The first smokeless powder handgun adopted by France was an interesting revolver designed with cavalry in mind, but would serve on long after the demise of the horse soldier.

The French MAS36 was intended as a stopgap until a suitable semi-automatic rifle could be developed, but this was not to be. The Fall of France in 1940 led to it being the final rifle adopted by the Third Republic, as well as the last bolt action rifle standardized by a major power.