CETME or FN FAL

R

Ruthless4christ

New member
So I really like the FAL, I owned one for 3 days once before selling it and making an awesome profit, but wish I never had. now I am looking at getting another But i see this CETME jumping up all over and it looks cool. From all I can see it is pretty much shorter FAL, which makes sense since the length on the FAL would be the only thing I could complain about.

Which should I choose and why?
 
The CETME is more closely related to the HK91 or G3. It used the delayed roller-lock action as opposed to the FAL gas piston.

For my money, I'd go with the FAL. More adaptable, easier to find parts, and for me it has better balance. If it's shorter length you are looking for, check out the DSA carbines.
 
Watch out for CAI (Century Arms) CETME's. CAI can be hit or miss, and they sometimes mix and match parts, etching new serial numbers onto bolts and such. This can result in a rifle with sub-optimally fitted parts. I've seen some CAI guns that were great, and some that were sloppy. Definitely do not buy one online, inspect it in person.
 
My friend in a nearby town just got (3) CAI FN-FALS

One is outstanding in ever way. I mounted a good scope on it for him and we were getting 1 1/4" 5 shot groups right out of the box. No jams at all, and the trigger is quite good. Nothing bad to say at all about this rifle.

The other 2 were bad.
One seems ok from all appearances, but it will not fire 3 rounds in a row. 7-9 jams per mag, even if we use several mags.

The 3rd one is very loose, with about 1/16" of slop up and down, AND back and forth --- where the upper and lower receivers come together in the rear.

So 2 are going back for replacement. One is a very good rifle.
CAI is a "hit or miss outfit"

They were purchased from J&G Sales in AZ, and J&G said they would replace them without any hassles at all.
We'll have to see how they 2 replacements are.

I did also have another friend that had one of their CETMEs and it works perfectly.
 
I just like them. They handle better and are easier to get parts for. I really dont care muvh for Century. But FAL is imo the better design than Cetme.
 
http://vickerstactical.com/tactical-tips/battle-rifles/
"Battle Rifles

I frequently get asked which battle rifle is my choice for a preferred 7.62mm weapon. I have one of about every type ever made in my personal reference collection, and some are better than others in a given area, but the one I have always liked the best is the FAL. The M14 can be tuned to a higher degree of accuracy and the G3 I would consider the most rugged, but all things considered the FAL as a 7.62mm battle rifle or carbine is, in my opinion, the all around best choice.

I currently own 14 FAL style rifles of different flavors, mostly original Belgian made guns, but I would recommend a buyer look hard at DS Arms offerings if you find yourself shopping for a 7.62mm rifle or carbine vs paying the high price for a pre ban Belgian FAL. In addition DS Arms deserves the lions share of credit of keeping the FAL viable in this day and age and offering more options and varieties than Fabrique Nationale ever dreamed of. I own 3 DS Arms FAL style rifles and I find them well made, more than adequately accurate, and reliable if you know how to treat an FAL. Make no mistake the FAL is not an AK; you cannot abuse it like an AK and expect it to work. If you treat it with the respect it deserves however it will serve you quite well. Jeff Cooper said it well; “The AK is the rifle for the masses and the FAL is the rifle for the classes”. As he so often did Jeff summed up the situation perfectly; and make no mistake the FAL is the rifle for the classes.

Featuring excellent engineering the FAL has always been a weapon that holds a special place in my heart. In addition it features attention to detail and quality construction throughout. I find serious firearms enthusiasts almost always love the FAL for the sake of the remarkable design characteristics. For a serious use FAL my favorite is the tactical carbine offered by DS Arms. With an aluminum alloy lower receiver and 16.25 inch barrel it makes for a very handy 7.62mm carbine. For my particular version I used an Israeli mag release, a Norwegian AK4 style modified FAL bolt carrier with forward assist scallop, and DSA scope mount. I also mounted a Surefire flashlight with a Vltor clamp to a short piece of picatinny rail to the handguard. I topped it off with an excellent Schmidt & Bender Short Dot II scope with a 7.62 mm M118LR BDC. The S&B scope is heavy duty so to keep the weight down I opted against a DSA modular rail system. After I did a radiusing of all sharp edges DSA black Duracoated all the metal and I installed one of my VCAS slings. The end result is a superb general purpose battle carbine. It would be my first choice in a .30 caliber carbine to take into harms way.

There are countless spare parts and accessories available for the FAL on the market. Many of the parts interchange with other FAL variants so customizing your 7.62mm rifle is easier than with any other long gun save the AR family. DS Arms not surprisingly is an excellent source for FAL parts and a simple Google search will reveal several others also.

A few end user tips on the FAL: keep it reasonably clean and well lubed, learn how the gas regulator functions and how to adjust it, and only load 18 rds in the magazine. In my experience if you abide by these rules the FAL will serve you well.

I can recommend the FAL as a weapon and DS Arms as a vendor of guns, parts, and accessories for the FAL. If you are in the market for a serious 7.62mm rifle or carbine, give them a call."
 
When I still served in a PzGren Btl a long, long time ago we had some of the original Cetme rifles left while most where H&K made.

There was no difference in quality or reliablity and the older guys that had still been issued the G1 (FAL) before found the G3 superior.

Selected rifles were used for sniper duty with a Hensoldt 4x24 and they grouped moa.

Back in the days of the cold war, the PzGrenBtls, para troopers, and Gebirgsjäger were Germany's elite fighting units, shooting much more than other army units. I have never had the G3 fail.

With the price adavantage of the FAL over the Century CETME, which too often is hit or miss, the FAL is probably a better choice.

As for parts availability, the G3 is a solidly built weapon and there are enough parts out there to make parts availability no concern.
 
So i found a FAL G1 on www.classicarms.us but it does not say if it is imported by century or not. I will have to find out. However, would I be able to buy a DSA carbine upper and put it on one of these? I assume all of this is interchangeable?
 
"Which rifle is best?" is always a purely personal thing. While I like the looks of the FAL more, there is something about it's stock shape that my old noggin just doesn't like. I have shot a few FALs, and find them barrel-heavy and cumbersome. Okay shooters, no better than my CETME. I find the CETME far better balanced.
The CETME I have has been utterly reliable, no issues at all. Using a scope, I can get consistent one-inch groups (at 100 yards) with good surplus or handload ammo. I find the lack of a gas system to make it more forgiving of ammo inconsistencies. And cleaning is easier. It has the least 'felt recoil' of all semi-auto 30-cal rifles I have shot. I can stay on target even in raoid fire.

And the wonderful "Century Muzzle Blast Enhancer" can clear the noobs off the ajoining benches like nobody's business! When my Spanish Lady speaks, people take notice! :D
 
Looking at the 16. 1/2 inch barrel uppers on dsa's website, I could pretty much have the best of both worlds, if those uppers are completely interchangeable with a slandered FAL lower.
 
The CETMEs ergonomics are not very good. The charging handle is in an awkward location and magazine changes seemed slower than my FALs when I had mine.

CETMEs are also hard on brass, and often leave dents in the brass (from ejection) or rip the rim off (from extraction).

They also suffer one of the same faults as the M16 in that they dump the combustion gases directly into the chamber/reciever area and get filthy quickly. To the CETMEs credit, they run well even when filthy, but they are a PITA to clean.

I prefer several things about the FAL.
1) adjustable gas system is easier on brass and increases reliability
2) field stripping is faster and easier
3) the FAL is made so that it can be repaired and rebuilt rather than just being thrown away like the CETME
4) FALs can be configured in more ways easier.
 
CAI CETME

I've had my CETME for about 2 years, and I wasn't a fan at all at first mainly because it takes some practice to change magazines quickly. The sights are also pretty rudimentary. I had G-3 sights put on it by a master welder(who was also on the WI national guard rifle team years ago) Since then it's been a great shooter, for what it is. It will never be a MOA rifle, but that's not what it was designed to be. Essentially it's a fun rifle to shoot, with good accuracy at 200 yards, and it's a good conversation piece at the range. Plus around here they sit on the tables at gunshows for $550.00 can't really beat that.

Just my opinions though



"...and you would probably end up with one of those souvenir bats, because that the of thing that happens when untrained people pick out unfamiliar equipment based on what "feels" right."
 
Ruthless4christ said:
Looking at the 16. 1/2 inch barrel uppers on dsa's website, I could pretty much have the best of both worlds, if those uppers are completely interchangeable with a slandered FAL lower.
Click to expand...

Not sure if the Upper/Lower would fit correctly. There are "inch pattern" and "metric pattern" FALs. I believe that the DSAs are built on the original metric design, but I'm not sure about the other makers of FAL parts.

Hope soneone else has a more definitive answer for you.
 
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