CETME, L1A1, or HK G3 Surplus Rilfes, Any Experience?

[Vermillion]

Hey all you gun guys.

Do any of you have any experience with the surplus CETME G3, FN L1A1, or HK G3 surplus rifles currently on the market?

I've been looking thru a recent shotgun news and noticed the cheap surplus rifles with imported parts built onto an american manufactured receiver (most if not all from centuryarms from what I can find).

I've always wanted to pick up a military style .308 rifle and I intend too buy a Springfield M1A (civilian M14) but it will be about a year or more before I want to invest $1500+  in a rifle.

The Spanish made CETME's (an HK G3 clone) are running about $290 with a stamped receiver or about $390 with a cast receiver.



The actual Heckler & Koch G3 (US receiver) is running about $460, a little more than I wanted to invest in a "toy", especially considering that I eventually want to get the M1A.  But if the quality is better, an extra $125 might be worth it.



The L1A1 is the British version of Belgium FN-FAL, another excellent designed rifle.  I'm more partial to the German designed G3, but I'm told the FN-FAL is still a great gun.  These are running around $390.



Does anyone have any experience with these?

[AKDejaVu]

Where are you getting these prices from?  I've been thinking about picking up an FN-FAL for some time... but haven't seen any at that price.

AKDejaVu

[Vermillion]

This is just one of quite a few places, but alot of them have the same prices.  Of course you will have to have it shipped to a legal dealer with a FFL license, but they're easy to find and usually only charge a $20-$25 fee to do the deal.

http://www.joeken.com/index.htm

Another

http://www.kieslersonline.com/

Another

http://www.tapco.com/

Or you can pick up the magazine "Shotgun News" (its big and printed on paper that looks like newspaper) at any news stand, book store, or even Walmart.

Which has a ton of places

[Reschke]

If you can get an HK G3 for that price then do it. I passed up an opportunity to get one a couple of years ago for less than that and have been kicking myself ever since. I have shot the G3 and the FN FAL and I like the feel of the G3 better. I have also seen some cast receivers in various rifles that have cracked after little usage.

One example is a guy I work with bought a Remington 710 .30-06 last fall for hunting. The rifle has a shorter bolt stroke for changing rounds (60% versus the full pull on most bolt actions) and it has a cast bolt housing. After sighting in the scope and shooting less than 3 boxes of rounds through it the casting started to crack. He asked me what I would do and I told him to spend the extra hundred or so dollars and get a rifle with a real bolt housing that is machined instead of cast.

[Gman]

I've had several of each.  

Bang for buck, most certainly either the G3 of FNFAL.  Really, any of the three are exceptional main battle rifles in their own rights, I'm biased to the FN since parts are/were plentiful before it was added to the prohibited list here in Canada (yes, even with 5 shot mags, it's more dangerous than a Browning 5 shot semi auto .308 for some reason).

One fun thing with the FN....either a matchstick or removing the selector results in Full auto funess, particularly with the Metric models, haha.  Be sure to try that at least once far, far away from any ATF offices.

BTW, an as new British L1A1 FN goes for about 200$ USD here in Canada, unfortunately, they can't be exported into the USA, or purchased by 99.9% of the people out here as they are in the grandfathered prohibited class.  

[Saurdaukar]

The L1A1 is the only rifle above that I have experience with as a "surplus weapon."  Worked at a rifle range first few years in college - through thousands of rounds a week it held up like a champ - great reliability.  Its heavy as sin though with the beefed up barrel.

[SaburoS]

Love my L1A1. Bought my L1A1 from a gun shop for about 399.00 was in very good condition. Got a new Congo 16.25" front end along with a new metric lower receiver and Dragonov style stock. Had the new upper/barrel assembly Cryomaxxed. Had a last shot bolt hold open devise installed as the L1A1's didn't have them. HD steel upper receiver cover for mounting scopes, red-dot sights, etc.  Muzzle brake also. Everything on it met BOTH the California AND Federal laws (at the time). Very fun and comfortable to shoot due to its very good human engineering.

[takeda]

A nitpick... the CETME is not a G3 clone.... the CETME was made first - as a matter of fact,  G3s had CETME engraved on the rifle for the first years of production.

[GtoRA2]

Lol I would pic up an L1a1 for that price but not in Cali...


Stupid state..

You can buy an AR-15 here, but the 5 round mag is riveted into the reciever! lol.

You can still buy M1A. Thats just about it though I think.

[mauser]

Vermillion:

Have you tried checking out these websites for comments:

http://www.thefiringline.com
http://www.hkpro.com
http://www.falfiles.com

Although... I seem to remember seing a "Vermillion" in one or two of those sites.  Is that you?

mauser

[hawk220]

you can't go wrong with HK..