CETME barrel length

[smittylite]

Anyone have a CETME handy that they can measure the barrel length on?? I have one at home, but would like to get the measurement ASAP while this "brainfart" is still fresh in my mind.

My thoughts:

The CETME charging handle tube has the hollow, empty section right behind the front sight assembly. I was thinking of shortening the tube back to where the charging handle locks, moving the sight assembly back and shortening the barrel therby making a shorty CETME. I am envisioning this would be done on a CETME kit. Who knows, just some rambling thoughts. :dunno:

[SalBO]

Century says 19.5 inches

[Schuetzenman]

You want a short CETME, just cut the barrel off abut an inch in front of the front sight. I've seen it done, seemed to work just fine.

[smittylite]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman
You want a short CETME, just cut the barrel off abut an inch in front of the front sight. I've seen it done, seemed to work just fine.

No, I want it shorter. ;)

[Schuetzenman]

Originally posted by smittylite
No, I want it shorter. ;)

You can't legally make it shorter as you have to stop at 16 inches. Which most makers leave at 16 and 1/4 inches to make sure ATFE doesn't burn them on for a Gnats gonad hair of difference.

[smittylite]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman
You can't legally make it shorter as you have to stop at 16 inches. Which most makers leave at 16 and 1/4 inches to make sure ATFE doesn't burn them on for a Gnats gonad hair of difference.

Thanks Schuetz. I am thinking of the finished length, with fake flash hider(STG58) or muzzle break welded on. I know those new Izhmash AK's have a 16" finished barrel which includes the AK74 type muzzle break. The actual barrel length is only like 14 1/2 inches. The profile would be reduced by shortening the forearm grip and moving the front site back too. I'm trying to picture what a CETME carbine might look like. With the AMD break on it, it would be quite the earsplitter. :)

[Bigdog57]

Sounds like you're trying to remake the "Eargeschplitten Loudenboomer" in semiauto form! Love to see the flash from that. ;)
In a gas-operated gun there would be timing issues, with a shortened gas tube - but with this "hesitation blowback" system, it aughta work. :confused:

[Schuetzenman]

Yeah FF1090 has a point. I wonder how much higher the chamber pressure would be with this short gas system when it would start to try and unlock.

[bsims]

I sorta had to cut mine down the other day when I botched the muzzle break removal. Couldn't get the pin out, and for some reason I was thinking the barrel was stepped down and the muzzle, and the light above my grinder went out earlier and I didn't have another bulb.... Well, I guess you could figure out what happened from there - I was into the barrel a good ways before I knew it.

Anywho, I took it out today and it functioned just fine. I believe the really short conversions (ala HK51) require you to take a significant amount of material off the carrier to lighten it up, but I did not notice any issues at 16.25". Actually, I got pretty damn lucky as I didn't mean to cut it that short. I knew it was 19.5", but must have had FAL on the brain and was flustered from screwing up the the MB removal and I guestimated around a 3" chop, thinking I would have plenty of room to stay legal. Of course, it hit me as soon as I finished, but luckily just made it...

As a side note, I still can't get the freakin brake off. There is no MB material left around the pin. I've tried heating it with a propane torch, cranked it the chopped bit up tight in the vise and put a screw driver in the holes, dremeled pretty much up the length of it, went at it with a chisel to the point of peeling up the rear edges a good bit up, and the damn thing still won't budge. I'm wondering if Century is doing more than simply pinning them on now... This is a recent one, gotten directly from them as a replacement from my original less than satisfactory one, serial 40XXX.

Brian

[Schuetzenman]

How do you know it's a seperate piece? Food for thought. Can you see any threads?

[bsims]

Yeah, I saw where I went past the threads after banging it with a mallet for a bit in an attempt to dislodge the pin. Of course, at that point, there was no more MB to dislodge it from - I had gone clear past the MB into the barrel!

Brian

[SalBO]

if they silver soldered it, would propane get hot enough to melt it ? Just a thought from a rookie builder......in fact I am not even that yet......hehe.....I'm just a parts collector.....:D

[bsims]

Here's a pic, to my embarrasment. All of the real ugly hacking went on after it was cut off, though. Still won't budge (yes, I'm turning it the right way).

http://www.rock-stars.org/cetmemb.jpg

The rifle is currently disassembled, so I can't really take a picture of it. The stubby little naked barrel nubbin poking out of the handguards looks pretty goofy, IMHO. It would probably look better with some sort of muzzle thingy - I was originally going to put a spare TAPCO short MB on it that I got awhile ago in one of their infamous "stuff a bunch of crap in an oily, greasy, haversack" (those haversacks must be breeding, or something) combo specials. However, I don't have the means of threading it myself. I don't think I'm gonna pay someone to swing it on a lathe, and it looks like a 15x1.0mm die would be a custom jobber (read: more $$$ than I'm willing to spend).

The barrel actually steps up at the muzzle, as well (instead of down as I was thinking, so double whammy in estimating how much material I had to work with). I'm not sure if there is enough meat on it, cut down, for 15mm. Is that measurement the "peak" or "valley" (I'm sure there are more correct terms) of the threading? OD at the new muzzle is .5675, which looks like 14.41mm. Mebbe thread it with an AK die - 14x1.0LH? Not sure what the non-custom selection in that thread pitch is, other than slant or AK-74 style, which I don't want.... 9/16" would probably work as well, which would open me up to the various FAL brakes. I don't have either, but have both an SAR-1 I wanted to put a slant brake on as well as a nekkid imbel barrel on a sorta izzy carbine. Hmmm....

(Edit: Sorry for sorta hijacking this thread, BTW)

Brian

[SalBO]

it definately looks like you had a bang up time with it.......hehehe

[smittylite]

Originally posted by Schuetzenman
Yeah FF1090 has a point. I wonder how much higher the chamber pressure would be with this short gas system when it would start to try and unlock.

Good point Schuetz. I hadn't considered the change in pressure and the effect on when the rollers would disengage. Like I said earlier, just an idea I had popping into my mind.

[bsims]

Here ya go - I knew I had seen one of these somewhere:

http://www.cetmerifles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27

Here's my chopped "choppo" as well. Not really the route you were looking to go, however.

http://www.rock-stars.org/cetme.jpg

Brian

[smittylite]

Sorry Brian, can't see your pic. However video clip #5 gave me a chubby. :eek::D

[rtl]

I've been wanting to do the same thing with my CETME - actually out of nesc.. The brake pin protrudes into the bore slightly, and the brake itself is wobbly. I would just rather cut it down to about 16" or so and have a real handy .308.
Any recommendations for who would do a nice cut/crown job on the bbl? Preferably for low $$$.

[RetVet]

Originally posted by rtl
Any recommendations for who would do a nice cut/crown job on the bbl? Preferably for low $$$.

This sounds like a job for PaPatriot.:)

[PBR]

Originally posted by SalBO
if they silver soldered it, would propane get hot enough to melt it ? Just a thought from a rookie builder......in fact I am not even that yet......hehe.....I'm just a parts collector.....:D

MAPP gas gets hot enough but not the propane. I buy the bottles that fit my propane torch.

BSIMS...dont feel too bad about it....some lessons are best learned the hard way. On this board we have a lot of experianced home smithys who will be more than happy to answer questions BEFORE you unleash the Dremel from hell :D