lancaster, you are the man!!

Thank you very much!!

One of the things I always find interesting is the effect gun control laws have on the sporting market and on gun sales themselves. Going way back, some Austrian pocket pistols had ludicrously long barrels to meet the length requirement in the Empire, Mexican restrictions on pistol bore side made the .45 illegal and encouraged the .38 ACP and Super and of course fast forwarding to the USA today where we have all sorts of bizarre contraptions built to meet various state laws, and of course the very interesting straight-pull AR's that have been built for sale in England.

As for France, IIRC all military cartridges are STILL banned for sporting use in France? {Just like in some Latin American countries.}

I remember one of my uncles was a missionary to Ecuador and had his Savage 24 .30-30/12 {?} gauge confiscated by the government many years ago because of the ".30" cal of the rifle barrel. It was considered a "military" caliber, at least by the PM's that heisted it from him!

So here you are talking about a very fine hunting cartridge created to skirt around French laws.
Very interesting!

Your history is quite fascinating. Again, effects of war. I never really thought about HOW men who lost their sporting weapons obtained replacements. I always just thought the normal market forces applied and hunters bought as they could from the available commercial options.

I do have to say, there is something strange and yet very appealing to me about those MAS sporters. They just look like they would balance well in the hand. Very unique rifle, very interesting thread!! Again, a whole world of arms culture foreign to those of us stuck limping along with one language!