MAS 38

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	Weapon: MAS 38 Type: Submachine Gun Country of Origin: France Year Adopted: 1938 Overall Length (mm): 630.0 Overall Length (in): 24.8 Weight (kg): 2.00 Weight (pounds): 4.41

The MAS-38 is a French submachine gun designed in the late 1930s by Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne (MAS). It was chambered in the unique 7.65x20mm Longue cartridge, which limited its appeal compared to more powerful submachine guns of the era. The MAS-38 was intended to replace earlier submachine guns in French service, and it featured a compact, unconventional design with a straight blowback mechanism and a non-reciprocating charging handle. Due to its delayed introduction and France's rapid defeat in World War II, only around 2,000 units were produced before the German occupation. The gun saw limited use by both French and German forces during the war. Despite its limited production, the MAS-38 gained notoriety as the weapon used in the assassination of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1945. After the war, it saw brief use by the French military during the early Indochina conflict but was quickly replaced by more modern designs.