The Spanish CETME Modelo B assault rifle can be considered the pre-series model of the HK G3. It was adopted in 1958 by the Spanish armed forces and gave way to an improved version called Model C. The latter was replaced in 1986 by the CETME L/LC.
Presentation
Derived from the Sturmgewehr 45, it was developed by a German engineer, Ludwig, who worked at Mauser. Preceded by the Model A prototype, the Model B or 1958 works by delayed recoil and locking by rollers, semi-automatic firing, automatic firing. It has a wooden stock, a high-strength plastic pistol grip, a perforated metal handguard and an adjustable rear sight. The blade front sight is sheltered by a tunnel. The charger is slightly bent. It fires the 7.62 CETME (a 7.62 NATO with reduced load). Produced from 1964 to 1976, the Model C is chambered for the standard 7.62 NATO and differs from the previous one by its bayonet lug, a wooden handguard, its drum rear sight (100-400 m) protected by triangular ears and a fluted chamber improving case ejection. Finally, there is a semi-automatic version reserved for the civilian market bearing the name of CETME Sport.
Broadcast
Its manufacture by the Empresa Nacional Santa Barbara lasted about 15 years. In addition to Spain, a few African and Latin American countries have used these rifles:Congo-Brazzaville, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mauritania and Chad. The French Navy provided its naval commandos with CETME B from deliveries to the FLN intercepted during the Algerian War. They are then replaced by HK G3. Scandinavian countries, Pakistan and Portugal tested it but adopted its West German successor.
Presentation
Country Spain
Type Assault rifle
Ammunition 7.62 CETME (male B)/7.62 x 51 mm NATO (male C)
Manufacturer CETME
Service life 1958-1986
Weights and dimensions
Mass (unloaded) 4.4 kg
Length(s) 1.015 m
Barrel length 450mm
Technical features
Rate of fire 550-600 strokes per minute
Capacity 20 or 30 shots
Appearance in fiction
This rifle, although sold little, can be seen in the films À coups de butre, Universal Soldier and La Chute du faucon noir.
Numerical data
Ammunition: 7.62 CETME (male B)/7.62x51mm NATO (male C)
Length: 1.015 m
Canon: 450 mm
Mass without magazine weight:4.4 kg
Theoretical rate of fire: 550 - 600 rounds per minute
Magger: 20 or 30 rounds