Just Picked UP the CETME PANIC LOL

[srouse2822]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to let you know the issues I am having already with my CETME. I hope you can guide me to some things I can look at.

When I pull the charging handle to cock the gun It somtimes gets stuck at the end and I cannot pull it any more.

I have to hit the butt of the gun for the bolt to fly foward and try agian. Somtimes I can pull it back all the way.

Secone when I check for tube and bolt gap I dont think I have any. When I pull the cocking lever foward it does not move an inch. When I try to slip a feeler gage between the bolt and the carrier how far am I supposed to be able to sick the feeler in the gap?

OK that is my first two of many question.....I am still stoked about this rifle and cant wait to learn more.

ANY HELP I THANK YOU

[bladeworks123]

Here is the post about checking bolt gap.


http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=103

Your feeler gauge will only go in between the carrier and bolt head until it hits the locking piece. About 3/8 of an inch or so max. If it won't go in at all, fix the bolt gap before you even attempt to chase down the other problems you asked about. Check the back of your bolt head or mic the length of the bolt head to see if it has been ground.

Here is another link that will help you as a new owner to understand checking bolt gap, disassembly etc. Watch the videos....

http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=638

Here is a good post that gives the correct bolt head lengths and how to determine if you have a ground bolt or not.

http://www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=13191&highlight=bolt+specs

[rudrules]

When I pull the charging handle to cock the gun It somtimes gets stuck at the end and I cannot pull it any more.

It sounds to me that your receiver is to tight against your bolt carrier!

What kind of stock does it have?

Maybe someone before you, tried to put on a HK full stock or a collapsible stock and closed the receiver (pinch it) to much.

Take your stock off and check if your bolt carrier slides freely all the way back.
1.If it does then your stock is to tight and needs to be opened a bit until it stops binding your bolt carrier.
2. If it binds you might have to tweak your receiver and open it a bit, go slow and keep checking if your bolt carrier slides freely, keep doing it little by little until it does.

Some times when the receiver flats are bent their not done correctly.
:America::2pistol:

But it could all be fixed, just have to be patient and do a little at a time.

[srouse2822]

When I watched the videos it seems as if I have no bolt gap I put in the feeler gage I cant seem to fit anything in it.

So what is the next step. New rollers? New locking piece? When I look at the bolt it does not look ground at all as I have seen examples here on what a ground bolt may look like. I will measure next but I need calipers I dont own any.

Secont when RUDRULES says to tweek the reciever and open it up a bit what do you mean how do I do that.

The Stocks I have on it are the crappy CAI stocks. Going to change them to HK Wood soon

Thanks everyone

[rudrules]

First figure out if your bolt carrier its binding, and second figure out exactly were is binding on the receiver.

Then, will worry about how to spread that area of the receiver to allow your bolt carrier assembly to slide along your receiver without binding!
:America::2pistol:

Check this video out to give you some idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI5if5NUklA&feature=PlayList&p=31062366250D4CF4&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7

[srouse2822]

Taek a look at this attached pic I circiled a piece that I think is from the trigger group, It seems looks to be rubbing or at least very close to the bolt carrier. IS this normal>

Thanks

[rustypirate]

Another thing that can cause the bolt carrier to get stuck at the rear of the receiver is a bent recoil guide rod.

If the rod is bent it can cause the bolt carrier tube to get caught on the button on the front end of the guide rod when the bolt is at the rear end of the cycle.

[rustypirate]

Taek a look at this attached pic I circiled a piece that I think is from the trigger group, It seems looks to be rubbing or at least very close to the bolt carrier. IS this normal>

Thanks

That looks normal, no marks to indicate that it is binding.

[srouse2822]

Thanks Rusty....I will check the recoil spring as well. It does only seem to bind at the end of the pull not the whole pull. Its like the last 2 inches or so

[rudrules]

Check this video out to give you some idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI5if5NUklA&feature=PlayList&p=31062366250D4CF4&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=7
:America::2pistol:

[srouse2822]

OK real REAL stupid question.

In regards to the Bolt Gap, I finally got my feeler measure working. I am not an engineer at all but I wanted to ask how I read the feeler gage. When I put the two blades of .004/.102mm and .003/.076 Do I get a total of .007???? If so is that a ok bolt gap? Looking at the links above it seems to be rignt in the middle of what we want for a bolt gap.....Am I right.....Sorry for all the silly questoins Boys

[bladeworks123]

Use only 1 guage at a time, do not use 2 guages together. Whatever single blade you can easily slide in is the measurement.

[srouse2822]

ok so I put a .007/.178mm and it slips right in when I use the .008/.203mm it fits but I need to push a bit. Which reading should I use and are these excaptable gaps?

[jfowl31]

yes, that is acceptable ASSUMING there is cocking tube gap. It is still on the low end, and more gap will make the gun more comfortable to shoot though, and rollers are cheap and easy to install.

Now check the cocking tube gap. Lock it back, slap it and let it go fully into battery. Now JUST SLIGHTLY lift the cocking handle. It should be VERY easy to lift a small amount (1/4" or so away from the tube) until it starts to move the carrier back. If it moves at all before the carrier starts to slide back, you have gap there, and all you need is a tiny bit.

[jfowl31]

If you have no cocking tube gap, it means your carrier is being held back by the charging handle mechanism, thus giving you a "false gap".

Now for the binding. Pull the stock off and see if the bolt slides freely. If so, the stock may be too tight OR the recoil rod could be bent.

If it is still binding, pull the grip frame and reinstall the stock. If it slides freely now, the problem lies in the grip frame... probably the ejector not riding in the right spot or riding too high.

[srouse2822]

I will look at that as well. Thanks every one for there help on the gap issue. Now I need to look at the binding issue when I pull the charging handle back It catches on the last two or so inches as if its catching on somthing. I will look at the recoil assembly and see what we get there.

YOU GUYS ROCK

[kmagnuss]

The reason it's binding on you could be due to the retaining pin on the cocking lever sticking out a tad.

Take off your stock, then pull the cocking handle all the way back and twist it up a bit. You may have to have the lever in the closed position to do this, but line up the inspection holes on the receiver to the retaining pin. If the pin looks uneven from one side to the other, tap it down a bit and use some lock tite on it. This has happened on both my cetmes.

Good luck.

[srouse2822]

I take it doing this with out the bolt carrier in the rifle? Thanks for the help sir...I see your from SW Florida...so am I. Cool to have a CETME fan close.

Scott

[Sapheit warrior]

Taek a look at this attached pic I circiled a piece that I think is from the trigger group, It seems looks to be rubbing or at least very close to the bolt carrier. IS this normal>

Thanks

I would say you are correct with this assumption. I have the excat same problem with mine. I would try to charge it and it would get stuck.

What you need to do is take the trigger group out and inspect it. make sure everything is ticght with little to no play. the part circled in the pic is more then likely loose with is why it is getting wedged up the way it is. there are a few rountes you can go down and I may catch hell for saying this but you can use a tiny bit of JB weld to hold it in place/outof the way. Or you can try and tighten it with the rest of the assembly. Please let me know what route you take... This s intresting to me , I thought i was the only one .

[jfowl31]

Good point about the cocking handle pin. Forgot that one.

[srouse2822]

Ok group am I right in thinking the part that is circled in the pic a few posts ago is the ejector lever?

[Mortal_Wombat]

make sure the front of teh FGC isnt pushed out either (this happens if the trigger has been pulled with it off of the gun and the hammer isnt stopped from hitting the front) this will limit the free play in the ejector and will cause binding (was happening on my gun) just tapped the metal back in with a few light hammer knocks and all my problems were magically fixed haha

[srouse2822]

Ok I did some testing and now I need some more input.

I tested the bolt with out the stock. No binding
I tested the bolt with the stock no FCG No problem.
I tested the bolt charging handle with out the stock No problem
I tested the bolt charging handle with out the FGC No problem

When I put the FCG on BAM it binds.

I suspect its the extractor that is bottoming on the bottom of the bolt.

When I take the FCG out of the lower I notice that the extractor has a lot of side to side play on the pin and the pin looks to be very loose. Is this normal? I am thinking that the extractor moves out of place with that side to side movment and then binds.

Any ideas?

[Smokehouse69]

I had a similar problem, it turned out to be the ejector spring. The spring was too loose and sometimes the ejector would jump out of the slot in the bolt and hang the bolt.
This happened on cocking and sometimes when slamming the bolt home.

[srouse2822]

I think I figured it out. Where the ejector sits there is a pin the pin goes thru the frame and the Ejector. There is a bracket it fits into. I noticed that the bracket was very loose I but some preasure on the bracket so it lightly tightend on the ejector so the wiggle was reduced.

I replace the ejector pin and put it back into the rifle and it cycled just fine. I tried it again and it was out side of the grove of the bolt that the ejector travels in. Its further near the grove so I think I just need to play it a bit more and we shold be all set......I think. If you see the picture I have in the earlyer pictures you can see the ejector wav away from the grove now its closer so I think I may be on the right path.

Insights from you experts. Did you understand what I mean. I can take a picture if that will help.

SCOTT