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LOT 3435
French MAS 1938 Submachine Gun, Class III/NFA C&R Fully
Transferable Machine Gun - Serial no. F22621, 7.65 mm cal., 8
1/2 inch round bbl., matte gray phosphate finish, hardwood stock.
Developed in the 1930s, the MAS 1938 entered production shortly
before the Invasion of France, and would be used by the Germans (as
the MP722(f)) and Vichy France, with captured examples seen with
the French Resistance. A lightweight and compact weapon, the 1938
used a combination of a stock mounted buffer tube assembly and an
off-axis bolt to reduce felt recoil, and could be stripped for cleaning
without tools. While not one of the more famous SMGs of World War
II, it claims a note in the history books having been used by
Walter Audisio, aka Colonel Valerio, an
Italian accountant turned partisan officer
who personally oversaw the execution
of Benito Mussolini, with official reports
attributing the fatal rounds of Il Duce
and his mistress to Audisio’s MAS 38.
Blade front and two-leaf rear sights, with
the caliber and model markings on the
left side, combination charging handle/dust cover, and a smooth
buttstock. The trigger doubles as the safety mechanism, and the
trigger housing, bolt, stock iron and buttstock are numbered to match
the receiver. Magazine absent.
CONDITION: Very fine, with 85% of the original matte gray phosphate
finish, showing areas of brown patina, minor spotting and edge
wear. The furniture is fine, with minor scuffs and stains. Mechanically
excellent. NOTE: This weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully
transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a “Curios
or Relic” as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to
the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 479.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500