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Article by Steve N. Jackson (v. 1)

Master List of French Breech Loading Rifles

11mm fusil à tabatière système Mle 1857	Conversion of earlier muzzle loaders to breach loading. Usually issued with a sleeve bayonet.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1866 "Chassepot"	Bolt-action breach loader using paper cartridges. The Mle 1866 also was produced in an artillery, gendarme, and cavalry version. Issued with a yataghan sword bayonet.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1866/74 "Chassepot / Gras"	Mle 1866 rifles converted to use the new 11x59Rmm French cartridge. Most if these weapons were further upgraded to the M80 standard. Issued with a new epee bayonet designed for the Mle 1874.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1874 "Gras"	11x59Rmm rifles based on the earlier Mle 1866 "Chassepot" with a modified bolt and chamber. Issued with a newly designed epee bayonet.
11mm mousqueton d'artillerie Mle 1874 "Gras"	A short Mle 1874 designed to be carried by artillery soldiers. It has sling points under the butt stock and the front stock at the second barrel band.
11mm mousqueton d'cavalrie Mle 1874 "Gras"	A short Mle 1874 intended for mounted troops, with a moved sling mounting point.
11mm carabine de gendarmerie à pied Mle 1874 "Gras"	Shortened Mle 1874 for use by military police, who often worked both mounted and on foot. Issued with the older yataghan bayonet from the Mle 1866.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1874 M80 "Gras"	The modification 1880 was applied to all 1866/74 and 1874 models in service that allows gas from primer rupture to escape away from the shooter's face. These bore drillings become part of every later French rifle and are found on nealy all modern repeating rifles that use turning bolts.
8mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1874 M80 M14 "Gras"	In 1914 stocks of Mle 1874 rifles were taken in hand and converted to use the 8x50Rmm round. At the time territorial soldiers armed with Lebel rifles were being moved from rear area to front line duties, and new territorial units were being formed that needed simple weapons for guard duty.
11mm fusil d'marine Mle 1878 "Kropatschek"	Repeating rifle designed and made in Austria for use by the French naval forces.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1884 "Kropatschek"	French made Mle 1878 for the French army. Used in small numbers for select units.
11mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1885 "Kropatschek"	Slightly modified Mle 1884
8mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1886 "Lebel"	The first small-calibre smokless powder fired weapon adopted by a major power. The Mle 1886 was simply a Mle 1885 with a different barrel and sights. Use a triangular spike bayonet.
8mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1886 m93 "Lebel"	In 1893 the Mle 1886 was modified to provide further protection against primer failure by redirected gases away from the face using drillings in the bolt.
8mm fusil d'Infantrie Mle 1886 m93 r35 "Lebel"	A 1935 modification of the Mle 1886 shortened to carbine length with a reduced magazine capacity.
8mm carabine de cavalerie Mle 1890 "Berthier"	Packet clip loaded carbine developed for mounted soldiers based on the Lee and the Mannlicher systems. The magazine is flush and holds three rounds. Uses a long sword bayonet.
8mm carabine de gendarmerie Mle 1890 "Berthier"	Police carbine designed to replace the Mle 1890 in the hands of mounted police.
8mm carabine de cuirassier Mle 1890 "Berthier"	Carbine with a stock designed to be fired by an armored cavalryman.
8mm mousqueton d'artillerie Mle 1892 "Berthier"	Carbine adopted for the French artillery.
8mm fusil Mle 1902 "Indochinese"	Short rifle-carbine version of the Berthier adopted for the smaller statured Indochinese soldiers in the French colonial regiments.
8mm fusil Mle 1907 "Senagalese"	Full length rifle version of the Berthier originally adopted for use by African soldiers.
8mm fusil Mle 1907/15 "Berthier"	War-time expedient to boost the number of rifles reaching the front lines and to provide a rifle more suited to the new firepower tactics. Was a full-length Berthier rifle.
8mm fusil Mle 1907/15 m16 "Berthier"	Improved Mle 1907/15 Berthier with an expanded 5 round clip that no longer sits flush with the bottom of the stock.
8mm mousqueton Mle 1892 m16 "Berthier"	m16 modification made to the Mle 1892 Berthier carbine, used by regular infantry and commandoes post war due to its handy size and reliability. Continued in production through 1938.
7.5mm fusil Mle 1907/15 m34 "Berthier"	Stopgap modification to the Mle 1907/15 m16 to allow loading with Mauser clips and use of the new 7.5x54mm ammunition. The conversion took advantage of parts of the MAS assembly line setup to refurbish rather than construct new firearms, allowing it to continue without reducing weapon production capacity, but the cost of the conversion was not much cheaper than building a new rifle.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1936	New rifle designed for second-line use, delays in the MAS semi-automatic rifle meant that the 1936 soldiered on for many years. After the war the 1936 was found to be an excellent grenade launcher platform and later converted for use as a sniper rifle.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1936 CR39	Paratrooper version of the MAS 1936 with a folding stock. Several hundred of the rifles served in World War Two, but it found its major use in the postwar where its accuracy and small size were found ideal for jungle use and as a counter-sniper weapon. It was replaced by the MAS 1949/56 in the 1960s.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1936 LG48	The first attempt of the French to build a universal grenade launcher. The LG 48 and its family of grenades were designed to be launched from a permanently attached grenade launcher, allowing the grenadier to continue his service as a rifleman. LG 48s were withdrawn from service after 1952 and are extremely rare now as the launcher was replaced with a new model in 1951.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1936/51	The final standard issue variant of the MAS 1936. The 1951 had a grenade launcher attached that could accept both 22mm NATO grenades, and could fire heavier anti-tank grenades. It was introduced with a rubber stock sleeve to allow shoulder firing of the weapon. The Mle 1936/51 remained in service through the 1960s. although it was replaced by the 1949/56 with a similar grenade launcher in 1956.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1940	Designed to be the standard French infantry rifle. The Mle 1940 was a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle that shared a 5-round internal magazine and a spike bayonet with the Mle 1936. Only a couple hundred were made and most were destroyed or lost before the fall of France. There is no record of the test issue being used in battle.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1944	French forces in WW2 were suppose to be issued entirely with M1 Garands and Carbines, but in practice requests for these weapons were often filled with M1917 Enfields and 1903 Springfields. As a result the the Mle 1940 design was resurrected with several small changes as the MAS 1944. The weapon had a spike bayonet and a 5-round magazine, and also had receiver grooves for a telescopic sight.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1949 (Standard)	An updated Mle 1944 removing the bayonet but including the same grenade launcher as carried by the LG48. Plans to equip the French army with this weapon were derailed when the United States offered the French several hundred thousand surplus weapons. The weapon instead served as a sniper rifle, and often had its grenade launcher removed at the arsenal.
7.5mm fusil MAS Mle 1949 (Export)	A version of the MAS Mle 1949 with a spike bayonet added but that also retained its grenade launcher for export to Syria.