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 For
many years, the model 1916 (based on the german Mauser mod.
1893) and, afterwards, model 1943 rifles (based on the german
Mauser mod. 1898) were the official issue for the spanish Armies.
However, after WW II, it was evident that the future trend was
an individual weapon, capable of firing in both semi-auto or
full-auto mode: The german Sturmgewëhr became, so,
the spanish CETME Assault Rifle.
And,
as the Army never throws away anything, someone proposed to
create an hybrid rifle, making good use of the Mauser stock
and locks to mount a CETME barrel. The Reformed Rifles 7
and 8 (or Fusil Reformado 7 and 8) had been born.
The
FR-7 was based on the 1916 rifle (recognisable by its
curved lever and its two-lugs locking), and the FR-8
on the 1943 model (with a three-lug locking and a straight lever).
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Back
in the 50's, the three Armies (Ground, Navy and Air Force) began
replacing the venerable rifles that had given a so good result,
by the new assaul rifles (that, as we can see now, would give
even better results). However, with the progressive adoption
of the CETME, the problems derived from maintaining two official
issue, mutually excluding rifles began to arise . On one hand,
they weren't enough CETMEs to equip all the soldiers (remember,
Spain was then under a more-or-less official international freezing,
and production was awfully slow), and, on the other, the military
magazines were being filled with perfectly usable Mauser rifles
that, moreover, fired a cartridge that was facing a near extinction.
As
more and more military units were adopting the CETME, the Cetmeton
was being banished to the auxiliary units, or as an "expendable"
rifle for training uses, and, finally, it was exported as a
shooting and hunting rifle.
As
a curious fact, given that the 7'62x51 cartridge has been banned
in Spain until recently, the Cetmeton was sold abroad, with
what we assist again to the paradox, each time more frequent,
of having to import a "Made in Spain"
gun.
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS:
Designation:
Origin:
Cartridge:
Overall length:
Barrel length:
Barrel length with flash hider:
Barrel rifling:
Weight:
Firing system:
Magazine capacity:
Sighting system:
Radius between sights:
Muzzle velocity:
Main characteristics:
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FR-8
Spain
7'62x51 NATO (.308 Win)
38 5/8"
17 3/4"
19"
4, dextrosum
3,620 Kg (7 lb, 6oz)
Mauser system
5 cartridges
Regulable both windage and elevation
18 1/8"
2,700 fps
Flash hider / muzzle brake
Bayonet mount
Cleaning kit in a tube under the barrel
Mixed sight: Diopter and V
Able to fire rifle grenades developed for the CETME "C"
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Spanish
