S.T.A. self-loading rifle

The Section Technique de l'Armee (S.T.A.), the technical commission of the French Army, developed a series of self-loading rifles beginning in the late 19th century. These rifles were designed by Pralon and Meunier. The first, known as the Fusil A1, was tested in 1897. It was followed by the A2, A3, A4, and A5 rifles, which were all gradual improvements on the original design. The gun was gas-operated and the bolt had a series of threaded lugs that rotated and engaged with cams in the receiver. The final iteration of this rifle was known as the Meunier A6 and was briefly adopted by the French Army in 1916.