Type Semi-automatic pistol Designed 1950 | Place of origin France Produced 1953–1978 | |
 | ||
In service First Indochina War
Algerian War
Suez Crisis
Chad conflicts Manufacturer Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault
MAS | ||
The MAC 50 (also known as MAC 1950, MAS 50 or PA modèle 1950) is a standard semi-automatic pistol of the French army and adopted in 1950. It replaced the previous series of French pistols, the Modèle 1935A & Modèle 1935S, and was produced between 1950 and 1970.
It uses the Browning system like the FN GP 35 with an integral barrel feed ramp, it is a single-action trigger with slide mounted safety that locks the firing pin so the hammer can be lowered by pressing the trigger with safety engaged.
The MAC-50 is primarily based on the Modèle 1935S, for which MAC was the primary manufacturer, although it shares some characteristics with the Modèle 1935A, the design basis for the SIG P210 (SIG licensed the Modèle 1935A design from SACM in 1937).
It was first made by MAC (Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault) then by MAS (an abbreviation of Manufacture d'Armes St. Etienne - one of several government-owned arms factories in France)
It is now superseded by the PAMAS.