CETME A, B, modelo 58, C Assault Rifles (Spain)

Stg.45(M) - German predecessor to CETME rifles, made at the Mauser Werke in 1945

Early CETME assault rifle prototype chambered for experimental 7.92x40mm cartridge

CETME modelo A assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x51mm reduced load cartridge

CETME modelo B / mod. 58 with 30 rounds magazine

CETME modelo C rifle(semi-automatic only "Sporter" version shown)

data for CETME mod. B / Mod. 58 rifle

Caliber: 7.62x51 mm reduced power load; also 7.62x51mm NATO

Action: delayed blowback

Overall length: 1015 mm

Barrel length: 450 mm

Weight: 4.4 kg

Rate of fire: 550 - 600 rounds per minute

Magazine capacity: 20 or 30 rounds

The Spanish state company CETME (Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de MaterialesEspeciales - Special Materials Technical Studies Center, now known as EmpresaNational Santa Barbara) was founded in 1949 to develop various small arms for Spanish army. At about the same time it employed the German arms designer LudwigVorgrimler, who worked for the famous Mauser Werke in Germany before and during the World War 2. The Vorgrimler was the designer of the experimental German assault rifle, known as "Gerat 06" or Stg.45(M). This rifle was not manufactured in any quantities, but its design served as a basis for further development at the CETME, and more important, at the another German company,Heckler & Koch, which obtained a license for the Vorgrimler / CETME rifle design circa 1957. This deal later resulted in the famous family of the H&K weapons, like the G3 and HK33 assault rifles, HK21 and HK23 machine guns, MP5 submachine guns and numerous other small arms that achieved a worldwide popularity. All those weapons are built using the delayed blowback system ofoperation, designed by Vorgrimler and his men at the Mauser in 1945 and refined by CETME.

The initial assault rifle development at the CETME was conducted around proprietary intermediate cartridge, known as 7.92x40mm CETME.This cartridge featured a long and streamlined bullet, made from aluminum. The overall design was found adequate, but cartridge was rejected in favor of the 7.62x51mm round with lighter bullet and a reduced powder charge. Improved rifle entered serial production in 1956 and was adopted by the Spanish army in 1957.In 1958 CETME introduced a slightly improved design, known as Modelo B or Model58. This rifle was intended to fire 7.62x51mm reduced loads but also could fire the standard 7.62mm NATO, if the bolt group and the return spring are replaced with the appropriate set of parts. In 1964, CETME introduced the Modelo C, whichalso was adopted by Spanish Army, Navy and Air Force. This rifle was intended to fire only standard, full power 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. Its key improvements were 4-position diopter sights (instead of the earlier leaf type open sights),wooden handguards instead of earlier steel ones, bipod was made as a separate part and, most important, the chamber was fluted to improve extraction and avoid torn rims and cartridge case failures in harsh environment conditions.Production of the modelo C rifle was ceased in 1976, and in 1980s it had been gradually replaced by its 5.56mm derivative,CETME Modelo L assault rifle.

All 7.62mm CETME rifles are built around Vorgrimlers' roller delayed blowback system. This system employs a two parts bolt with two rollers.The front bolt part (bolt head) is relatively light and has a bolt face with extractor on it. It also has a hollow cavity at the rear, in which an in clined forward end of the rear part of the bolt (bolt body) is inserted. The system features two rollers, inserted from the sides into the bolt head and rested on the inclined forward end of the bolt body (seethis diagram; it will pop up in the new window). When gun is fired,the pressure began to move the cartridge back against the bolt face. The rollers, which are extended into the recesses in the barrel extension, began to move inward into the bolt head, due to inclined shape of the recesses. This movement translates into the faster rearward movement of the heavier bolt body,so, at the initial moments of shot, when pressure in the chamber is still high,bolt face moves relatively slow. When pressure drops to a reasonable level,rollers disengage the barrel extension completely and from this moment on the bolt head and the bolt body move backward at the same speed, extracting and ejecting spent case and chambering a fresh cartridge on the way back. All CETMErifles are firing from the closed bolt. The trigger mechanism is hammer fired,and in military versions is capable in semi-automatic and fully automatic modes of fire. On the early models the safety / fire mode selector switch was located above the trigger at the right side of the gun. From the model C the safety /selector switch was relocated to the left side of the gun. The receiver is made from steel sheet stampings, as well as the trigger group housing, which is hinged to the receiver just behind the magazine housing. Early models (prior toModelo C) were issued with integral folding metallic bipods and open leaf-type rear sights. The Modelo C rifles were issued with wooden handguards and a separate detachable bipods. The rear sights were replaced by the 4 positions diopter sights, marked for 100 - 400 meters range. All rifles featured a wooden buttstock and a folding carrying handle above the receiver. The flash hider of the Modelo C rifles was shaped to accept and launch NATO-standard rifle grenades. Most rifles were issued with magazines of 20 rounds capacity and made of steel, but 30 rounds magazines also were available.

CETME mod. L and LC (Spain)

CETME Mod. L assault rifle

Caliber: 5.56x45 mm NATO (.223 rem)

Action: Delayed blowback

Overall length: 925 mm (860/665 mm mod. LC)

Barrel length: 400 mm (320 mm mod. LC)

Weigth: 3.4 kg empty (3.22 kg Mod. LC)

Rate of fire: 600 - 750 rounds per minute

Magazine capacity: 12 or 30 rounds

The Mod. L rifle had been developed by Spanish CETME company (now Santa Barbara SA) as a further derivative of the previous Mod. 58 ad Mod. B rifles. These rifles, in turn, have their roots in WW2 German assault rifle Stg.45, developed by Mauser. After the WW2, some Mauser men moved to the Spain and started to work for CETME, where they developed the Mod. B battle rifle, chambered for 7.62mm NATO cartridge. This rifle later was licensed by Heckler&Koch and beбame the famous G3, but CETME also continued the development. In the mid-1960s men at CETME began to work at smaller-caliber version of the basic rifle, initially called Mod. E. Development was completed in 1980, when first prototype of the Mod. L, chambered for 5.56mm cartridge appeared. Production of the Assault Rifle Mod. Land carbine Mod. LC began in 1984, and it was adopted by Spanish army. In 1999 this rifle was declared obsolete by adoption of the H&K G36E assault rifle.

Like the previus models, CETME Mod. L is a delayed blowback operated, selective fire assault rifle. It has two-piece bolt with two rollers, which are used to accelerate bolt body and to slow bolt head and to hold the cartridge case in chamber until the pressure will drop. The chamber walls are fluted to help the extraction. Overall design is somewhat similar to H&K 33 rifles, but Mod. L is easily distinguishable by larger triggerguard and different (from HK designs) plastic pistol grip and handguards. Sights on Mod. L also are different from HK pattern and rear sight is a simple flip-up "L" shaped leaf with two apertures for 200 and 400 meters. Magazine port also is different from HK pattern and is designed to acceptt M16-type magazines. Carbine Mod. LC differs from the Mod. L by having shorter barrel and telescoping metallic buttstock.