Well guys it's a sad day in Fatts' house. I am forced to sell my drum set to accomodate changing living arrangements and a lack of floor space. They went on Ebay this evening. Anyhoo, I thought that since I am not particularly eager to part with them that I would buy something I have wanted for a while to make up for it, and I am thinking hard about a CETME. I have wanted a battle rifle in something bigger than .223 or 7.62x39 for a while now. The thing is, I know next to nothing about what to look for in these rifles. Can you guys give me any advice as far as what a good brand is, and what to look/watch out for? Also what some acceptable price ranges are? As always, any info is appreciated.
CETME help?
- Thread starter Bigfatts
- Start date
Buckythebrewer
Moderator
I am not sure on the quality difference(I have heard the quality in recievers makes a big difference).I do know they shoot VERY nice for a 308.They have very good controlled recoil.They are a BLAST to shoot(if you have not fired one)and very comfy.I would love to own one and you can get them cheap from what I remember..Good luck,,I think you will be very happy with a cetme/g3 type rifle.EVEN ME the biggest ar15 fan you will find has much love for em.
If you are in Lutz, Florida you should have gone to the big Lakeland gun show. They had several Cetmes there in the $450 to $550 price range.
The main thing to look for is the bolt gap between the bolt carrier and the back of the bolt. Also, make sure the bolt isn't ground and giving you a false bolt gap. The bolt and locking piece can be hard to find and they don't interchange with a G3 or PTR91. However, right now cheap spare parts kits are available from Centerfire Systems. You also can't use commercial ammo in a Cetme unless you like broken shell casings in the chamber and the surplus ammo is hard to find now.
You may want to look at a JLD PTR91 if you want quality. The Century built Cetmes have a reputation for problems. However, you can get a good Century one if you know what to look for. I learned about them at Cetmerifles.com
I bought my Century Cetme a couple years ago and it has functioned flawlessly. It is a very accurate rifle and has little recoil. It has become one of my favorite rifles and I won't be selling it anytime soon.
The main thing to look for is the bolt gap between the bolt carrier and the back of the bolt. Also, make sure the bolt isn't ground and giving you a false bolt gap. The bolt and locking piece can be hard to find and they don't interchange with a G3 or PTR91. However, right now cheap spare parts kits are available from Centerfire Systems. You also can't use commercial ammo in a Cetme unless you like broken shell casings in the chamber and the surplus ammo is hard to find now.
You may want to look at a JLD PTR91 if you want quality. The Century built Cetmes have a reputation for problems. However, you can get a good Century one if you know what to look for. I learned about them at Cetmerifles.com
I bought my Century Cetme a couple years ago and it has functioned flawlessly. It is a very accurate rifle and has little recoil. It has become one of my favorite rifles and I won't be selling it anytime soon.
whitedemon89
New member
slow down
if you want a roller locked rifle, get an fn fal. i own a cetme and it is not worth it unless you know how to fix guns, you dont sound like you do so get the fal. also consider that 308 surplus is expensive and hard to find. you cant use commercial ammo in a cetme, it has to be steel-cased, or you're in for alot of heartbreak.
if you want a roller locked rifle, get an fn fal. i own a cetme and it is not worth it unless you know how to fix guns, you dont sound like you do so get the fal. also consider that 308 surplus is expensive and hard to find. you cant use commercial ammo in a cetme, it has to be steel-cased, or you're in for alot of heartbreak.
hksigwalther
New member
Huh?
Have a couple CETMEs that have worked fine. If you want somthing that is less of a crap shoot than the Century CETME's (and a roller locker) but don't want to pay HK prices, a PTR91 will do.
Buckythebrewer
Moderator
Trust me(even though you don't know me)The fnfal is heavy and very unbalanced IMO.I just do not like them.The one I fired was better suited for a bipod and sitting on the ground,,THats it! The cetme I fired was VERY well balanced and My friends was VERY relaible as well..There must have been something wrong with the one you owned.
)The fnfal is heavy and very unbalanced IMO.I just do not like them.The one I fired was better suited for a bipod and sitting on the ground,,THats it! The cetme I fired was VERY well balanced and My friends was VERY relaible as well..There must have been something wrong with the one you owned.The FAL and the CETME weigh about the same and are about the same size. Many believe that the FAL is a more elegant design with better layout of controls and easier to clean and maintain. It is much easier to mount a scope on a FAL than on a Cetme with a stamped steel receiver. (Cast receivers allow easier installing of a mount.) Most FALs and CETMEs sold in this country at present are parts guns assembled by Century International Arms, a company with a very bad reputation for quality control. There are more privately assembled FALs than CETMEs on the market and a private build may be a good choice. I now have three FALs and two CETMEs. If you buy a CETME, beware that the roller-delayed blowback action is hard to understand. But this hasn't stopped many owners from repeating unfounded claims about the rifle and its safety.
Drakejake
Drakejake
Buckythebrewer
Moderator
Maybe I have it wrong ,But the cetme /g3 type rifle I handled was COMPLETELY different than the fn-fal rifle I handled.TOTally different balance and feel.I would not care to own the Big and long ,hard to handle Fnfal.Maybe there are other versions I would like better but not the MILitary version I held.
,But the cetme /g3 type rifle I handled was COMPLETELY different than the fn-fal rifle I handled.TOTally different balance and feel.I would not care to own the Big and long ,hard to handle Fnfal.Maybe there are other versions I would like better but not the MILitary version I held.shooter_john
New member
I was under impression that if you buy anything from Century, your best bet is a CETME, but maybe I'm mistaken. Anyway, several of my friends and I all have Century CETME's, and NO ONE has had any problems yet, and they get shot A LOT! We all got our rifle at $399OTD except one guy who got his for $300. A few of us have added the Lo-Pro scope mounts from airsplat.com, and they have taken scopes well. One of the huge selling points on the CETME is that mags are $4 a piece around here. And one last thing, I or none of my buddies have had any trouble/ stuck cases shooting commercial .308 out of the rifles. They go bang everytime!
Thanx for all the input guys. I do know how to "work on guns" but most of my experience is with bolt actions. I have some experience with semi's I just wasn't sure what to look for specifically with the CETME. I was torn between the CETME and the FAL and I just think the CETME looks better and would be handier and more easily manageable should my wife decide she likes it. Candr44 I forgot the big Lakeland show was this weekend and didn't get a day off. I'm still angry about that . Thanx for the website. I will check around and see what I can dig up, if there are any locally to be had.
. Thanx for the website. I will check around and see what I can dig up, if there are any locally to be had.I shopped FAL and CETME pretty heavily, and chose CETME. I liked the balance and the wood better. Personal preference, I guess. I'm sure you'd find lots of folk who like the FAL better.
I have a Century CETME, and had to fix 2 problems with it. "Not enough windage" in the iron sights, and a burr on the mag well that kept it from holding mags securely. With those things fixed, I like it a lot.
Just bought a scope mount for it for $26 delivered, slapped on an old scope I had laying around, and took it to the range. 4 inch groups at 200 yards, every time. Reliability, after my fixes, has been great.
Best source for "what too look for in a CETME" is www.cetmerifles.com.
I have a Century CETME, and had to fix 2 problems with it. "Not enough windage" in the iron sights, and a burr on the mag well that kept it from holding mags securely. With those things fixed, I like it a lot.
Just bought a scope mount for it for $26 delivered, slapped on an old scope I had laying around, and took it to the range. 4 inch groups at 200 yards, every time. Reliability, after my fixes, has been great.
Best source for "what too look for in a CETME" is www.cetmerifles.com.