In both examples the rear sight has been altered; the military one was disabled (although it was a diopter, as on MAS45, MAS49 and MAS49/56, a real pleasure to use even in combat shooting) as it allowed shooting over 300 meters, and replaced by new one with foldable leaves placed in front of the magazine. The reason is that we still have in France a (stupid) law forbidding hunting rifles to be fitted with rear sights bearing markings allowing to engage targets at a distance superior to 300 meters.

None of these French military rifles converted to hunting was kept into the original 7,5x54 MAS calibre (a 7,8 mm in reality) as until quite recently (2013), owning in France a rifle chambered in a calibre that had been of standard military issue since the late XIX Century was subject to the same administrative burden than owning a modern pistol or assault rifle. The reason for which until 2013 almost no-one hunted in France with 6,5x54MS, 7x57, 8x57JS, .308, and 30-06 to quote only a few; the most common hunting calibres were then 7x64, .270 Win and .280 Rem, again to quote only a few.

The system was eased but ownership of weapons chambered in calibers that are still in use in today’s international armed forces is still subject in France to important administrative control, even if your rifle is a single-shot .223.

Louis