CETME advice

[GaryNH]

Interested in your thoughts on a Century CETME that I purchased a few years back. It has a strange issue where it will fire fine 2 or 3 rounds then double feed and lock up. Open the bolt and out falls 2 unfired rounds. I have 2 CETME mags and this happens with both of them.

I went over the rifle when I got it, cleaned it all out, and the headspace was off so I put a set of +1 rollers in and it gauges fine now. The bolt does not appear to be ground. However, I did change the CAI stockset to a HK green one and wondering if the buffer could be part of the issue.

I don't have the time or inclination to work on this. I bought my M1A shortly after and the CETME has sat in the safe since. I had it to the range twice back when I got it and experienced the same failure both trips.

I have the rifle, three furniture sets (black CAI, wood HK and green HK), 2 CETME mags and 5 or 6 G3 mags that I've never tried (had to file the stops on them to get them latch in), mag pouches, and bayonet, and some spare parts. It also has the proper CETME flashhider attached (not pinned) and the bayonet lug.

Anyhow, my question is: I'd like opinions on how much this would be worth if I could find someone interested in buying it and taking on the challenge? I'm never going to get around to working on it and am thinking someone might like to try. If I can get some knowledgable opinions I can come up with a price and put it in the classifieds and see what happens.

Thanks in advance!

Gary

 

[55_grain]

My free opinion is that your mags or feedlips are sitting up too high and either
a) the bolt is stripping off two rounds at once, or
b) one round pops up when the bolt comes back, and the 2nd one is stripped off the top when the bolt goes forward again. (more probable)
Either way, 5 minutes with a Dremel will allow you to try one of your G3 mags, I bet this will solve your problem. If nothing else, it will give you a better gun to sell if you feel so inclined.

55_grain

 

[SSShooter]

My first though is magazines too, though I believe Century also built a bunch of CETMEs with the mag latch out of spec.

 

[GaryNH]

Interesting! I'll have to check the two CETME mags to see if they were altered. Thanks for the suggestions!

Gary

 

[SSShooter]

If you do end up selling it, I just saw a pretty well beat HK91 clone go for $300 on GunBroker and a CETME with hard cocking problems (probably more serious than your trouble) move quickly at either $300 or $350. I'd value yours higher than those, but lower than the $519 + shipping + FFL that they are listed on GunBroker for.

PM me if you'd like links to the actual ads I mentioned.

ETA: $519+ on GB is for brand new

 

[GaryNH]

Thanks for the tips SSShooter! I don't have a lot of time lately to mess around with it and am trying to fund a new project. Good info!

Gary

 

[50 BMG]

If you swapped the stock out with an HK the spring retainer is larger than the CETME. You will need to either VERY carefully file off just enough of the washer/retainer to make it the same diameter or remove the spring pin and replace it with the CETME spring and retainer. Then you will be good to go.

Also try using the HK aluminum mags . They work far better than the stock CETME mags. If you need one or two let me know. I have some you can have,
The gun shop I work for received a call that a company was going out of business and he had rifle crates full of HK mags. Take them away he said. We ended up with over 2000 mags. So I can afford to give you a couple.

As to prices, a new CETME is only $370 from century now. They have worked out the bugs and they are great rifles IMO. I have one that at 100 yards with a rest can hit 2 inch groups with German surplus 308. Not bad for a parts gun

 

[GaryNH]

Thanks 50! I have 6 or 7 of the HK aluminums, never tried them. The couple of times I took it to the range was before I got them. Had to do some fitting of them to make them latch. I did file down the washer when I replaced the stock. Thanks for the offer!

Gary