Another CETME range report

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Marcus

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I went to the gunshow looking for a Century G3. There were exactly none,despite it being a rather large show. There were a few CETMEs. I checked em out,2 had funky headspace,1 had a crooked front sight,several had welds that looked like they were done by a drunken monkey. A few had muzzle brakes,most didn`t. I found one synthetic stocked one that had really nice welds,headspace and good fit and finish overall,for a great price. That one`s mine! :D I picked up a couple $6 G-3 mags (gotta love that!!!) and a battle pack of SA ammo too. Tried it out today. At first I got several failures to fire (with Argentine surplus ammo). They were a little corroded around the primer pocket and have failed in other guns from time to time so I switched to the S. African ammo. No more failures to fire. The only other problem was 2 fauilures to feed with one G-3 mag that I realized fit a little tighter than the rest and wasn`t fully seated when I thought it was. Once I figured that out I was able to put about 120rds. through it with no problems at all. The sights are dead on for windage (thank goodness!) and about an inch high at 50yds. using the 200yd. peep. The 100yd. sight is funky and I didn`t use it much. Recoil was pretty mild even without the muzzle brake. Next time out I`ll bring a few more types of ammo,a proper rest and see what kind of accuracy I can get out of it but I had no trouble at all busting less than fist sized rocks on the 50yd. backstop. :) So far,big fun! Marcus
 
I wouldn't mind picking one up since they're so affordable, but you know, in California we just can't be trusted with anything bigger than a pipe wrench.
 
Agreed that the funky 100m "V" sight is useless. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of the 200M aperture.
 
Here's a little piece of CETME/G3 trivia for you regarding the 100m V-notch sight.

In the military, we were taught that the 100m sight setting only had three functions:

--Low-light shooting
--Fully automatic burst fire to break an enemy assault at close range if your position is about to be overrun
--Fully automatic anti-aircraft fire

The default setting on the G3/CETME sight was to be the 200m peep sight, and we actually got yelled at if somebody had their sight set to any other setting. The only occasions where you're supposed to switch to the 100m v-notch are the ones listed above.
 
can someone please explain the difference between a Cetme and a G3. i really like the looks of these guns and want a .308. what's the best place to get them who makes the best? what is a good price?

sorry if i hijacked the thread just been curious about these questions.
 
...please explain the difference between a Cetme and a G3
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Mainly, where the internal parts were manufactured. Most notable initial inspection difference and easy to distinguish the two are the rear sights. CETMEs usually use the four paddle paddlewheel whereas the G3 use the HK(-type) drum. Safeties are also reverse.

Although the paddlewheel seems a little less refined, it works very well as long as you ensure that it doesn't get accidentally bumped and cock the wheel out of its full upright position. That is, the wheel is a little too easy to rotate. I use the 100m V all the time during plate shoots where the targets are less than 100yds.
 
yes this question is going to make me look very dumb. but i'll ask it anyway since it's the only way i will find out.

how do you cock a CETME. when i was at the gun show saturday i was looking at one but didn't see a bolt. the inlt thing that looked similar was on the left side between the barell and forend.

yes i am a newbie let the flames comence.
 
The cocking/charging handle folds down when not in use (when you let it fly forward). It is non-reciprocating so it will not move (or at least is not designed to move) when you fire. To cock the bolt back, unfold the handle upward. It is hinged in the back so you stick a finger under the angled front tip and lever it up until it is ~90° from the cocking tube. It will stick out ~45° to the left of vertical. Make sure you have the butt of the rifle against something sturdy like your hip or right thigh or held tightly between your arm and body and pull the cocking handle back along the raceway until you reach the end. At the end, there is a notch that the handle can be rotated into to lock it and the bolt into the open position. When you are done loading a mag in. Pull back on the locked handled a little, rotate it onto the raceway and let go.

Some folks, particularly actors in Hollywood, like to slame the handle out of the locked position and into the raceway. IMO, this is abusing the gun as what keeps the hadle locked open is a little dogtooth between the notch and the raceway. When you slap the handle it scrapes along the tooth and goes into the raceway. Could potentially wear down the tooth (would probably take 10s or 100s of thousands of cycling to do it) but why accelerate the wear?

There is no bolt stop after the last round of the mag is fired.
 
would the cocking charging handle be what i have circled in this picture??

xg3s_lt.jpg
 
Yes. CETMEs, G3s and FALs all cock this way.

That tube is called--of course--the cocking tube.
 
Some folks, particularly actors in Hollywood, like to slame the handle out of the locked position and into the raceway. IMO, this is abusing the gun as what keeps the hadle locked open is a little dogtooth between the notch and the raceway.
Click to expand...

That's not just your opinion. Doing the so-called "HK slap" was strongly frowned upon by our drill instructors. You were to guide the cocking handle back into position and then let it go forward. Slapping the cocking handle down was considered damaging government property, and would get you a tongue-lashing and a few dozen pushups.
 
Marko, meant to ask you this last week..........


How close are these guns compared to the ones you had in the service?
 
Yes. CETMEs, G3s and FALs all cock this way.

That tube is called--of course--the cocking tube.
Click to expand...
Actually FALs have charging handles on the right side of the receiver. The inch-pattern ones fold down like on the CETME, while the metric-pattern ones are just little knobs.
 
How close are these guns compared to the ones you had in the service?
Click to expand...

Well, Tamara's HK91 is virtually indistinguishable from my old service G3, with the exception of the missing paddle mag release and FA trigger group.

The CETME is not quite as well made as the HK, and it takes more elbow grease to field-strip it, but it's functionally identical. They shoot and tote the same. We never shot our G3s on full auto with live ammo anyway, so I didn't really lose any capability.
 
do CETME's and G3's use the same magazines. and do they use the same ones as the HK 91??

yeah i am sorry these are elementry questions. this is just a firearm i don't know much about. but would like to have one. so i would like to learn before i buy one at christmas (fingers crossed)
 
Over in the CETME forum, there have been a few reports of CETME's that wouldn't take an HK mag without some fitting. But they appeared to have tight magwells and wouldn't take CETME mags very well, either...

Most CETME owners can use those $3-4 G3 mags you see on the 'net without difficulty.
 
what is the web address for the cetme forum? might be a good place for me to learn more.
 
back to the "HK slap" thing. Are you saying that you ride the cocking handle all the way down, or just ease it from the indent, then let the spring seat the bolt? The first case sounds like a recipie for not seating the bolt completely. As a lefty, I usually do the slap with my right hand, mainly because it is hard to reach the handle with my left while the rifle is mounted in the shoulder. I have to say that the HK/CETME series rifles are rather unergonomic to us lefties... :)
 
I have to say that the HK/CETME series rifles are rather unergonomic to us lefties...
Click to expand...

Funny, I feel exactly the opposite. I traded off my FAL because I thought the ergos sucked for southpaws, but I really like my G3 clone.

YMMV, different strokes, and all that ....
 
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