[MB53]

I was recently visiting my LGS...a small shop in a small town...and they had a Century Arms C93 on the wall.
So I asked about it. The GSO told me a backstory of Century Arms acquiring a stockpile of and building much of the rifle from surplus HK Parts and they were every bit as good as the genuine HK rifles. His price was $699 on the rifle.

Now, is what he told me a load of fertilizer or does it hold any accuracy? The C93 looks, feels, and dry functions like a solid rifle. But what's the real story? For that price it seems like a pretty good buy...maybe a lower price is out there somewhere but this one is available locally.

thanks for your input

 

[WrongRecroom]

About what most go for ..

They are if you dont know HK93 clones aka HK53 clones ... The only issues I have heard with them is sometimes they are grind to fit so some look at the bolt gap ..That and mags are pricy for the HK guns ..Like 40-50 for 40 round mags more for 25 and 30 round mags ..Pro mags do work a bit for them though


When I looked over one with my dealer he notted the bolt carrier was a full auto one so mil surplus so plus on that esp if you want to run a auto sear ... I like the gun as they cheep and decent sear host to run and go ...


I think the barrels and Recivers are USA made ..I know Vectors makes some also at one point but used miltary barrels but they were worn out and most have to be pinned and welded to due to being 14 or so inchs

700 is a little high but if you can get that out the door ....Would be a nice buy

Are they as good as a HK93 no but a HK93 is near 2-4k now so yeah ...

40 round mags roller lock fun all that ..If you can make sure the bolt gap is good see if you can shoot it and go for it

 

[Psycho41]

FWIW: Here's a review on that rifle: https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2016/2/18/tested-century-arms-c93-rifle/

 

[maxwell97]

I have one, paid $630 for it, right before the "scare" drove it up to $900+. Long story short, I'd say if you want an HK style rifle on a budget, and don't mind the possibility of putting in a little extra time and money to get it going, it's a solid choice. But, if you just want a 5.56 rifle with a minimum of fuss, the AR's currently available under $700 might be a better choice.

I'll come back when I get a break and tell the full story.

 

[maxwell97]

Okay, so here are the issues I had with it:

First, the two magazines were well-used, and apparently (based on the markings) were originally shipped to Bolivia or somewhere in 1976. One functioned just fine, the other tended to double-feed. I bought two cheap Promag 20-round mags for an HK93 to try out. They didn't seat, as apparently the mag catch is larger on the C93, so I used a Dremel to remove a bit of plastic from the mags. After that they seated and functioned fine. The mags cost about $20 each.

About one out of twenty rounds I'd get a failure to eject. This happened with a variety of ammunition (though all nominally M193- style 55gr ball). I checked the bolt gap and found it to be right at the bottom of the spec. So, I replaced the rollers with +4 rollers, also purchased for about $20. After that the FTE's stopped, except with one particular brand of ammo I got as a gift (I think it was Liberty?).

Finally, this was more of a nuisance, but the rear disassembly pin (holds on the buttstock) was really, really tight. After pounding it out with tools a couple of times, I figured out that there was a weld bead inside the hole. I used a round file to get rid of that, and it fits together nicely now.

So, no, I wouldn't say it's "every bit as good as a genuine HK." But then, it cost 1/4 of what a genuine HK would, so there's that. It's a rifle assembled from some new parts and some well-used, so you have to know what to expect.

Personally I really like the thing. I like tinkering and learning new mechanisms, and I ended up with a perfectly decent rifle that I know inside and out, for about $700 total. It's definitely solid and would take a beating, and though heavier than an AR, certainly absorbs recoil well. I haven't done any serious accuracy testing with it, but it's at least good enough for practical use. And it's just cool.

So, it depends what you're looking for. If the above sounds like a massive hassle and you just want a rifle, I'd probably recommend looking for a good budget AR. Something like the M&P Sport II can probably be had for less than $700 these days, it's gotten good reviews, and S&W is definitely a better company than Century when it comes to warranty work. But if you like the HK design and don't mind a little work, a C93 is a respectable choice.