Anyone own a CETME? (firearm)

[Gordon Maney]

The list of most popular battle rifles include the FN Fal, and its several versions, Springfield M1A, M1 Garand, the 1903-A3 bolt action, the K98 Mauser, and the Russian Mosin Nagant.

I'm sure that I missed some, but that should be most of them.

Choosing by price is not the best way to select the best choice.

Come on, now, you can't stop there.

Elaborate, please.

[Gordon Maney]

I had a FN L1A1 which is a Canadian FN FAL. It was a fine rifle, as I remember, I dont know why I ever sold it. I remember I had a hard time getting used to the charging handle being on the left side of the rifle. Now I prefer them that way, I can keep my right hand on fire control, and do any other manipulations with my left.

Of course I have a friend who swears by the AK as the all around one single weapon to own. They are sturdy, reliable guns, but whenever I see somebody holding one, I think "that's a bad guy".

I have looked at AK variants and the big problem I have in looking at them, even understanding their reputation for reliability, is they look like such junk. Poor detailing, poor workmanship, formed sheet metal parts, and the furniture looks often as if it was made from pallet wood.

The very nicest ones I saw were Valmets, though quite expensive, and that was quite a while ago. I don't think I have seen any Valmets at shows for some time.

[Gordon Maney]

Apparently this is a list of what you can't own in Canada.

http://members.shaw.ca/tmcveigh/Proj...rohiblist.html

[Gordon Maney]

An AK forum. Scroll down and see how many are online.

Wow....

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/index.php?

[Gordon Maney]

...and don't forget the FN FAL

http://www.falfiles.com/forums/

[Longhunter7]

Come on, now, you can't stop there.

Elaborate, please.

Ok, when choosing the best rifle for what ever your application is, many factors have to be considered.

Urban areas and rural areas dictate a different choice in rifles.

If you are in an urban setting, a shorter handier smaller caliber rifle like an AR-15 or an AK would be better.

Rural areas may have different conditions that can take advantage of the larger caliber battle rifles.

They can also be used for hunting large game, and allow for better penetration of barricades and car doors.

If someone here needs assistance in making the right choice, I will be happy to assist.

[Jonas Smith]

I looked at a Olympic Arms T40-200 rifle today at the local gun shop. It is basicly a Brazilian Imbel kit assembled here in Washington State, or it was years ago. They sold them new for $750. This one was $1200 ( and no wheeling and dealing!!!) Looks like someone spray painted truck bed liner or non skid on the furniture and the upper receiver.
Longhunter, do you see any good Metric FAL kits out there and how difficult is it to build one?

[Hobcobble]

A shorter semi-auto rifle with some good "punch" is the MAS 49/56.
There are some out on the market that were re-chambered from
7.5mm to .308[7.62x51]. They come with a 10rd detachable
magazine. Quite a beefy little rifle and they can be had for less
than $350. I think I paid $250 for mine in VG+ condition.
John

[Longhunter7]

I looked at a Olympic Arms T40-200 rifle today at the local gun shop. It is basicly a Brazilian Imbel kit assembled here in Washington State, or it was years ago. They sold them new for $750. This one was $1200 ( and no wheeling and dealing!!!) Looks like someone spray painted truck bed liner or non skid on the furniture and the upper receiver.
Longhunter, do you see any good Metric FAL kits out there and how difficult is it to build one?

Mr. Jonas Smith,

The Fal series of rifles are considered one of the best battle rifles ever created. It was adopted by no less than 90 countries of the world as their main battle rifle!

The trend in military rifles for the past 40 years or so, has been to go smaller and lighter. Our current conflicts have shown the error with smaller caliber rifles.

Our military is re-issueing the M-14 with the 7.62 X 51 (.308) cartridge, to be able to reach out and do the job at longer ranges.

The latest direction on the M-16/AR-15 is to go to a better piston driven operating system. The FAL and our enemies AK were designed with the better piston system from the beginning.

I own a DSA-Fal. It is an Austrian STG-58 pattern. It is one of my favorite rifles!

The adjustable gas system allows you to tune the system to the load you are shooting and bleed off the unneeded gas to tame the recoil.

I didn't go the " build it yourself " route, but the best place to go if you want to build a kit, go to www.falfiles.com.

They have a great forum, and they aren't that difficult to build. There is a wealth of information there to get you going with a kit, and it is a friendly place with great support.

Things tend to get a bit long winded with my replies, so if you want to discuss this at greater length, PM me and I can call you, and we can go into greater detail.

[Gordon Maney]

A shorter semi-auto rifle with some good "punch" is the MAS 49/56.
There are some out on the market that were re-chambered from
7.5mm to .308[7.62x51]. They come with a 10rd detachable
magazine. Quite a beefy little rifle and they can be had for less
than $350. I think I paid $250 for mine in VG+ condition.
John

I admit I may have seen those before and not known what I was looking at....

[Bob Thompson]

I bought two of the CETME's from Interarms in Va. One when they first came available in the U.S. The first one had wood furniture and a non-folding cocking knob. I lost that rifle to a house fire while it was stored at a friends place while it was still fairly new. Such is life. The second rifle was a transitional model. Plastic buttstock and a metal hand guard with a non slip tape type surface. This one had the folding cocking knob and a slightly better buffer assy.
I have always liked the pointability and ease of target aquisition afforded by this design. The straight line recoil liits shorten the re-aq time if you are holding it right. On the bad side I saw a lot of Spanish and German made G-3's in Rhodesia and South Africa and they tended to be uncontrollable in full auto. Also once a G-3 has had a hundred rounds through it they tend towards rattling. This can be disconcerting if you are trying to sneak up on something or someone.
Like the M-14 and M-16 they tend to have feeding problems if the rounds are not against the back of the mag. Ball powder ammo can cause the locking rollers not to seat properly in battery when they get gummed up.
Depending on which buffer you have they can be hard on brass. This may no longer be the case but my current HK-91 from 1977 puts a dent in every round . I've noticed the newer rifles have a larger ejection port, so that may be a factor.

[Jonas Smith]

I have to ask, What were you doing in Rhodesia Bob? Being a "man among men"? I loved that old advertisement.

Here's a beautiful piece of work:
Austrian STG58

[Bob Thompson]

Nothing so nefarious Jonas. Actually I visited twice , once as a boy traveling with my father . After he passed I returned to sell off some farm holdings and mineral rights that he had been stuck with as collateral for a loan. During my second trip I met several of those fellows you refer to. They were hanging about the airport in Salisbury like iguanas sunning themselves on a rock.
I spent some time observing wildlife in South Africa as well.

[Jonas Smith]

Bob Thompson circa 1976?

[Bob Thompson]

My secret is out! And that guy on my back has an FAL.

Nice photo Jonas...But my wife says I was never that cute.