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historicalfirearms

FA.MAS T62
The Fusil Automatique MAS Type 62 represented the culmination of a decades work by designers at Frances Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-tienne (MAS). Since the adoption of the self
loading MAS-49/56 designers had been working on a suitable select-fire weapon. The result was the Type 62 which the French army accepted for formal trials in July 1962.
The Type 62 was chambered in the NATO 7.62x51mm round then used by the British Armys L1A1 (FN FAL), the US M14 and the Bundeswehrs G3. This was a move away from the French
7.65x54mm service round in line with NATO standardisation. Like other contemporary battle rifles the Type 62 fed from a 20-round magazine, it weighed 4.53kg (9.9lb) and was 104cm (40.0
inches) long. It had a combination of plastic and wooden furniture with a plastic handguard and wooden stock and pistol grip. The Type 62 had a comprehensive sight system with a 200 to 600m
drum sight (similar to the FG-42s) with an additional battle peep sight (see image #5). Near the trunnion there was a folding U-notch rear night sight - both the front and rear sights had
luminescent inserts. Additionally an optical sight could be fitted when using a dedicated top cover mount (see image #3). Finally a rifle grenade launching sight, similar to that of the MAS-49/56s,
located above the barrel between the front sight post and handguard.
The Type 62 was gas operated using a tilting bolt to lock its action. Its derived its action from the MAS-49 while its short-stroke gas piston system was similar to the FALs.

Diagram showing the internals of the T62 (source)

MAS made sixty Type 62 for the trials and these prototypes faced off against the Belgian FN FAL, a battle proven rifle, in evaluations at Section Technique de l'Arme de Terre and at the
Bourges Proving Ground. Five French units also carried out troop trials with both rifles.
The trials found that while the Type 62 was a serviceable rifle, with positive characteristics, however troops prefered the FAL overall. They considered the FALs trigger superior with the rifles
general accuracy better than the Type 62s which suffered a vertical dispersion. The general handling of the FAL was also prefered by troops testing the rifle. The Type 62 was also thought to be
overly complicated with more parts than the FAL, this negatively affected ease of disassembly and cleaning (see image #2).
In March 1963 the French general staff accepted the results of the trials and tentatively selected the FAL over the French Type 62. The French estimated that they would need to purchase 30,000
rifles before July 1966 with a further 120,000 needed by the end of 1970. Manufacture during the 1970s would then take place at MAS. The price of purchasing 150,000 FN rifles made the
French military examine the possibility of adopting the cheaper German G3 instead. While the French considered their options the US adopted the 5.56x45mm M16 for use in Vietnam in 1964.
This apparent abandonment of the 7.62x51mm NATO round, which France had not yet adopted, and other large-budget defence projects needing funding led France to abandon their plans to
replace the MAS-49/56. Undeterred MAS began work on a new 5.56x45mm rifle in the late 1960s, this would become the FAMAS bullpup which was finally adopted in 1981.
Sources:
Images: 1 2 3 4 5 6
MAS T62 Assault Rifle, Small Arms Review, J. Huon (source)
Le Fusil Automatique MAS Cal 7.62 Type 62 (source)
MAS 62 Testing Results, Forgotten Weapons, (source)
A Prototype Rifle in the Army Museums Collection: the T62 FA.MAS, Musee Armee (source)