Original Item: Soon after WW 2, all the major nations began redesign and upgrade programs for their small arms. In France, the Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de St. Etienne, usually known as MAS, developed a multi-purpose light machine gun, the Arme Automatique Transformable modèle 52, or AAT 52 well before the other major powers. It was designed to be used in the light machine gun role, the sustained-fire role, and as an armored vehicle weapon. It has also been used in a dual installation in a Belgian attack aircraft. Although introduced sixty years ago (1952), the AAT is still in use. The gun we have is a demilitarized AFV (armored fighting vehicle) version in which the pistol grip has been replaced by an electric solenoid for firing by remote control.

The AAT uses an unusual delayed-blowback action, eliminating the weight and complications of a recoil-operated or gas-operated system. Like other post-war designs, the feed system uses features of the famed German MG 42. Barrel changing is fast and very simple.

AATs are very scarce in any configuration, and one of these would make an interesting addition to a collection of post-WW2 automatic weapons. IMA has very few.