10mmshooter said:
I recently picked up a Cetme from a friend. The rifle is ugly as sin, but shoots very, very well.It is the first 7.62 NATO caliber weapon that I have owned and I wonder why I hadn't picked one up sooner.
You call this ugly?
J/K. They are actually pretty ugly now that I think about it.
candr44 said:
Spare parts can be hard to find also and cetmes should only use military surplus ammo unless you like broken shells in the chamber. You might want to get a G3 if you are concerned about spare parts.
Many HK parts are fine in CETMEs. There are many parts that aren't, but lots that are. Firing pin, extractor, lots of the springs and such will trade. Same with the furniture.
Back to the original question. I own 2 of the 3 rifles in question.
SKS rifles are great. I think they are fairly lightweight, but some argue that point with me.
Maybe they are just lightweight compared to my CETME. Accuracy isn't their strong point, but it is good enough. Very reliable.
CETMEs are an extremely reliable
design. Unfortunatly, Century got ahold of them.
So if you buy one it is a crapshoot. Might work great, and be very accurate, or it might not even be safe to fire. Like others have mentioned, research into them, find out what to look for. Accuracy can range from exceptional to very poor. Mine gets me 1.5" or under groups at 75yards. I have heard of people not getting better than 2 foot groups at 100 yards.
FALs are another great design. Actual quality of rifle depends on who puts it together, and if they know what they are doing or not. Doesn't have the accuracy potential that the CETME design has, but, most CETMEs and FALs will have similar accuracy. Reliability can be very good, especially with the adjustable gas system. Parts are everywhere, and the rifle is ergonomic. Heavy, but ergonomic.
I.G.B.