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CETME is an acronym for Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales (Center for Technical Studies of Special Materials), a Spanish government design and development establishment. While being involved in many projects CETME was mostly known for its small arms research and development. The CETME rifle is its most famous project and the CETME name is most often used to refer to this rifle.

CETME also designed the CETME C2 a 9mm advanced Sterling-like submachine gun, and the CETME Ameli (AMEtralladora LIgera) a light machine gun in 5.56x45mm NATO.

CETME Rifle

The CETME rifle was designed primarily by the German engineer Ludwig Vorgrimler, who based his design on the experimental German StG45(M) and the French-made AME 49. The StG45 used a roller-delayed blowback mechanism somewhat similar to the roller-locking system patented by the Edward Stecke in the 1930s in Poland and used in the MG42. The MG42 locking system actually locks completely and requires a short stroke barrel that travels backwards to unlock, compared to the StG45(M) system that never completely locks and does not require a moving barrel. The CETME design inherits the StG45(M)'s fixed-barrel. The rifle was initially designed for other cartridges, including the 7.62x51 CETME, but due to feedback from H&K the rifle was chambered for the more powerful 7.62x51mm NATO round. Model B went on to be the foundation of the widely-deployed Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle.

The CETME Model A began manufacture in Spain in 1957. The CETME series of battle rifles was manufactured in five models, the A, B, C, L, LC, and LV models. The primary difference in the three first models is the absence of bipod and the lightweight C model.

Spanish Legion legionnaire with CETME L.

Models

Modelo A and A1

Developmental prototypes.

Modelo B

Production model, with steel handguard, manufactured for light weight 7.62 CETME round, which fired a lighter weight projectile than standard 7.62 NATO round. The parts for these for the most part interchange with the later "C" model rifles. On the current Century rifles there have been reports of model "B" parts in the Model "C" Century built rifles.

Modelo C

The "C" model was a lightweight version.

Spanish sailor with CETME C rifle.

Modelo E

CETME L and LC

CETME L

The CETME Model L was a downsized variant of the CETME system, chambered for the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge. It was adopted in 1984 and replaced in 1999 by the Heckler and Koch G36 rifle.

Right side view CETME L

CETME L basic components

Selector lever positions

Other CETME weapon designs

CETME C2

The CETME C2 is a Sterling type SMG.

CETME Ameli

This model was an unsuccessful attempt to replace the MG3 with a 5,56 mm Light Squad Automatic Weapon. The prototypes of the weapon were quite good, having good if not excellent performance in trials and first units, being tested not only in Spanish army but by British 22nd SAS regiment in 1984, beating FN Minimi and HK33E. Production examples had far less quality, with poorer materials. The UK Army returned their serial production units (a total of 600 purchased for SAS, SBS, and paratroopers) to Santa Bárbara and Spanish Army units did never fully replaced MG3 (which is still in service) with AMELI (with only about 300 units in service and many units with functional problems due to low quality materials; further orders were cancelled). Both models are expected will be replaced with H&K MG4.

Spanish marines lightly modified the weapon adding reinforcements and additional weldings in order to correct some functional problems.

Sources and literature

• Manual del soldado de Infantería de Marina ( 1985 ). Marine Corps soldier Manual Edited by the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
• Manual de instrucción básica de la Escuela Técnica de Seguridad y Defensa del Aire (ETESDA) (2002). Basic instruction Manual of the Technical School Safety and Air Defence (ETESDA) (2002). Edited by the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
• Centro de Documentación y Publicaciones del Ministerio de Defensa. Publications and Documentation Centre of the Ministry of Defence.
• CETME: 50 años del fusil de asalto español . (CETME: 50 years of Spanish assault rifle). José María Manrique García and Lucas Molina Franco. Edit. La Esfera de los Libros. (The Sphere of Books). ISBN 8497343980.

See also

• Heckler & Koch G3
• SIG SG 510
• PTR 91

External links

• Buddy Hinton Collection / CETME
• More information on the cetme Including the Mars Import [1]
• Century Arms CETME Manual
• CETME C pictorial
• Original Spanish manual translated into English: CETME Model C Manual
• [a graphic of the various versions]