Now I know why some people avoid Century

[W L Johnson]

Was in the gun shop looking over some rifles and decided to check out some century models

First off was a pair of C93's, first one was ok no real problems but the second one looked horrible. It look like as if someone found the cheapest god awful grossly black spray paint and sprayed it all over it everything, the barrel, screws, stock, sights, dirt, everything. No thanks

Next up was a CETME, pulled back the bolt and it would hardly move, it felt and sounded as if it was full of gravel as it moved. The whole gun felt as if it would just fall apart in my hands. Same paint job as the C93. Complete junk.

Next up, an FAL. Loose rear sight, common on FALs and easily fixable, but what really bugged me was the muzzle brake was on cockeyed, not a little but a lot. You shoot it, I'll be somewhere else.

Next some Century AK's, 4 out of 5 the front sights were slanted way off. Wood looked like someone used a pocket knife to carve them out with.

Next a UC-9, Rifling, whats rifling? Who needs it, it's over rated anyway.

I know many have century products and are perfectly happy with them, I myself have a century PSL-54C and have no problems with it whatsoever. But where is the QC?

 

[JR]

I bought a bad golani a few years back and sold it immediately. I'll never go Century again. Instead, I'll save up and buy something from a trusted vendor. I'm sure there are many good century rifles on the market but once burned you sometimes have a bad taste left in your mouth.

 

[nfafan]

Century is like Maronda Homes here in West PA... a mixed bag.

They offer seemingly a lot of product for a little money relative to the alternatives.

They can do good, they mostly do bad.

Due pretty much to their tight-fisted use of the absolootely cheapest lowest-bidder looking for some employment.

Like the carpenters, painters, framers, bricklayers that Maronda uses; Century jobs out their build-work or WASR 922-work to the ones who will accept their slave-pittance to do the jobs.

Sometimes these bidders keep their pride and integrity and give it their best shot with what Cent gave them (NDS receivers, TAPCO FCGs, RCM barrels, etc) to work with and despite the per-unit contract - like they have done with the (usually good) Cent Sterlings and Yugo M70s.

Meanwhile, other Century jobbers have thrown in the shop-towel and basically said 'eff it, good enough for Century work... As they did with their C93s, CETMEs, FALs, Uzis.

It's Cent fault for not realizing that crap contracts attracts the crap contracters.

Never, EVER, NEVER, buy a Cent-branded item sight-unseen.

 

[nalioth]

Next some Century AK's, 4 out of 5 the front sights were slanted way off. Wood looked like someone used a pocket knife to carve them out with.

You're gonna have to be more specific here.

You appear to be describing the WASR Kalashnikov.

Century imports the WASR - they do not manufacture it.

 

[KodiakBeer]

All Century guns are tested by their crack QC team.

 

[BADUNAME37]

When I was at a show a few years back, a young guy was trying to sell the guy with me one of their guns. He was telling me how he, himself, takes the guns completely apart and then changes something inside the receiver, something also to do with the barrel and the way the front stock is carved. When I saw the post before this, I remembered that and we were both walking away shaking our heads wondering what it is we are missing here.

Are they required to somehow be modified so people would have a harder time making an auto out of it, or perhaps might it have been full auto and they are turning them into semi-autos?

Whatever it was, for the price, it sure looked like junque to me!

 

[CowboyTim]

Had one of their Mauser 98 sporters a few years ago....Not a bad gun at all for the money. Fit and finish was decent, nothing spectacular. Action was well fitted and smooth...trigger was lousy(what do you expect for the cheapest 30-06 available at the time) replaced with a timney. ONLY liked 165gr bullets(but it did shoot well with 165s). Kinda miss that gun....but nowhere near the quality of the CZ .270 that replaced it.

 

[Coal Dragger]

^ Well it is tough to screw up a Mauser 98 action though. When Century starts with a semi-auto that is much more complex and has a lot more parts is where problems will arise. If Century had sharp pointy sticks made to sell, they might be good, but not an auto loading rifle of any kind.

 

[nalioth]

Had one of their Mauser 98 sporters a few years ago....Not a bad gun at all for the money. Fit and finish was decent, nothing spectacular. Action was well fitted and smooth...trigger was lousy(what do you expect for the cheapest 30-06 available at the time) replaced with a timney. ONLY liked 165gr bullets(but it did shoot well with 165s). Kinda miss that gun....but nowhere near the quality of the CZ .270 that replaced it.

^ Well it is tough to screw up a Mauser 98 action though. When Century starts with a semi-auto that is much more complex and has a lot more parts is where problems will arise. If Century had sharp pointy sticks made to sell, they might be good, but not an auto loading rifle of any kind

Believe it or not, Century does not have a crew of "screw-it-up-guys" waiting to abuse every firearm they import.

The aforementioned Mauser was imported by Century and tagged by them during the import process. They did not do anything else to it.

These threads and posts about Century guns are not about the ones it imports, but the ones it manufactures.

 

[rocinante]

I just bought two semi autos, vz58s, they manufactured and have zero complaints about either. The vast majority who have bought these rifles don't either.

i have an fn49 and yugo 24/47 that are like naloith described.

Mr Johnson I can at least give you credit for century bashing for actually making your own personal inspection. Most the pile on me too meme crowd are just echoing internet wisdom.

 

[amd6547]

My Century CETME has been one of the good ones...accurate and reliable

 

[Coal Dragger]

nalioth,

I'm not going to call you a lair, but I can't believe your claim that Century doesn't have a team of crazed gin drunken orangutans that mess up everything they sell. I am pretty sure they do have a team of crazed gin drunken orangutans that assemble or at the very least molest every firearm they sell.

 

[LKB3rd]

I believe that the foreign surplus AK's for the most part arrive here with the full auto receiver cut in half. So, they get a new receiver, and I guess 922r comes into play, so they add US made parts.

Are they required to somehow be modified so people would have a harder time making an auto out of it, or perhaps might it have been full auto and they are turning them into semi-autos?

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I handled one of Century's G3 knock offs and was thoroughly displeased. However, I also handled one of their Golani's (whatever it's called), and while the gun's finish and fit were mostly excellent, the dust cover was damn near impossible to put on after taking it off... improper sizes.

 

[Coal Dragger]

^ Yep the gin drunken orangutans did their part....

 

[rocinante]

Coal Dragger I have heard ad naseum about the drunk monkeys but never what exactly they drink. Gin? I would of guessed vodka since most the milsurp is combloc.

 

[Cal-gun Fan]

They make moonshine with the cleaning solvents and a little bit of vodka.

 

[W L Johnson]

I can at least give you credit for century bashing for actually making your own personal inspection.

Thanks
I've seen good century stuff, I've got one in the shape of a perfect PSL-54C and the one C93 was fine the other not so fine. It just seemed to be a bad day at the shop for century. I just wonder how does this stuff get out the door pass QC, if there is QC that is. I couldn't live with myself letting a product ship like this. How can two C93's ship from the same shop, one fine and the other visibly a POS.

 

[Coal Dragger]

rocinante,

We're not talking Bombay Saphire here, but bathtub gin or other similarly nasty alcohol leading to a frenzied poo slinging rage. In fact someone mentioned the black spray paint all over their Century rifle, well that is not spray paint my friends...... that is orangutan poo thinned with homemade bathtub gin/moonshine that has been angrily thrown onto the firearm by an enraged and drunken primate.

 

[W L Johnson]

well that is not spray paint my friends...... that is orangutan poo thinned with homemade bathtub gin/moonshine that has been angrily thrown onto the firearm by an enraged and drunken primate

Thanks, I think I'll go wash my hands again.

 

[Coal Dragger]

Well that is probably a good idea, have you ever noticed that many of those rifles had an odor about them you probably thought was cosmoline or some other lubricant or grease that was a bit pungent? Well think back to the last time you visited the ape house at the zoo. Now do you really think that similar odor is a coincidence? I think not.

 

[Magog]

AK's dont need sights. Because in war I have read here on this board the DI system is a dead end and spray and pray is the best thing to do.

Hell your mag holds 30 round just dump it all in to the bad guy and hope for the best.

The dinks did not win one battle in nam, and we gained ground after their little tet surprise. So much for their great success and the AK claim to fame.

But hell, anyone can be an armchair elitist right, this is so fun.

 

[LNK]

I have a century sporter (l1a1 with thumbhole stock) that was built on an Imbel receiver, that I have had no trouble with at all since Purchased in1994. It is reliable and accurate enough (2-3 moa). All this talk about primates, I thought they were angry beavers...

LNK

 

[Storm]

However, I also handled one of their Golani's (whatever it's called), and while the gun's finish and fit were mostly excellent, the dust cover was damn near impossible to put on after taking it off... improper sizes.

That tight fit is 100% correct and in no way improper. Since the rear sight is on the top back of the cover the fit has to be super tight so that the rear sight has any hope of function. You will find the same to be true on an actual Galil. Some tinkering folks trim the cover to loosen the fit rendering the rear sight mostly worthless.

 

[W L Johnson]

Some tinkering folks trim the cover to loosen the fit rendering the rear sight mostly worthless

I've heard about people doing that, you got to wonder what were they thinking? Hmmm let see, rear sight on dust cover, I''ll think I'll make it looser. And then afterwards the thing groups like a shotgun and they blame the gun. :banghead: