Why French military failed to adopt semi-automatic rifle during post-WWI?

[hellheaven1987]

I was doing some searching regarding Chassepot rifle and found out this:

The Fusil Automatique Modèle 1917 (also called the RSC M1917) was a semi-automatic, gas-operated, infantry rifle that was placed in service in the French Army during the latter part (1918) of World War I. It was chambered in the then-standard 8mm Lebel rimmed cartridge used in other French Army infantry weapons of the time. Altogether, eighty six thousand RSC M1917 rifles had been manufactured by MAT (Manufacture d'Armes de Tulle), when their production run ended in late November 1918.

Apartly French already developed a battle-ready semi-automatic rifle even in the last two years of WWI and had tested it throughout WWI and the Rif War (1921). It seems that the improved version, Mle 1918 RSC, was all ready and French military had plan to replace Lebel with this new rifle. But the plan never happened - in fact French would make another bolt-action rifle, MAS 36 and intended to use this rifle to replace Lebel, ten years after Mle 1918 RSC was already ready there to be adopted. Now I wonder why French military did not simply follow their original plan but decided to waste ten years and ultimately chose another bolt-action rifle to replace Lebel?

[Darkhorse]

In fairness, the MAS 36 was a fantastic rifle, unfortunately it was produced in no where near the numbers required by 1940.

I'm not expert of firearms theory, it's a hobby of mine at best. But my guess is that part of it is probably the expense of semi automatic rifles. In addition range and accuracy, preferably in combination, were values that were somewhat matters of pride in Western European Armies. Lastly, the light machine gun and sub-machine gun sort of eclipsed the rifle in a period where it was presumed that you'd need an Infantry regiment for mountain fighting and imperial policing only, both roles which were argued fillable by aircraft and tanks. (Ah, J.F.C Fuller!)

Interestingly, H.G.Wells 'Landships' were to be armed with semi automatic rifles, not machine guns.

[torongill]

As darkhorse said, theory at the time thought that tanks and bombers will decide the outcome of the next war. But until the second part of the 30s, nobody thought that a big war would come so soon. You should also remember that these militaries operated in an economic climate caused by the Great depression. Another problem would be the fact that militaries thought that giving men automatic rifles would encourage wasteful ammo expenditure, whereas a soldier, who had to use a bolt rifle would take time to aim accurately.

Hell, there were generals, who objected to the adoption of airplanes with all-metalic construction, because battlefield repair would be more difficult than that of cloth-over-wood construction.

[Sar1n]

French military leaders thought after WWI that next conflict will be another trench warfare. For that purpose, their focus were fortifications, heavy trench-crossing tanks and such features of late WWI warfare. Equipping every soldier with much more expensive, harder to maintain weapon would divert resources from other projects deemed more important. They might also be influenced by British who maintained high quality training for their soldiers, and were capable of matching the fire rate of semi-automatic rifle with their own bolt-action Lee-Enfields.

[Rijul.J.Ballal]

I think they did have some type of semi-automatic but it was supposed to be horrendously bad, apparently they threw them away since they were so ineffective, but i can't remember the name...

[Vissewalde rex de Gerzika]

I think they did have some type of semi-automatic but it was supposed to be horrendously bad, apparently they threw them away since they were so ineffective, but i can't remember the name...

Could you be reffering to this?

[Azog 150]

Hell, there were generals, who objected to the adoption of airplanes with all-metalic construction, because battlefield repair would be more difficult than that of cloth-over-wood construction.

As a side note, one of the most successful planes of the war, the de Havilland Mosquito, was constructed almost entirely of wood.