Rifleman Q & A: More On The MAS

by
posted on September 18, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
mas.jpg

Q: I own a French MAS-49/56. Recently while looking up information on my rifle I came across this picture of an unusual device attached to the barrel, fore-end and trigger guard of the 49/56. The piece at the end looks as if it is some sort of flashlight, but I am at a loss trying to understand it. Perhaps you might shed some light on the matter.

A: The device you have discovered is called the Campana Day-Night Training System (sometimes referred to simply as the Campana Device). In fact, the piece at the end of the barrel is a projector that focuses a narrow beam of light on a target when the trigger is pulled on the rifle. In full, the Campana System is comprised of a projector (which incorporates a conical diffuser with a lamp at the base), a battery housing (which contains two 1.5v batteries and fits into the magazine well of the rifle), a trigger-actuated solenoid (that is mounted to the trigger guard via a knurled nut), a pair of flexible insulated wires (to transmit energy to the lamp) and a couple of leather straps (to hold the wires flush against the rifle).

The device was invented by then-French army officer Monsieur Campana, and produced by André Losfeld Company of Paris. It was adopted by the French army in 1962.

The advantages of the Campana Device are that it allowed cadets to train with the rifle without the presence of ammunition. This provided a measure of safety for those unfamiliar with the MAS-49/56 platform and greatly reduced ammunition cost during part of the training process with the actual rifle. Further, the light projected on the target can be seen in both daylight and darkness, proving useful in a variety of training conditions.

In fact, the Campana Device can be applied to a variety of French small arms in addition to the MAS-49/56: the .22 Long Rifle-chambered Instruction Carbine MAS-45; the 9 mm Luger Machine Pistol MAT-49; the 7.5x54 mm bolt-action MAS-36 and 36-51 repeaters; and the 7.5x54 mm AA-52 light machine gun.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.