MAT-49
| Pistolet-Mitrailleur de 9 mm modèle 1949 (MAT-49) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1949 to 1979 |
| Used by | French Union, State of Vietnam |
| Wars | Suez Crisis First Indochina War Algerian War of Independence Vietnam War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1949 |
| Produced | 1949 to 1979 |
| No. built | ?? |
| Variants | cal. 7.62x25 Tokarev |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.5 kg (without magazine) 4.17 kg (with 32 round magazine) |
| Length | 460/720 mm |
| Barrel length | 230 mm |
| Cartridge | 9 mm Luger Parabellum |
| Caliber | 9 |
| Action | Blowback |
| Rate of fire | 600 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | ? |
| Feed system | 20, 32 rounds |
The MAT-49 was a submachine gun developed by French arms factory Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Tulle (MAT) for use by the French Army.
Development
In 1949, after evaluating several prototypes (including a collapsible design from Hotchkiss), the French MAT factory began production of the MAT-49 9 mm submachine gun. The MAT-49 used a machine stamping process which allowed the economical production of large numbers of submachine guns, then urgently required by the French Army for use by Army, French Foreign Legion as well as airborne and colonial forces. Production continued at Tulle until the mid 1960s, then switched to the Manufacture d'Armes de St-Etienne plant (MAS), where the weapon was produced until 1979. In that same year, the French armed forces adopted the FAMAS 5.56 mm assault rifle, and the MAT-49 was gradually phased out of service.
Usage
The MAT-49 saw widespread combat use during the first Indochina War and the Algerian War of Independence, as well as the 1956 Suez Crisis. The weapon found considerable favor with airborne and mechanized troops, who prized it for its firepower and compactness.
As issued, the MAT-49 fires a 9 mm Luger Parabellum cartridge, using a 20- or 32-round single-column magazine derived directly from the German MP40 (and thus shares that weapon's reputation for occasional misfeeds). The MAT-49 is blowback-operated and box magazine-fed, with a rate of fire of 600 rounds per minute on full auto. Some MAT-49s manufactured for police forces had two triggers, allowing use of full-auto fire or single shots, but most were manufactured as full-auto only.
After French forces left Indochina, the VPA and Viet Minh converted many captured MAT-49s to the Soviet 7.62 mm Tokarev pistol cartridge, then available in large quantities from the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.
The MAT-49 had a short, retractable wire stock, which when extended gave the weapon a length of 720 mm, and the magazine well and magazine could be folded forward parallel to the barrel for more compact carrying and storage. Barrel length is 230 mm, with some police-issue weapons manufactured with extended barrels and non-retractable wooden stocks. Minus magazine, the MAT-49 weighs about 3.5 kilograms, which makes it somewhat heavy for a submachine gun. The weapon incorporates a grip safety which is located on the backside of the pistol grip. The rear sights are flip-up and "L"-shaped, and marked for a range of 50 and 100 meters.
See also
- Vigneron submachine gun
- Sola submachine gun
- List of submachine guns (List of other weapons of this class)