CETME

The name CETME is an acronym for Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales, a Spanish government design and development establishment. The CETME rifle, which was initially trialled with other calibers, but eventually chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO caliber, was designed primarily by the German engineer, Ludwig Vorgrimmler, who based his model on a late WWII German prototype assault rifle, the experimental StG45(M). The StG45 used a roller-delayed blowback mechanism somewhat similar to the roller-locking system patented by the Edward Stecke in the 1930s in Poland and used in the MG42. The MG42 locking system actually locks completely and requires a moving barrel that travels backwards to unlock, compared to the StG45(M) system that never completely locks and does not require a moving barrel.

Manufactured in Spain from 1957, the CETME Model A served as a blueprint for the German Heckler & Koch G3 series of battle rifles. The CETME features roller-delayed blowback operation, which it shares with many German weapons. The CETME series of battle rifles was manufactured in five models, the A, B, C, L, LC and LV models. The primary difference in the three first models is the absence of bipod and the lightweight C model.

CETME also designed the CETME C2 a 9 mm advanced Sterling-like submachine gun, and the CETME Ameli (AMEtralladora LIgera) a light machine gun in 5.56x45mm NATO.

Import into the US
Century International Arms, Inc. formerly of Fairfax, Vermont, then Georgia, Vermont, and currently of Delray Beach, Florida, imported the majority of CETME rifles into the United States. As their manual states, "The CETME Rifle is built using genuine CETME parts and a U.S. manufactured receiver. The CETME conforms to B.A.T.F. requirements. It is semi-automatic only." Specifically, in order to import an automatic firearm into the United States for civilians (Government entities are exempt from nearly all firearms laws), the fully automatic receiver must be destroyed, and a certain number of US manufactured parts must be substituted. Specifically, from a list of twenty parts, no more than ten may be of foreign manufacture (see BATFE's sec.922r). In the case of the Century CETME, the receiver, trigger group, muzzle attachments and plastic furniture are of US manufacture, so the Century CETME complies with regulations. Unfortunately, the Century CETME "clone" is so far removed from the original CETME in quality and operation that its function can not be assured by the company, and their reputation has suffered. In the 1960s, the company MARS imported the semi-auto CETME into the US for the sporting market, with original Spanish receiver parts. These early import CETMEs are quite rare and robust, and fetch a price approaching 5-6 times that of a Century CETME. This is primarily due to the very poor quality and reputation of the Century product rather than actual quality of the MARS guns.