Ball park? What do I need to know about one of these? Pitfalls?

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Doug,

Tough to put a price on.  If it's one of the Century guns built on a stamped receiver and with the factory wood grip and buttstock (PG should be black plastic) and it works (big "if") then no more than $500 and that would be high.  The early cast receiver ones are to be avoided as are the latter ones when they started running dry on parts and were sticking on cheap plastic furniture.  Function is the biggest thing here.  Century apparently had trouble headspacing them properly and rather than take the time to mate up the correctly sized rollers for the receiver/bolt combo they started doing goofy stuff like grinding down the tails of the bolts and stuff to make them work.  Also a lot of guns got sent back because the trunions weren't pressed in properly and no matter how far you cranked the sights, the gun just could not be gotten on paper.  Just the Readers Digest version regarding them.  It may be an okay piece and shoot straight but the above was common enough to keep the resale very low on these.


ETA, for a few hundred more you can get a JLD PTR base model gun and it will shoot as good as an HK 91.

Thanks Muddy, that's what i needed.

Muddy is right on all accounts.  The only way to know it's built right is to take the bolt and carrier out and inspect it, and reassemble and measure bolt gap.   If you really want to make sure its built right, build one yourself, I built mine.  There are too many horror stories on the net for me to consider buying a Century gun.

Other sorces of info. including checking bolt gap.
www.militaryfirearm.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=296

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Unless you get an opportunity to shoot and disassemble prior to purchase I would pass. These guns were well know to have many issues.

For $300.00 or less I would be willing to gamble otherwise I would pass.

TD

My checking head space would be like you guys picking a jury. I could try it but it wouldn't be pretty...

Quoted: My checking head space would be like you guys picking a jury. I could try it but it wouldn't be pretty...

Duely noted counselor.  As mentioned, even if the headspace is correct that won't address any issues if the trunion and barrel are not pressed in correctly.  I don't know if you've ever shot a G3 or Cetme but you're welcome to play with my G3FS some weekend to decide if you really want one.  If that is the case then the JLD PTR route is the best bang for the money.  I would personally pass on the Century CETME.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If it's a new unfired cetme, and you have a bolt gap of say, .008, it'll drop about .005 after the first 100rnds are put through it and your now out of spec., gap is supposed to be between .004 and .020 thou., just something to keep in mind.

After having to replace the front trunnion and bolt on a buddies Century yugo underfolder a couple weeks ago, I'd be leary about buying anything assembled by the apes at century.

After having to replace the front trunnion and bolt on a buddies Century yugo underfolder a couple weeks ago, I'd be leary about buying anything assembled by the apes at century.

A bit off-topic but I think apes might do a better job, especially after reading the horror stories about the Century-assembled Tantal debacle.  Apparently some fuckin' genious thought it would be a good idea to use 5.56 barrels on a gun that was going to shoot 5.45.  Guys were complaining left and right about their guns keyholing at as little as 50 yds. regardless of bullet weights (everything from 52 grn to 70 grn).  Someone decided to mic the bore diameter and what do you know, turns out it was something like .224 which is too large for the 5.45.  I cringe at the thought that I almost bought one so I could have an extra AK in 5.45.  

Don't get me wrong, I still buy stuff from Century, both personally and for the business and I give them a lot of credit for coming up with creative solutions to provide product despite the perpetual moving target that is the import regs, thanks to the alphabet company and their constant "re-interpretations".  I understand that is no easy task; I just wish they would go the extra mile on this stuff and get it right so ordering isn't like rolling the dice at times.

Doug, one of these days if you still want to borrow my Vector Uzi you can try out my Century CETME too.  It ain't the prettiest thing in the world but you pull the trigger, it goes bang, and the aluminum can jumps.  That was all I was expecting from it.  Oh, and I know I still owe you money.  :-)

Mine worked fine except for being abit picky with HK91 Mags

Other then that it worked, go for $400-500 range