Newb question time.  I've scanned through the forum and found a lot of "IIRC's" and "I thinks.." but anyone got a link that definitively show the differences ( if any exist)?
BTW, I've Googled it, but having the same frustration there.

Thanks!
 - Nw -

You'll see the terms used interchangeably when referring to clones.  www.hkpro.com has good writeups on both the real HK91 and G3, but to make a long story short: G3 =  selective fire military version, HK91 = semi-auto civilian version.

The G3 has the giggle switch  

G3 also has the grenade launcher stub on the triple frame whereas a factory HK91 would not.

small detail.

so what should i call my portugal FMP G3S?   should i call it a G3  or an HK91?

Call it a G3 just to piss off all of the people over on HKpro  

Quoted: so what should i call my portugal FMP G3S?   should i call it a G3  or an HK91?

Doesn't really matter unless you're that anal.  Most people call it FMP G3.  Of course if you want to be correct you want call it by whatever is stamped on the gun, which I believe is either G3, G3S, XG3, or SLR something depending on whome and when it was imported.

I've been wondering what the difference between a G3 and CETMI is? They look the same but there is a small $50 difference.

the CETME was designed by out of work german arms designers, employed by the spanish gov't after the war, and made for the spanish military.......later Hk bought the rights, made them and called it the Hk91/G3......but even though they are basically the same weapon, .. the parts are not interchangable between the 2......you can say the the CETME is the orignal, and the hK91/G3 is a copy of that.

Quoted: the CETME was designed by out of work german arms designers, employed by the spanish gov't after the war, and made for the spanish military.......later Hk bought the rights, made them and called it the Hk91/G3......but even though they are basically the same weapon, .. the parts are not interchangable between the 2......you can say the the CETME is the orignal, and the hK91/G3 is a copy of that.

Actually some parts do interchange between the CETME and G3, you can find more detail at www.cetme.org

Darkest2000 thanks...........also the other thing you should know if you are planning on buying either the CETME or the G3 clones made by CENTURY, is that they ground the bolt heads on some of those so they headspace to specs, which from my reading about it, is not a good modification, the acceptable and correct  way to do that would be to change out the rollers to larger size.....so be careful on that if you plan on buying one.

Thanks for your help with my question. I wasn't trying to hi jack the thread or anything.

So FA / Semi, Grenade Launcher Stub, Possibly magazine release ( Lever like AK or Button like AR on one or the other I've heard ).  Anything else?

 - Nw -

Quoted: So FA / Semi, Grenade Launcher Stub, Possibly magazine release ( Lever like AK or Button like AR on one or the other I've heard ).  Anything else?  - Nw -

I think that's pretty much it.  Also military issue G3s come with OD furnitures.  At least that's the case with all the pictures that I've seen.

To get more particular, the G3 has a full auto capable bolt carrier and auto trigger pack. The BC can be used in the HK91 without issue, and the trigger pack can be modified to work in the 91 as a semi.

as far as what to call it, it's a G3 semi. Even the HK91 is a G3 semi.

I don't know what the deal is with people feeling so obligated to differentiate between the auto and the semi as far as naming conventions go.

M4gery

G3 clone

The auto selector is about 10% of the parts involved in the gun, and there are so few autos in private hands in comparison, that the NFA owners would be the ones to point out the difference in their real G3 compared to a G3 semi auto.

Now, this is where I get slightly less than positive, but as best I recall the FMP G3S is built on the same line that built G3's for the portuguese military, but it had the semi trigger pack, and had tabs welded over the front grip frame pin holes in the receiver. I know this is the case with the Ebo, Greece built rifles, and I'm pretty sure it's the case with the Portuguese rifles. On the other hand, the HK91 was a purpose built semi auto receiver. It never had the front pin holes in the receiver.

What difference this really makes is minor. All I can figure is it might help out on having apaddle mag release installed

Quoted: Now, this is where I get slightly less than positive, but as best I recall the FMP G3S is built on the same line that built G3's for the portuguese military, but it had the semi trigger pack, and had tabs welded over the front grip frame pin holes in the receiver. I know this is the case with the Ebo, Greece built rifles, and I'm pretty sure it's the case with the Portuguese rifles. On the other hand, the HK91 was a purpose built semi auto receiver. It never had the front pin holes in the receiver.

That's not quite true. NONE of the semi auto G3 clones that you have named above ever had a grip frame pivot pin hole during it's manufacture.

Otherwise they would all fall under the definition of machineguns by the ATF.

There were a few EARLY semi auto G3 rifles that made it into the US that had a full push pin swing down lower, but the numbers are so small they're not exactly worth mentioning, the cost for one of those is like buying a cheap registered MG.  You can't even remove the bolt carrier because they weld a stopper plate inside the receiver to prevent the user from swapping it with a auto carrier.

You are correct in that the receiver stampings between the semi and full auto all starts out the same.

Difference Between HK91 & G3?

About $10,000  

My gun is built on an FMP made Interport receiver ( marked only made in Portugal, Delta Utah and a Ser# on top) both mag wells were blank. It was completed with an FMP G3 parts kit and 922 compliance parts.

I have no problem calling it a G3.

What else would it be?

JR

Quoted: You'll see the terms used interchangeably when referring to clones.  www.hkpro.com has good writeups on both the real HK91 and G3, but to make a long story short: G3 =  selective fire military version, HK91 = semi-auto civilian version.

HK41 had trigger packs closer to the auto packs (could modify an auto pack to fit), HK91 had the radically different civ ones and there's no way to make a auto pack fit without some serious cutting/remanufacturing the receiver.  HK41 also had a bayonet lug and could launch grenades.  Not sure about HK91.  HK41 was intended as a paramilitary semi-auto rifle for members of the West German army to keep at home while HK91 was intended for civ use/export.  HKPro is probably your best source of info on this.  

<edit> wrong topic oops!  As you were.

Quoted: That's not quite true. NONE of the semi auto G3 clones that you have named above ever had a grip frame pivot pin hole during it's manufacture. Otherwise they would all fall under the definition of machineguns by the ATF. There were a few EARLY semi auto G3 rifles that made it into the US that had a full push pin swing down lower, but the numbers are so small they're not exactly worth mentioning, the cost for one of those is like buying a cheap registered MG.  You can't even remove the bolt carrier because they weld a stopper plate inside the receiver to prevent the user from swapping it with a auto carrier. You are correct in that the receiver stampings between the semi and full auto all starts out the same.

I assure that the Hellenic receiver has/had the front pin holes. They had metal tabs welded over the top of them so that a front pivot pin couldn't be used.

This is at leat on the SAR3 restamps and earlier. I can't say what may have been changed once they went to the SAR8 marked receivers.

Kletzenklueffer's orginal post sums it up - a HK 91 is not a G3 no matter how much you want it to be. There are no mass produced G3 clones currently made I know of. A person adding a registered part / pack to a modified HK91 to make it into a G3 does not count.  There are mass produced HK 91 and CETME clones which cost as Osprey noted $10K to $15k less than a G3 and $1500 or so less than an orginal HK91. I recommend you buy the HK book if you really want to know the details.