Price check and opinions please for a CA CETME

[alucard0822]

http://www.centuryarms.biz/proddetail.asp?prod=RI1189%2DX


There is one identical to this at my local gun shop. It is used, fit and finish look new, and everything looks clean, probably fired only a couple times. They are asking $660 for it.

That being said, I have never fired one, I Own an AK, AR, Garand, and a couple Bolt guns, so this is what I have experience with. I have read up on the operation of the delayed roller system, and am honestly not sure how reliable or accurate I can expect it to be, or if this is a HURRY UP AND BUY!!! price or if it is the norm. I plan on using it as a 100-200 range fun gun, hopefully it is a little more accurate with better sights than my AK (yugo m70) and 3" groups at 100 would be acceptable with decent ammo.

I reload nearly all my centerfire cartridges, and already reload for 308, but I do not know if the blowback operation would require special consideration in loads, similar to loading for my M1, where burn spped has to be fairly precise, and bullets kept at 150-180gr to prevent damage to the op rod, or short stroking.

I highly value the knowledge folks here have, and hope that you can fill me in. Also, please don't just say they suck, or are great, please tell me why your rifle, or friends rifle sucks, if there are fixes for it, and so on. If all seems well I may pick this up today or tommorow.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

Okay first off, I love my Century CETME. It's a great all around rifle...

That said, $660 is too much for one. I also had to sort through four of them at the store I bought it from before I found one that didn't have an obvious manufacturing flaw. On one, the barrel and reciever weren't even joined straight.

Find one cheaper, and make sure you give it a very good looking over before comitting to purchase.

 

[alucard0822]

I looked it over about as well as I could, and all seemed well, the barrel and sights looked about as centered as they could be, and if they are not perfect I probably won't find that out untill I get to the range. Anything cool in MD costs more than most anywhere else (if we can have it at all), going rate for wasr10s is $450, M44 mosins $125, Colt Hbar sportsters are $1200, Everytime I visit PA, VA or especially family down in TX, I feel like a kid in a candy store, but can't buy a damn thing.

 

[alucard0822]

Just got back from the gunshop. This time I checked a little closer, saw what could best be described as bubbamarks on the mag, I tried to seat 3 other mags, two would seat after a fairly stout slap, the third wouldn't seat at all. I could see some really crappy looking welds on the inside of the well, and more inside the reciever, and to top it off, as an "assault weapon" in MD I would have had to wait 3 more weeks to buy it, since the last time I excercised my rights in 38 super fashion. (pistols and AW on "the list" require massive paperwork, 7 days wait to pickup, and 30 days between purchases). But just then, on the way out of the shop, there was a lonely lonely K31 for $100, so I brought Heidi home

 

[49north]

Check out www.militaryfirearm.com for all the pitfalls of purchasing a century assembled rifle. They made lots of crap, some with easy and some with difficult fixes and some that are just unsafe to use. I've had one for years and could never completely trust it in a pinch. Buy a ptr or better yet a saiga 308..a nice sane reliable rifle that one should never need question its ability to function properly. My 2 cents.

 

[MudPuppy]

If you passed up a $650 dollar CA cetme for a $100 k31...well, you're brilliant.

I agree with the above, love mine, no way are the worth that asking price...wait, yeah, sure they are...they're worth double that.

You definitely made the right call.

 

[nwilliams]

Great Choice!
Congrats on the new K31!

$650 is far too much IMO for a Cetme and $100 for a K31 is a great deal and better rifle (also IMO).

I've seen Cetmes around here sell for in the low $400's and I always pass them up, they don't do anything for me and I've heard too many horror stories about them.

 

[alucard0822]

Its too bad they are junk, I really like how they look,and feel, and the roller blow back seems kinda neat, but an HK 91 is unaffordable if available at all. I might keep my eye out for a JLD PTR 91, but depending on the price It might be a tossup between that and a more desireable (to me) used M1A, they are darn pricey though, might be a while before I could get one.

thanks for steering me away from the FIXME (as a guy on youtube calls it)


as far as the K31 goes, I stripped, cleaned and touched up the metal, and tried my best to refinish the birch stock (looks like Hans was using it to shovel muddy gravel), if it shoots well, a new walnut stock and hot blue may be in order, Ill be taking it to the range today to try her out. They also had a decent looking k98 definitely shooter grade, but the metal looked good, and the stock was more scratched than dented, WWII marking and all, for $240 and in the shop it still sits. I guess a 2 for 1 with a little over $300 left to spend on dies, ammo, and tung oil is a good tradeoff for that CETME.

 

[MisterPX]

If you reload 308, it's a good thing you didn't buy any G3 pattern rifle.

Prices on current CETME's are bout $200 more than the last batch.