fal cetme sks

[pipboy]

as some of you have read im looking into either getting an sks or a cetme...ive also looked into the fal...so i have a couple more questions what can i expect out of the 308 as opposed to the 7.62 39 round....what can i expect from the fal and cetme as far as accuracy goes (better worse that ak) and are they good weapons all around thanks (im looking for a fun gun to shoot thats reasonably accurate)

 

[iamkris]

You are really talking about 3 very different classes of rifles. If you do a little research on your own through searches on the forum you are going to see these weapons talked about over and over.

SKS -- think of it like an International Harvester truck -- ugly but goes and goes. 7.62 Rooskie cartridge is an "intermediate" round -- on par with .30-30. Accuracy roughly equivalent to AK...maybe a bit better. 3-5 MOA. Dirt cheap -- $150

CETME -- 1st gen Cold War battle rifle (predecessor to HK G3). 7.62 NATO round is full-bore main battle rifle round -- essentially same as 308 Win. Accuracy nearer 2-4 MOA -- intermediate price -- $450

FAL -- The prince of the battle rifles (IMHO). It has it all...looks, decent accuracy, great ergonomics, easy to maintain, soft recoiling, many spare parts, easy to accessorize. Accuracy same as CETME. Price -- $500 for homebuilt or lower end gunsmith build, $1000 for DSA parts gun, $1500 for premium DSA

 

[GlenJ]

I shot a friends G-3 a while back and really liked it. I would go for the Cetme/Fal/G-3. As far as difference in ammo, right now you can find 308 not so with 7.62x39.

 

[10mmshooter]

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.

As far as accuracy...The Cetme is quite impressive and I would expect similar results from the FAL rifles.

With regard to caliber....No comparison. I have owned several AK's and SKS rifles but the 7.62x39mm simply does not compare to 7.62 NATO. The Cetme hits with authority and leaves no doubt that you are firing a rifle.

Perhaps the only caliber that I have fired which produced a bigger grin on my face would be .45/70 Govt. from my Marlin 1895 guide gun.

For an all-around, do-everything weapon...I'd pass on the SKS and go for one of the other two options. I am very happy with my Cetme.

 

[candr44]

If you get a Cetme, you better read up on the things the monkeys at Century did to build them. There are things to check like bolt gap, cocking tube alignment, and welds. You could get a useless piece of junk if you don't check it first.

I have a Cetme that functions flawlessly. It is very accurate and shoots exactly where i aim. I wish it had the wide forearm though because it gets to hot to hold. 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.

I have a Yugo SKS also and it appears to be well made and also functions flawlessly. It isn't as accurate as my Cetme though. They are cheap right now but ammo is getting harder to find. Some Yugos also have had a problem with the gas shut off being corroded and leaking enough gas that they won't cycle but it is an easy fix.

I don't have a FAL yet so I can't tell you anything about them.

If caliber is your main concern, get a .308. It has more power and surplus ammo is easy to get and cheap.

 

[itgoesboom]

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.

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.

 

[1911Ron]

i have an SKS with a Butler Creek stock that i like. I had a CETME that functioned fine, had decent groups with it, handguard got hot tho not good, mags are cheap for it now. I personaly didnot like the ergonomics of it nor the paddle wheel for the rear sight.
I now have a STG-58 and love it . The FAl has a lot of features, such as an adjustable gas system(softer recoil and less wear and tear on the gun) better sights more adjustment to the sights than the CETME and on and on.

 

[KrankyKraut]

Wow. Where did you get the STG-58?

 

[1911Ron]

Kranky Kraut DSA puts them together with a new reciever and used parts. Mine was bought used but shot very little.

 

[hso]

The FAL is the best of the 3 mentioned.

Averaging $800 you get a rifle that is pleasant to shoot, provides good accuracy, with tons of spare parts that you'll never need, using ammo that's readily available, and mags that are next to free.

The SKS trumps everything on price and provides an accurate rifle at 75% of the FAL's range, never needs spares (or hardly ever and there are tons available), but there are no mag exchanges and the ammo is difficult to find now.

The Cetme is a good gun, but the parts problem could be annoying and the sights are not so good.

 

[Srigs]

I have a CETME and for the money it is a fine MBR. If your looking to get one check out www.cetmerifles.com/forum/ for more information.

I like mine and it is accurate, low recoil and darn loud