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Tuesday, August 29th 2017, 7:21pm
Quoted
President of the Republic:
Quentin Clemenceau (inaugurated July 7th, 1946)
Current French Cabinet Members (February 1, 1948):
President of the Council (Prime Minister): Jean-Baptiste Aubert *
Vice President of the Council: Edmond Michelet
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Gabriel Ducharme* §
Minister of National Defence and War: Jean-Marie Lemaréchal* § (retiring 7/1948)
Minister of the Interior: Georges Mandel §
Minister of Finance: Madeline Barthelemy *
Minister of National Economy: Jacques Rueff §
Minister of Labour: Mathis Chauveau *
Minister of Justice: Georges Poirot *
Minister of Marine: Gabriel Auphan §
Minister of Air: Jean-François Jannekeyn §
Minister of National Education: Jean-Jacques Saval * §
Minister of Veterans and Pensioners: Auguste Champetier de Ribes $
Minister of Agriculture: Hector Gregoire*
Minister of Colonies: Georges Mandel §
Minister of Public Works: Christophe Beauvais *
Minister of Public Health: Jean-Baptiste Méliès* §
Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones: Hector Devos* §
Minister of Commerce: Jean-Hugo Lemercier *
* - Fictional figure
§ - Holding the same post as in previous administration
Tuesday, August 29th 2017, 7:32pm
Automatic Rifle Comparative Trials, Camp Satory, March-April 1948
Overview
Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger ("FN FAL")
The FN FAL is a battle rifle currently in development by the Fabrique Nationale firm of Belgium. Twenty examples, chambered for 6.5x51mm FAR ammunition, were ordered for trials purposes and delivered to Camp Satory for evaluation. The FAL is a gas-operated tilting breechblock action, with an overall length of 1090 mm and a weight of 4.25 kg empty. Twenty-round box magazines were provided.
Fusil Automatique - Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne ("FA-MAS")
The FA-MAS is a battle rifle currently in development by private engineer Jean Giroux, with the manufacturing support of the Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne government arsenal of France. Twenty-five examples were provided for trials purposes. Twenty of these were chambered for 6.5x51mm FAR, while five rifles (originally chambered for 6.5mm) were experimentally rechambered for .280 British. The 6.5mm FA-MAS operates on a roller-delayed blowback action, with an overall length of 1100 mm and a weight of 4.4 kg empty. Twenty-four round box magazines were provided.
EM-2
The EM-2 is an automatic rifle of the bullpup design currently entering service with the British Army, being manufactured by Enfield and other British arsenals. Twenty examples, chambered for the .280 British (metric 7x43mm) cartridge, were ordered from Enfield for trials purposes and delivered to Camp Satory for evaluation. The EM-2 is a gas-operated action, with an overall length of 889 mm and a weight of 3.5 kg empty. Twenty-round box magazines were provided.
Fusil d’Infanterie Modèle 1944 ("Manurhin" / "FI-MAR")
The Manurhin is a battle rifle currently in production by the Manufacture d'Armes de Haut-Rhin and used parachute and elite infantry units of the Legion Etranger. Twenty examples chambered for 6.5x51mm FAR were provided for trials purposes. The Manurhin operates on a gas-operated rotating bolt action, with an overall length of 945 mm and a weight of 4.1 kg empty. Twenty round box magazines were provided. The Manurhin is a licensed 6.5mm-chambered design of German derivation.
Trials Objectives and Methodology
The Testing Commission was composed of two senior officers, charged with overseeing all activities and presenting final results, a shooters group composed of thirty-six men (representing four infantry, two cavalry, two chasseurs and two parachutist regiments of the Infantry and Armoured Cavalry Branches of the Armeé de Terre), and an armorer group composed twenty professional armorers. Additional Army personnel were employed in roles including but not limited to range operation, logistics, transport, and safety. The testing commission was informed that the purpose of the trials was to establish a baseline for the eventual replacement of the MAS Modele-36 (MAS-36) semiautomatic rifle sometime within the next eight years.
For the trials period, twenty rifles of each type were acquired for evaluation. Two rifles were earmarked for the purpose of destructive reliability testing, while the remaining eighteen rifles were provided to shooter pairs.
Destructive reliability testing was conducted by firing each firearm, with each stoppage and mechanical issue logged and categorized according to seriousness, until the rifle was deemed uneconomical for further maintenance and repair purposes.
Shooter pairs were instructed to spend five hundred rounds on the first day of the trials to gain familiarity with the four rifles, along with undertaking at least four field-stripping exercises for each rifle. No results were taken during this period.
Following this breaking-in period, the shooter pairs were provided with targets at 50, 75, 100, 150, 250, 500, and 800 meter ranges. For the 50, 75, and 100 meter ranges, standard Army paper circle targets were used, with scores ranging from 0 (outside the ring) to 5 (hits in the 3cm bull's eye). At the 150 meter and 250 meter ranges, standard Army paper silhouettes were used, with scores ranging from 0 (no observed hit) to 5 (hits in the central mass indicator). At 500 and 800 meter ranges, standard Army paper silhouettes were used, with a score of either 0 (no observed hit) or 5 (confirmed hit).
Shooters fired twenty rounds each from seven positions: seated bench with rest, standing freehand, standing with rest, kneeling freehand, kneeling with rest, prone freehand, and prone with rest, for a total of 980 rounds per shooter over the seven ranges. During this period, all stoppages were logged, with a stoppage defined as any occasion where the shooter attempted to fire but was unable, or any occasion where the shooter was obliged to undertake any unnecessary action to clear the rifle in order to shoot.
After range tests were complete, two groups of fourteen soldiers each were picked from the evaluation group to form standard infantry squad, equipped with one squad machine gun and thirteen automatic rifles. These experimental squads then conducted standardized Army field drills in order to evaluate the performance and reliability of the firearms in realistic conditions. Soldiers shot at man-sized iron plate targets, with range officials noting the overall results.
At the end of field exercises, the shooter pairs returned to the range with five hundred rounds of ammunition and instructions to determine their personal preference amongst the four rifles. Shooters were encouraged to keep their preference private until after they had logged their choice via secret ballot with the senior members of the testing commission.
At the close of trials, armorers inspected all rifles for signs of wear and a catalogue of all notable mechanical issues or concerns. The armorers and shooters groups then reported to the senior officers in change of the trials with their final recommendations.
Military attaches from Russia, Germany, Britain, Belgium, and Atlantis were invited to observe the trials at their convenience. A declassified version of this report shall be provided to the British and Belgian military attaches upon request. The full classified copy of this report shall be provided to the other military attaches upon request.
Observations
Overall, the testing commission felt that the FA-MAS and FN FAL rifles were very comparable rifles, both in terms of design maturity, overall layout, and appearance. The general layout of both firearms is similar. However, several differences have become apparent after the extensive testing that occurred during the course of the trials. Of all the four rifle designs evaluated, the FA-MAS design demonstrated the highest degree of mechanical reliability as well as overall accuracy on the range, although the FN FAL came very close on both counts. Shooters observed that some of the FA-MAS examples had an accuracy advantage primarily due to the rifle's inclusion of a fold-down winter trigger, meant to be used by shooters wearing thick winter gloves or mittens; this can be used in normal operation to reduce trigger pull for very exact sharpshooting, which became evident in the overall accuracy scores, particularly at mid to long range. The testing commission made the ruling that at least half of the rounds fired by the nine winter-trigger equipped FA-MAS rifles needed to be fired with the regular trigger, and results with each were segregated for comparison. However, even with the standard trigger, the FA-MAS demonstrated exceptional accuracy at almost all ranges. Shooters indicated that they could maintain 3cm shot groups at 100 meters with a high degree of confidence particularly when the winter trigger was used.
Five major critiques are directed at the FA-MAS. First, at 4.3 kg, the rifle is the heaviest of the four under evaluation, although the FN FAL comes fairly close. Second, due to the straight-line stock and the elevated flip-up sights, the rifle's sight picture is over seven centimeters higher than the muzzle, and shooters reported some difficulties estimating their target at close ranges, even thought the actual shot groupings were extremely tight and could not be equalled by the other rifles. Third, shooters criticized the FA-MAS's ergonomics, reporting that they had difficulty keeping the stock comfortably seated in their shoulder for more than seven or eight rounds. Fourth, shooters remarked on the violence of the recoil and noted that rapidly firing multiple shots, even on semiautomatic mode, resulted in the rifle very quickly climbing away from the aimpoint; this is probably due to the lack of a muzzle brake. Fifth, the rifle safety and magazine release catch are located closely together and are easily confused, which resulted in multiple cases of shooters accidentally ejecting the magazine when they attempted to de-activate the safety to begin shooting.
The FN FAL offers a degree of contrast to the FA-MAS. Although not as accurate as the FA-MAS, the shooters complimented the FAL's ergonomics. The magazines fell free when the magazine retainer latch was released, and the FAL's bolt locks open on an empty magazine, which is a feature not shared by the FA-MAS. Recoil was directed almost straight back and the rifle remained on target well during rapid fire shooting. The trigger was also very crisp, and the rear peep sight and front post sight were well-designed. Shooters also communicated a slight preference for the FAL's left-hand charging handle. Teardown of the rifle for cleaning was somewhat more involved than the FA-MAS due to a greater number of parts, but was not unduly difficult.
The Manurhin also has certain similarities to the FN FAL and FA-MAS. Like the FAL it operates on a gas piston system. The rifle is lighter than both the FAL and FA-MAS; and unlike the other rifles in evaluation, the French Army (in the form of the Legion Etranger) has field experience with this rifle in the Niger River Delta; approximately two thousand rifles have been manufactured, with half distributed to elite field troops. During range trials, shooters found the Manurhin to be slightly less accurate than the FN FAL, and very slightly inferior to the EM-2 (although by an almost insignificant figure). From the prone position, the Manurhin possessed a notable advantage in the form of its integrated bipod. Recoil for the Manurhin was quite favorable, with almost no perceptible muzzle rise at any shooting position, a factor which is attributed to its efficient and thoughtfully-designed muzzle break. It is worth noting that the Manurhin, due to its 6.5x51mm ammunition and certain manufacturing alterations, does not share the objectionable straight-wall chamber of the German 7.92x57-chambered G11 from which it is derived. The Manurhin does, however, maintain the capability to fire from the open bolt when in automatic mode, which improves cooling. In semiautomatic mode, the rifle fires from a closed bolt for greater accuracy. The bolt locks back on an empty magazine, but there is no way to lock the bolt when no magazine is inserted. Shooters unfamiliar with the Manurhin criticized the off-center magazine which protrudes from the left side of the rifle; the magazine does not fall free and has to be intentionally removed. When the magazine is removed, some parts of the action are open to the elements and must be protected with a pair of dust cover doors. Finally, as known from Army field reports, subjecting the wooden shoulder-stock of the Manurhin to any sort of physical abuse often results in the hollow wood stock breaking into pieces.
The British-designed EM-2 rifle requires particular comment due to its unique bullpup design. The rifle's magazine is located behind rather than in front of the trigger group, allowing part of the firing mechanism to be moved into the shoulderstock. This substantially reduced the length and weight of the EM-2 in comparison to the other rifles under evaluation, over and above the weight differences due to the smaller 7x43 caliber. The testing commission was extremely interested in evaluating the EM-2 to find if the bullpup design incurred any performance penalties counterbalancing its strengths.
In the range tests, the EM-2 performed comparably in terms of accuracy to the other three rifles at ranges up to 250 meters. At ranges beyond 250 meters, however, the EM-2 performed noticeably worse in terms of accuracy, with shooters citing two likely causes. First, the 7x43 rifle round has less muzzle velocity than the 6.5x51 round, with the resulting drop in velocity at longer ranges translating into greater inaccuracy. This loss of accuracy at long ranges is a well-recognized issue with intermediate cartridge rounds. Second, shooters complained about the EM-2's poor trigger pull at all ranges, with the trigger being critiqued as both "sloppy" and "heavy". The cause of this is due almost exclusively to the need to tie the trigger to the action due to a mechanical linkage, which increases both the play in the trigger and the weight of the pull. Measurements of the trigger pull taken by the armorers' group demostrated that the trigger pull of the EM-2 was 30% greater than that of the Manurhin, 40% greater than the FN FAL, 41% greater than the FA-MAS standard trigger, and 62% greater than the FA-MAS winter trigger.
During the field tests, the EM-2 received both great praise and significant criticism for several aspects of its design. Soldiers thought highly of the low recoil resulting from the use of the 7x43 British round, which combined well with the low weight of the EM-2 as a system. Due to the shorter length, the rifle was more easily handled in constricted environments such as trucks or infantry carriers. However, as noted previously, the shooters criticized the harsh trigger. The bolt, which automatically holds open on an empty magazine, also automatically closes upon the insertion of a loaded magazine, which caused multiple safety violations during the course of the total destructive testing. Additionally, shooters felt the balance of the EM-2 was particularly unusual, with significant weight placed between the rifleman's dominant hand and shoulder. During fully-automatic firing, the lack of forward weight resulted in excessive muzzle rise, which was much more pronounced than on any of the three other rifles evaluated. The commission feels that the effect is probably not so noticeable as to prevent the EM-2 from being used as a replacement for the submachine gun in point-blank engagements, but feels that automatic fire capability is not particularly useful in engagements beyond twenty to thirty meters range. The two left-handed shooters in the testing commission remarked on the unpleasantness of the ejector port's placement right near their face, and the extremely close proximity of the rifle's firing chamber to the user's face, with resulting danger to the shooter in the case of a total catastrophic failure. During bayonet drills, the EM-2's short length proved to be a disadvantage against an opponent armed with a rifle of more traditional design. Clearing malfunctions of any type required significantly more time or training, as did replacement of magazines.
Finally, although the rifle was remarkably easy to disassemble and maintain, the armorers group noted that the EM-2 has a very serious issue of manufacturing ease. The milled receiver has a significant number of intricate and expensive cuts. The estimated cost of manufacturing the EM-2 receiver may be between six to ten times higher per unit than the FAL or the FA-MAS. It is unclear that this factor is connected to the bullpup design itself, but rather a flaw in the EM-2 design.
This extensive list of issues with the bullpup design should not detract from the significant technical accomplishment achieved by the EM-2, but it should be understood that the bullpup rifle design results in both advantages and disadvantages.
Recommendations
Following the conclusion of testing, the thirty-six members of the shooting section of the trials group expressed their personal preference by means of a secret ballot. 11 individuals expressed their overall preference for the FN FAL; 10 for the Manurhin; and 7 each for the FA-MAS and the EM-2. (A final ballot was submitted blank and not counted.) This indicates the overall quality of the entries submitted from the field side. Similarly, the twenty members of the armorers group declared their personal preference by secret ballot. Overall, 13 armorers voted for the FAL, 5 for the Manurhin, and 1 each for the FA-MAS and EM-2.
The final recommendation of this testing group, therefore, is that of the four rifles under evaluation, the FN FAL is the most suitable for future adoption by the Armeé de Terre.
Tuesday, August 29th 2017, 9:53pm
The Cam Ranh Bay Diver Incident is a murder where an innocent tourist was grabbed, forced to dress up as a frogman, tied up and then lowered into the water and into the screw of the Stavropol... all done by either the Russians or the French.
J.
Wednesday, August 30th 2017, 3:09pm
An interesting set of reads. The rifle entries were especially interesting, I wouldn't be surprised to see Giroux's bullpup ultimately winning the day by 1950.
Even those rich Brits might have to consider something cheaper for overseas use.
Wednesday, August 30th 2017, 5:10pm
True, but it seems equally expensive to equip your rear-echelon troops with a bespoke bullpup when you could simply give them something like the OTL MAT-49 SMG which would be just as effective.
The M-1 Carbine was relatively simple, and the flaws of the bullpup you have pointed out would tend to disqualify it from second-line troops who have other duties to perform and who need a heavier weapon only for self-defence.
Tuesday, October 3rd 2017, 2:37pm
OOC: interesting stuff.
One small point, Masson is incorrect that Britain has copied the maiale, although the Italians have probably been a nuisance with them around the Med its not a topic that's ever come up IC between myself and the Italian players. So we must assume Britain has never captured one. I've never mentioned having the OTL Chariot, though the eagle-eyed will have noticed I have twelve X-Class "training submarines" which are of course the OTL type and a ship to carry them around. Of course its possible IC that French intelligence assumes the RN has had enough exposure to the maiale to have copied them.
Tuesday, April 16th 2024, 3:34pm
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