Cetme .308

buckstopshere · November 13, 2006, 09:59 PM

Been thinking about getting a CETME .308. Is this a good rifle? Someone told me that with the G3 variants it's hit or miss. Anyone have experience with these rifles. FEEDBACK PLEASE.

shooter_john · November 13, 2006, 10:06 PM

I have a Century CETME, and I love it... Minimal recoil, cheap and plentiful magazines, potent round, etc. I also have 3 friends with CETME's and they are all very pleased also. I just put a scope on mine to see what kind of accuracy I can get out of it.
The only thing I can think of about CETME's is that they use to be about $275 at gun shows around here, now they are $450- $600. Luckily I got a deal on mine since I'm a "frequent flyer" at the local shop... picked mine up used/ unfired for $400 from the manager's personal collection.

10 MickeyMouse · November 14, 2006, 01:28 AM

I've had very good luck with my $450 Century C-91 G-3 copy. Reliable, and will shoot sub-MOA with Federal American Eagle ammo (and only with AE; everything else prints much wider groups, including my handloads. Go figure).

Mine is topped with a B-square mount and a Simmons Aetec 4.5-14x scope.

Century guns are US made recievers and barrels with milsurp parts kits.

candr44 · November 14, 2006, 01:31 AM

My Cetme is one of my most accurate and fun to shoot rifles. It also has never given me a single problem.

You can still get a new one from Century. They started making them again for $569. For that price I would spend a little more and get a JLD PTR91 instead. If you want a Cetme, you better check on ammo availability also. You can't shoot commercial ammo in them only surplus and right now the surplus seems to have dried up.

If you are going to buy a used one, check the bolt gap. It should be between .005 and .020. Also check if the bolt has been ground to increase bolt gap. A ground bolt is a sign of trouble. Check that the gun was also welded up straight and the welds aren't cracked. Then check the Century muzzle break, if it has one, and make sure they didn't drill the retaining pin hole for it all the way through the barrel.

If you take the time to learn about them and know what to look for you can get a good one. You can also get spare parts right now by buying a parts kit. After the kits are gone, some of the parts will be very hard to find. You may have to resort to getting parts from Spain.

http://www.cetmerifles.com has a lot of information and knowledgable people there.

Pappy John · November 14, 2006, 09:44 AM

Mine was a problem child when I bought it, but it's a great rifle now.

Sights needed straightening to achieve enough windage adjustment; ejector needed adjustment for correct cycling; trigger/sear needed de-burring to eliminate a rough pull.

Now, after twelve hundred or so rounds down the pike without a hiccup, she's a certifiable sweetheart, though I did go to some larger locking rollers two hundred rounds ago, just to be on the safe side with the bolt gap.

Duxman · November 14, 2006, 06:13 PM

I would also recommend it. Bought mine over 2 years ago and its still going strong.

The only advice I would give - I went nuts with the mods and changed out the stock to a TAPCO M4 folding type - DONT do it. When I shoot it - it hurts. Stay with the stock version.

One thing - scope mounts for it are quite expensive. So either look for a different rifle if you are planning to scope it or go iron sights.

BUSTER51 · November 14, 2006, 07:20 PM

bought 5 over a years period about 2 or 3 years ago and tinkered with each and every one to get them to shoot right and function 100% .I a'm nerotic about head spaceing and ground bolts .I still have the 2 best ones and they are great shooters. I spent about $250.00 to $275.00 each and maybe $75.00 in parts,but many hours in my own labor . if you want a G3/91 type weapon that is 100% right out of the box get a PTR91 it is as good as it gets (as good or better than a real H&K 91) if you buy a Century built Cetme it's a crap shoot .The century monkeys always screw something up .good luck and don't pay more than $400.00 for a Century cetme .

Dave R · November 14, 2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Mine was a problem child when I bought it, but it's a great rifle now.

Ditto. I had to fix problems with "not enough windage" and "bad mag catch." Both of which were fairly common problems when I got it. But with help from places like this, and my gun dealer, we were able to fix both problems. Now she's 100%, and consistently shoots 2MOA.

dinod · November 16, 2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

posted by:
10 MickeyMouse

I've had very good luck with my $450 Century C-91 G-3 copy. Reliable, and will shoot sub-MOA with Federal American Eagle ammo (and only with AE; everything else prints much wider groups, including my handloads. Go figure).

Are Century CETME .308's really .308 or are they 7.62x51 NATO?

Is it dangerous to shoot .308 WIN ammo through a Century CETME marked .308?

King_chin0 · November 16, 2006, 05:02 PM

The Cetme shoots both 7.62NATO and the .308WIN. I have been thinking about getting a Cetme at the end of the year around Tax time, I was debating between the DPMS AP4 carbine and the Cetme, and the Cetme's price range is much more reasonable to me, because I just wanted a .308 rifle.

Drakejake · November 16, 2006, 05:15 PM

Commercial .308 is a no-no in the Cetme. From what I have read, it may be hotter than 7.62 NATO with a softer case. You are more likely to get case separations with .308 because it molds to the grooves in the chamber and can't be extracted. Milsurp 7.62 is much cheaper than commercial .308 Win anyway. I have been shooting South African surplus in my Cetmes (and FALs) without any problems.

Drakejake

BUSTER51 · November 16, 2006, 05:35 PM

real 7.62x51 is what you want ,PORT,AUSSI,HIRT,DAG. YOU CAN ALSO USE SOUTH AFRICAN IN A PINCH .KEEP IT CLEAN (THE CHAMBER) and no problems once you get a Cetme that functions right.

Dave R · November 17, 2006, 02:22 AM

Just a tip...a good tool for cleaning the flutes in the chamber of a CETME is a NYLON .45acp bore brush. You can reverse it without damaging it or the flutes, and it is perfectly sized.

King_chin0 · November 17, 2006, 08:07 PM

I have a question about the synthetic stocks on the Cetme, are they like the same material the AR15 stocks are made of? or can you parkerize a cetme?

candr44 · November 17, 2006, 08:34 PM

The Cetme can be parkerized since it originally was parkerized.

The plastic stock Century puts on the Cetme is a thin piece of garbage that will break. I took mine off and put the original wood back on. It was only $20 from Tapco.

Good synthetic stocks can be had but you may have to watch your U.S. parts count.

Drakejake · November 17, 2006, 08:39 PM

One of the nice things about the Cetme is that you can get beautiful wooden stock sets for about $30 or a genuine HK retractable stock for less than $200.
Although the Cetme/G3 is an interesting rifle, as an example of the technology used in several HK firearms, I find the design inferior to the FAL. I believe the FAL is easier to break down, gets less dirty, has fewer mainenance problems, has more convenient controls, and is more attractive.

Drakejake

King_chin0 · November 17, 2006, 08:48 PM

Oh ok. I was just wondering, because I'm planning on either getting a Cetme, or a Glock21 at the end of the year. If I get the Cetme, I was planning on getting a Urban Camo from Dura coat put on it

10 MickeyMouse · November 18, 2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Good synthetic stocks can be had but you may have to watch your U.S. parts count

They're not imports. They are clearly stamped "made in USA". They simply use parts kits, assembled here on US-made recievers. 922r doesn't apply.

Quote:

Commercial .308 is a no-no in the Cetme. From what I have read, it may be hotter than 7.62 NATO with a softer case. You are more likely to get case separations with .308 because it molds to the grooves in the chamber and can't be extracted.

The flutes are lengthwise, and they are one of the reasons the rifles have so few extraction problems. That, and the extractors have about a 50 pound spring.

I've never had any trouble with milsurp or commercial ammo. It flings either type of spent case about 40 feet.

candr44 · November 20, 2006, 03:52 PM

10 Mickey Mouse

When I was looking for a synthetic stock to replace the Century stock I found some that were made in the U.S. and some made in Germany and Pakistan. Last time I checked Pakistan and Germany were not part of the U.S.

The stocks are on the ATF list of foreign parts so 922r most certainly would apply. Why do you think Century had their crappy stock made in the U.S. It was so they could replace a perfectly good foreign stock to comply with 922r. 922r applies to the assembly of any foreign made rifle parts kit and the Spanish Cetme is allowed to be stamped made in U.S.A. because of compliance with 922r.

November 13, 2006, 09:59 PM	#1
buckstopshere Member Join Date: September 11, 2006 Posts: 51	Cetme .308 Been thinking about getting a CETME .308. Is this a good rifle? Someone told me that with the G3 variants it's hit or miss. Anyone have experience with these rifles. FEEDBACK PLEASE.

November 13, 2006, 10:06 PM	#2
shooter_john Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2002 Location: ALABAMA Posts: 1,473	I Recommend It!!! I have a Century CETME, and I love it... Minimal recoil, cheap and plentiful magazines, potent round, etc. I also have 3 friends with CETME's and they are all very pleased also. I just put a scope on mine to see what kind of accuracy I can get out of it. The only thing I can think of about CETME's is that they use to be about $275 at gun shows around here, now they are $450- $600. Luckily I got a deal on mine since I'm a "frequent flyer" at the local shop... picked mine up used/ unfired for $400 from the manager's personal collection. __________________ TROTAC.com

November 14, 2006, 01:28 AM	#3
10 MickeyMouse Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 2006 Location: Colorado Posts: 429	I've had very good luck with my $450 Century C-91 G-3 copy. Reliable, and will shoot sub-MOA with Federal American Eagle ammo (and only with AE; everything else prints much wider groups, including my handloads. Go figure). Mine is topped with a B-square mount and a Simmons Aetec 4.5-14x scope. Century guns are US made recievers and barrels with milsurp parts kits. __________________ Don't gripe about the economy if the things you buy don't say made in USA

November 14, 2006, 09:44 AM	#5
Pappy John Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2001 Location: the lower Susquehanna Valley Posts: 848	Mine was a problem child when I bought it, but it's a great rifle now. Sights needed straightening to achieve enough windage adjustment; ejector needed adjustment for correct cycling; trigger/sear needed de-burring to eliminate a rough pull. Now, after twelve hundred or so rounds down the pike without a hiccup, she's a certifiable sweetheart, though I did go to some larger locking rollers two hundred rounds ago, just to be on the safe side with the bolt gap. __________________ Badgers???? We don't need no steenking badgers!!!! Last edited by Pappy John; November 15, 2006 at 09:21 AM. Reason: I was wrong....Aim is sold out on the S.A. .308

November 17, 2006, 02:22 AM	#13
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,068	Just a tip...a good tool for cleaning the flutes in the chamber of a CETME is a NYLON .45acp bore brush. You can reverse it without damaging it or the flutes, and it is perfectly sized. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

November 14, 2006, 01:31 AM	#4
candr44 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2006 Posts: 371	My Cetme is one of my most accurate and fun to shoot rifles. It also has never given me a single problem. You can still get a new one from Century. They started making them again for $569. For that price I would spend a little more and get a JLD PTR91 instead. If you want a Cetme, you better check on ammo availability also. You can't shoot commercial ammo in them only surplus and right now the surplus seems to have dried up. If you are going to buy a used one, check the bolt gap. It should be between .005 and .020. Also check if the bolt has been ground to increase bolt gap. A ground bolt is a sign of trouble. Check that the gun was also welded up straight and the welds aren't cracked. Then check the Century muzzle break, if it has one, and make sure they didn't drill the retaining pin hole for it all the way through the barrel. If you take the time to learn about them and know what to look for you can get a good one. You can also get spare parts right now by buying a parts kit. After the kits are gone, some of the parts will be very hard to find. You may have to resort to getting parts from Spain. http://www.cetmerifles.com has a lot of information and knowledgable people there.

November 14, 2006, 06:13 PM	#6
Duxman Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2005 Location: VA Posts: 1,294	I would also recommend it. Bought mine over 2 years ago and its still going strong. The only advice I would give - I went nuts with the mods and changed out the stock to a TAPCO M4 folding type - DONT do it. When I shoot it - it hurts. Stay with the stock version. One thing - scope mounts for it are quite expensive. So either look for a different rifle if you are planning to scope it or go iron sights.

November 14, 2006, 07:20 PM	#7
BUSTER51 Junior member Join Date: December 28, 2004 Location: PHOENIX, AZ Posts: 992	bought 5 over a years period about 2 or 3 years ago and tinkered with each and every one to get them to shoot right and function 100% .I a'm nerotic about head spaceing and ground bolts .I still have the 2 best ones and they are great shooters. I spent about $250.00 to $275.00 each and maybe $75.00 in parts,but many hours in my own labor . if you want a G3/91 type weapon that is 100% right out of the box get a PTR91 it is as good as it gets (as good or better than a real H&K 91) if you buy a Century built Cetme it's a crap shoot .The century monkeys always screw something up .good luck and don't pay more than $400.00 for a Century cetme .

November 16, 2006, 05:02 PM	#10
King_chin0 Junior member Join Date: May 2, 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 303	The Cetme shoots both 7.62NATO and the .308WIN. I have been thinking about getting a Cetme at the end of the year around Tax time, I was debating between the DPMS AP4 carbine and the Cetme, and the Cetme's price range is much more reasonable to me, because I just wanted a .308 rifle.

November 16, 2006, 05:15 PM	#11
Drakejake Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2001 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 548	Commercial .308 is a no-no in the Cetme. From what I have read, it may be hotter than 7.62 NATO with a softer case. You are more likely to get case separations with .308 because it molds to the grooves in the chamber and can't be extracted. Milsurp 7.62 is much cheaper than commercial .308 Win anyway. I have been shooting South African surplus in my Cetmes (and FALs) without any problems. Drakejake

November 16, 2006, 05:35 PM	#12
BUSTER51 Junior member Join Date: December 28, 2004 Location: PHOENIX, AZ Posts: 992	real 7.62x51 is what you want ,PORT,AUSSI,HIRT,DAG. YOU CAN ALSO USE SOUTH AFRICAN IN A PINCH .KEEP IT CLEAN (THE CHAMBER) and no problems once you get a Cetme that functions right.

November 17, 2006, 08:07 PM	#14
King_chin0 Junior member Join Date: May 2, 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 303	I have a question about the synthetic stocks on the Cetme, are they like the same material the AR15 stocks are made of? or can you parkerize a cetme?

November 17, 2006, 08:34 PM	#15
candr44 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2006 Posts: 371	The Cetme can be parkerized since it originally was parkerized. The plastic stock Century puts on the Cetme is a thin piece of garbage that will break. I took mine off and put the original wood back on. It was only $20 from Tapco. Good synthetic stocks can be had but you may have to watch your U.S. parts count.

November 17, 2006, 08:39 PM	#16
Drakejake Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2001 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 548	One of the nice things about the Cetme is that you can get beautiful wooden stock sets for about $30 or a genuine HK retractable stock for less than $200. Although the Cetme/G3 is an interesting rifle, as an example of the technology used in several HK firearms, I find the design inferior to the FAL. I believe the FAL is easier to break down, gets less dirty, has fewer mainenance problems, has more convenient controls, and is more attractive. Drakejake

November 17, 2006, 08:48 PM	#17
King_chin0 Junior member Join Date: May 2, 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 303	Oh ok. I was just wondering, because I'm planning on either getting a Cetme, or a Glock21 at the end of the year. If I get the Cetme, I was planning on getting a Urban Camo from Dura coat put on it

November 20, 2006, 03:52 PM	#19
candr44 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2006 Posts: 371	10 Mickey Mouse When I was looking for a synthetic stock to replace the Century stock I found some that were made in the U.S. and some made in Germany and Pakistan. Last time I checked Pakistan and Germany were not part of the U.S. The stocks are on the ATF list of foreign parts so 922r most certainly would apply. Why do you think Century had their crappy stock made in the U.S. It was so they could replace a perfectly good foreign stock to comply with 922r. 922r applies to the assembly of any foreign made rifle parts kit and the Spanish Cetme is allowed to be stamped made in U.S.A. because of compliance with 922r. Last edited by candr44; November 21, 2006 at 12:31 AM.