Advice or ideas about a Repeated malfunctions with a CETME rifle

Hello all.

About three years back my neighbor informed me he bought a HK clone.

After his excitement about it being a great price, i had my reservations about this thing being a P.O.S.

Well, this is now the third time he has fired it, and had 2 major malfunctions.

Any advice from someone with more experience with these would be greatly appreciated.

First issues he had was failure to fire.
Not a big deal, i helped show him how to clean it properly and oil it. The bolt would cycle much more smoothly and he happily returned home thinking it was "fixed".
This thing was nasty as hell inside, it reminded me of a cosmoline packed sks that hadn't been degreased before use.

About a year later, he calls and asks me to look at it again.

Now there's a case stuck in the breach.
O.k. i get the grease gun out and 20 minutes later, brass is out, and we completely disassembled and cleaned it again.
I explained to him about the flutes needing to be very clean in order to ,"float" the brass to help with extraction and cycling properly.

Told him to clean it more often, and not to run it "wet" like an ar.

Well, again he calls. Brass stuck in the breach again. He swears up and down it was "spotless" and not wet.

So is he b.s. , or is there some type of timing issue?
I pulled the bolt, rotated it, the rollers are in good shape, everything appears to fit nicely. The headspace is in spec at .012 "
I am out of ideas here , short of telling him to use it as wall art for his man cave.

Thanks in advance.

What type of ammo is he running in it?

MilSurp 7.62?
Consumer 308?
Steel case?

I had a CETME a long time ago, it was cheap....for a reason. I got rid of it pretty fast.

a reply to: Notoneofyou

I had a problem kinda like this with my browning buckmark .22 target model and resolved in the magazine spring being too weak. It just wasnt chambering the round proper i guess. Replaced both mags and never had a problem again to speak of. Ill as around my friends who shoot more than me to see what they think.


Maybe a feed ramp issue?

a reply to: MisterSpock

He thinks Rem 308 the first time, and has been using using up hornady 308 left over from deer seasons.

The documentation says its chambered for .308

NATO 7.62x54 shouldn't be a problem for testing.

Hadn't really thought about it honestly.

a reply to: drewlander

My father in law had the same thing with his buckmark.
He left the mags loaded all the time, which softened the springs.

I haven't seen or touched the mags for this particular rifle. I cant imagine that's whats happening here, as the bolt cant even open after the brass gets stuck.
I think that the brass is staying in chamber too long causing it to get stuck.
I'm familiar with the HK models that this is a cheap copy of.
Mostly I think that's the actual problem, cheap knockoff with sub par clearances, cheap parts, bad machining.


I will check the mag springs just to be thorough, when i get a chance.

originally posted by: Notoneofyou
a reply to: drewlander

I cant imagine that's whats happening here, as the bolt cant even open after the brass gets stuck.

Not autofeed then. Sounds like an extractor problem. Maybe run some snap caps through it for a better understanding?

a reply to: drewlander

Honestly im debating on welding the breach and muzzle closed, and giving it back.

He paid 200$ for it, and i dont enjoy tinkering with it. Im not sure what current gunsmithing rates are but he could probably buy another on brand new cheaper than fixing this one.
He's a neighbor that likes to borrow tools, drink my beer and just generally be a pain in the ass.

However, the wife makes me play nice. So here we are.

a reply to: Notoneofyou

Agreed. Reliability is a major factor for safe handling. Id probably sell it for scrap value to a metal recycler so no one could hurt themself with it. Or weld it as you suggested.

originally posted by: Notoneofyou
a reply to: MisterSpock

He thinks Rem 308 the first time, and has been using using up hornady 308 left over from deer seasons.

The documentation says its chambered for .308

NATO 7.62x54 shouldn't be a problem for testing.

Hadn't really thought about it honestly.

should be shooting 7.62 x 51 not by 54......7.62 x 54r is a mosin nagant round

originally posted by: Notoneofyou
a reply to: MisterSpock

He thinks Rem 308 the first time, and has been using using up hornady 308 left over from deer seasons.

The documentation says its chambered for .308

NATO 7.62x54 shouldn't be a problem for testing.

Hadn't really thought about it honestly.

If it was 7.62 milsurp stuff I could see him getting a stuck case or two(I think, like 5.56, the nato spec is slightly higher pressure than the "consumer" round).

If he's using brass good quality(name brand, like you said) then it's something else. Honestly it might be the gun, like I said, mine was bad, so it wouldn't surprise me.

a reply to: conspiracytheoristIAM

Yes your correct 7.62x51 is NATO for .308.

Had a brain fart. Didn't even notice I put x54.
I'm old.

a reply to: MisterSpock

I'm going to try to convince him to weld it up and hang it on the wall.

It's not worth the money, or risks should something fail and cause injury to someone.

My father in law has an ar10 he doesnt like (to heavy for his taste) , I'm going to see if they can figure something out.

The guys a diesel mechanic and the in laws have a tractor that needs work.

Hopefully we can get the damn thing out of circulation without too much trouble.

a reply to: Notoneofyou

sell it on gun broker, list the issues someone will take care of it. Then pickup a ptr91

a reply to: circuitsports

A Ptr would be nice, however I think the guy needs something simple like an ar to keep clean.

I mentioned the idea of bartering with th father in law and his ears perked right up.

I did tell him that it is conditional to the cetme being rendered safe first.
He didn't like that, but i told him im not working on or cleaning anything else for free.