The French MAS M1935 was patented by a Swiss man named Charles Petter who had served in the French Foreign Legion, but who was invalided out and became head of SACM's firearms division. He patented a pistol in 1934 which was unusual in that is had a separate locking mechanism like the Soviet Tokarev pistol (not known in the West for that period). In other respects the design was more like a Browning and looked like it with the second refined model which was simplified by MAS at St. Etienne. Adopted by the French Army in 1937 in 7.65 Longue, not many reached troops in time for WW2 and the Germans amazingly did nothing with the weapon. It was despised for its 7.65mm caliber and ackward angular and slab-sided appearance plus straight butt in the S-model. Although production was halted, the Germans did not confiscate and re-issue the weapon to its Axis allies nor Co-Belligerents. The 85 grain round fired the bullet at 1120 fps with 240 lbs/ft of ME which was only marginally effective as a combat round. Postwar, SIG took over the patents and the SIG 210 became a direct descendant of the MAS 1935A+S. Pre-war SACM, MAS, MAC, and MAT all produced the earlier weapons! And yet there is no record of them being used by the French in combat!!!

It should be noted that the other 35, the Radom VIS 35 was used by the Germans widely in WW2. This was a Polish version of the Brownign Hi-Power and served with the German Army, Waffen SS, and LW paras and ground units! It saw more service with the Germans than with the Poles in 1939!!! It was designated M1935(p)