FR-8: World's only bolt-action assault rifle

[Marko Kloos]

For those who have never seen one, here's a Spanish FR-8, also known as "Cetmeton". It's a Spanish large-ring Mauser, converted to 7.62x51mm NATO. When the Spaniards adopted the CETME battle rifle, they reworked their stock of existing M1943 Mausers and fitted them with CETME-C barrels. The Mauser got sawed in half, and the CETME barrel assembly mated to it upside down. The FR-8 was issued to rear-echelon troops and Guardia Civil units.

The tube underneath the barrel is the cocking tube on a regular CETME-C, so they had to invert the front sight assembly to make it right-side up on the FR-8.

There's a lot of folklore out there regarding the suitability of the FR-8 for full-power 7.62x51 NATO. Some folks claim that the FR-8 was chambered for the weaker 7.62x51 CETME, and will not stand up to the higher pressure. The truth is that the Spaniards used CETME-C barrels for their FR-8s, and the FR-8 conversions were done in the mid-1960s, when the Spanish Army had already converted to the CETME-C designed for full-power NATO ammo.

Spain also converted their small-ring 1916 Mausers into FR-7 rifles, and those are probably not suitable for full-power .308. The FR-8, on the other hand, can shoot NATO surplus ammo all day long.

The FR-8 makes a really cool-looking and handy little scout rifle. I keep it around as a companion to my CETME. It's kind of neat to have a bolt-action rifle with a NATO STANAG flash hider for launching rifle grenades.

 

[AJ Dual]

I love mine! I get questions about it all the time at the range.

My only beef is that the sights are pretty crude, and the sight radius is painfully short. Great little utility carbine though.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

You launch grenades with that thing? Where do you get the grenades? I might have to take my FR8 on my next fishing trip

They are nice lightweight rifles, and short. Easy to carry. And the rear peep is way better than most other Mauser rear sights.

Regards.

 

[MagKnightX]

Let me see if I have this straight...

It's just a large-ring Spanish Mauser that takes 7.62 NATO? Oh, and a STANAG FH/GL? Nothing really special?

 

[Marko Kloos]

It's just a large-ring Spanish Mauser that takes 7.62 NATO? Oh, and a STANAG FH/GL? Nothing really special?

Yeah, that's basically it. The subversive features make it one of the more interesting milsurps out there, though. Personally, I've just always liked the looks of the FR-8.

You launch grenades with that thing?

No, but it's nice to know that I *could*.

 

[SADshooter]

I bought one a few months ago, for use as a beater GP carbine. Handles nicely, although I find the straight bolt awkward. cslinger kindly provided me with some 8mm stripper clips which work to charge it. I'm thinking about a slip-on recoil pad. Recoil's not brutal, but I'm a sissy.

 

[telewinz]

Just learned something. I always wanted to know why they had a tube underneath the barrel. I could not believe it was intentional.

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Telewinz, what did you learn about that fake gas tube on the FR8? I just shot my buddy's FR8 recently (nice little rifle, by the way) and he told me that soldiers use that tube to either hold cigarettes or condoms (according to him the condoms would be used to cover the muzzle and thereby keep it clean). But was that the designer's original intention, and if not, then what?

 

[cordex]

Telewinz, what did you learn about that fake gas tube on the FR8?

Did you read the thread?
From post #1

The tube underneath the barrel is the cocking tube on a regular CETME-C, so they had to invert the front sight assembly to make it right-side up on the FR-8.

 

[4v50 Gary]

The fake tube - isn't it too small for a full size tootsie roll or a roll of lifesavers?

 

[Navy joe]

Naw, you just got to convince some rube to store his spare ammo in that tube, ought to be pretty entertaining as long as you're not close by. What's a price range? As a left shoulder shooter the straight bolts appeal to me a lot more than they do to wrongpaws.

 

[TODD3465]

I'll say one thing the FR-8 I have is one heck of a shooter.

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Sorry about the brainless question, I guess my ADD kicked in when I saw the picture .

Navy joe, IINM my buddy got his at a gun shop a year ago for $200 and it's a nice one.

 

[telewinz]

In the past when I asked about the underbarrel tube I was told it held a cleaning kit. That answer didn't make sense. Marko Kloos explained it well.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Bolt Action Assault Rifle

If you REALLY wanted to make it a bolt-action assault rifle, you can add one of those 20-round Trench magazines that Sarco and other places have for Mauser rifles. (don't know if they'll fit on a .308 cal FR-8, but it'd look cool if it could be done.) Failing that, convert them to take M14 mags.

 

[AK103K]

The FR-8 is a great little rifle. My buddy had to talk me into one and now just about everyone in our family has one. (I thought it was ugly and what was the point, boy did I change my mind once I started playing with it)
The straight bolt handle is actually easier to use than the bent ones, as my buddy later discovered. He had his turned down and now wishes he didnt. It is faster to manipulate and also makes carrying the rifle easier as it rides on the back of the hand as you carry it with your hand around the action.

The Mauser strippers work well and can be had pretty cheap in bulk at the gun shows. I got a hundred for $15. The "chromed" ones work the best and smoothest.
My Dad has one of the SARCO "trench mags" and it will work on them. His seems to work ok, but I've heard others say they had problems with them. They are not cheap though, around $85 I think. They do make the rifle less handy though.

A slightly modified Mauser 98 sling with a 1" HK sling snap works well if you cant find or dont like the FR-8 or CETME slings. Most of the original slings I've seen have been pretty ratty. The Mauser slings are quick adjustable, work well and look good. You can find them in good shape for about $15 and the HK hooks for around $1-2.

The sights are a little shaky, especially if your not used to the HK type sights and how they work. For the most part, the big open and shallow "V" notch is what you will use the most and is meant to be the "combat sight". You use the big notch and the whole "globe" as the quick sight. Line up the top of the globe with the top of the notch and put the post on the target.(your eye pretty much does this automatically) You can easily snap shoot IPSC targets at 100 yards with them. The small "V" is your precision sight. I rarely use the peeps.

I was always told the tube under the barrel was the cleaning kit too, although I've never seen one for it. I suppose you could get a pull through type kit in there with the brushes, etc. Its also the bayonet mount. The CETME and FR-8 bayonet will fit. Tapco has them on sale for $12 in good shape if your looking for one.

For the money, they are a great rifle, much better than the SMLE's, especially the Ishy's. I paid around $100 for ours when we got them, but the ones I've seen lately, which are not to many, have been close to $200+. They clean up real nice for the most part, and if you re-park them, look brand new.

 

[Atlas Shrug]

These do tart up nicely.

I've played around with these changes:

-Ram-Line M98 stock to replace original (camo paint, rounded butt pad, third sling stud added, etc.)
-Ching Sling (Andy Langlois' excellent incarnation)
-Timney trigger (set at a nice, crisp 2-1/2 lbs.)

I'm also part way through a project where I use the cleaning kit (albeit modified) as a flashlight mount and extra battery storage (Surefire 6P or equiv). This is a fun project. I may try something similar with a modified bayonette, but I've not purchased one of these yet.

This is my primary "around the farm doing rough work" type rifle. It's something that Thomas Jefferson would probably have liked as a walking companion.

 

[son of a gun]

That's a nice gun but what exactly qualifies it to be an Assault rifle or did some politician like

declare it one ?

 

[Destructo6]

Here's a HK/CETME cocking tube cleaning kit, like the type that would go in the FR8's lower tube:

Looks like they'd only have to move the barrel up one hole in the front sight triple frame rather than flip it over. I don't know for sure, since I've never handled a FR8.

I'd love an FR8. It's freaky-cool. Any idea where one could be had for a reasonable price these days?

 

[AK103K]

Ours all have Century Arms stamp on them. You could give them a call and see if they have some still laying around. I did see an add awhile back in the Gun List for them, but that was a while ago and I dont remember who it was that had them. You may find one in there or Shotgun News, or maybe on one of the auction sites. I see them from time to time in our local shops. Like I said, they were up to around $200 for one in OK shape.

 

[AJ Dual]

More on my FR8

I have a cleaning kit in my FR8's fake cocking tube as well.

I only have one oil packet though.

The FR-8 also had the CTME style cocking tube in place so they could standardize on the CTME bayonet for all their forces, training, and rear units. The CTME style bayonet mounts to the face of the cocking tube, so the FR-8 had to have it as well, albeit on the underside, whereas the CTME and HK g3 bayo mounts in the less usual barrel top position.

AK103, you wrote:

The sights are a little shaky, especially if your not used to the HK type sights and how they work. For the most part, the big open and shallow "V" notch is what you will use the most and is meant to be the "combat sight". You use the big notch and the whole "globe" as the quick sight. Line up the top of the globe with the top of the notch and put the post on the target.(your eye pretty much does this automatically) You can easily snap shoot IPSC targets at 100 yards with them. The small "V" is your precision sight. I rarely use the peeps.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the "globe" are you refering to the "globe" as the front sight post, or the entire front sight ring?

The one thing I don't like is that to adjust windage, the front post is merely offset so that rotating it will make it "wiggle" through 180 degrees of it's windage travel, but in doing so you're also screwing up your elevation.

It's definitely not a match rifle. I came in third.... from last with it. Here's a link and pics of me at that match. If you scroll down to the second match, you'll see my score improved in the July match with my Ishapore 2a, I can only assume the longer sight radius helped a bit. This was with milsurp Hirtenberger 7.62 NATO ammo in both matches with sandbags, and I was shooting against guys with free-floated 03'-A3's in machine rests and handloaded ammo. I always want to improve, but I'm at least satisfied as a "minute of torso" shooter at any reasonable range, in a historical context or a practical one.

http://www.dbcl.org/vintage_military_rifle_match.htm

 

[Ian Sean]

There were quite a few FR-8's around in the mid-90's, I held off on buying one till I did a little research on them. The idea of a bolt .308 on a Mauser action in a little knock-around carbine looked good and intrigued me. I decided to get one and have NOT SEEN ONE SINCE!

I envy you, and wish you and your FR-8 well.

 

[DrDremel]

If any of you are interested in mine, e-mail me at [email protected]. I am trying to fund a bigger toy and will sell mine for $220.00 I have fired 200 rounds through mine and it is a great gun, but I really want a Tommy gun.

 

[omega5]

I've had one for about 12 years and love it. No one told me I could not shoot regular .308 ammo in it and for years, that's what I did. Never had a problem. It's a great little gun and accurate as well. About the year 1998, I got the internet and found out I wasn't suppose to shoot civilian ammo and started shooting NATO 7.62x51. Then about a year ago, the internet tells me that I'm not suppose to shoot NATO in it either.
Well folks, I think that's a crock. Mine has hundreds of rounds of civilian and NATO ammo shot thru it and the head space is as tight as a new Remington BDL.
Talking about the fake gas tube, mine had a picture of a woman, naked, rolled up in it. Can't tell me that this wasn't some soldiers gun at one time. It was old, yellowed and faded but you could tell that she was a looker at one time.
Mine came with a Spanish bayonet, scabbard and sling. All serial numbers match. Here is a handy sight chart I found someplace that you guys may not have seen.

 

[No4Mk1]

DrDremel

Are you getting e-mail or PM's? I sent you a couple of messages on the No4 that you had for sale along with the FR8 but never heard back.

Please contact me by PM or e-mail (see my profile).

Thanks!