the safety was pretty sketchy and that many guys got injured because of the lack of a more intuitive safety system.

  295

• PI

  @pigeononbread5477 · 8 years ago

  <b>flashbacks to RS2 intensifies</b>

  305

• TV

  @tvnshack · 8 years ago

  Ian, you forgot to mention two things: What you have here is a Type 2 MAT 49. The Type 1 is very rare because it didn&apos;t haver the safety &quot;pédale&quot; (the grip safety). That safety didn&apos;t exist originally. This is why it&apos;s a simple device. Then there is a Type 3 that is a simplified manufacturing process. It&apos;s easy to spot because it doesn&apos;t have bakelite grips.<br>Then there is one important detail while using the MAT49 is that the dust cover makes a lot of noise if not held back when it pops open when you cock the bolt. At night, it&apos;s so loud that you could shout &quot;Hey I&apos;m here&quot;, it would be the same.

  280