CETME Modelo A
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1957
About
What it is, and why it matters
The CETME Modelo A is a Spanish select-fire battle rifle and the first production model of the CETME series, manufactured from 1957. Designed by German engineer Ludwig Vorgrimler, it introduced the roller-delayed blowback action derived from the wartime StG 45(M). Chambered for the reduced-power 7.62x51mm CETME cartridge, the Modelo A fired from an open bolt in full-automatic mode and a closed bolt in semi-automatic, and is distinguished by its perforated sheet-metal handguard. The design later evolved into the Modelo B/58 and ultimately the Heckler & Koch G3.
The CETME lineage began when Ludwig Vorgrimler, a former Mauser engineer who had worked on the StG 45(M), emigrated to Spain in 1950 and continued developing the roller-delayed blowback action at CETME in Madrid. The Modelo A's design was later licensed to West Germany, where it became the Heckler & Koch G3.
Built as a small production/evaluation run; the Modelo A used the lighter plastic-cored 7.62x51mm CETME round to keep the lightweight rifle controllable. It was quickly superseded by the Modelo B, which was strengthened to accept full-power 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- CETME (Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales)
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- Spain
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1957 to 1958
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Overall length
- 1015 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.40 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2176 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Roller delayed blowback action
Perforated sheet metal handguard
Integral folding bipod
Open bolt full auto closed bolt semi auto
Fixed barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 107 battle rifles | 4.40 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 107 battle rifles | 1015 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 110 battle rifles | 450 mm | 457 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 110 battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the CETME Modelo A
How much does the CETME Modelo A weigh?
The CETME Modelo A weighs 4.40 kg (9.70 lb) empty.
What caliber is the CETME Modelo A?
The CETME Modelo A is chambered in 7.62x51mm CETME.
How many rounds does the CETME Modelo A hold?
The CETME Modelo A holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the CETME Modelo A?
The CETME Modelo A is 1015 mm (40.0 in) long overall, with a 450 mm (17.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the CETME Modelo A?
The CETME Modelo A is made by CETME (Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales) (Spain). It was designed by Ludwig Vorgrimler.
When was the CETME Modelo A introduced?
The CETME Modelo A was introduced in 1957 and discontinued in 1958.
How does the CETME Modelo A operate?
The CETME Modelo A uses a roller delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Spanish Armed Forces
- 1957
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/cetme-modelo-a' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "cetme-modelo-a", "name": "CETME Modelo A", "manufacturer": { "id": "cetme", "name": "CETME (Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales)", "countryCode": "ES", "foundedYear": 1949, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "40d9d841798d3f6cfbad2a2ee0395ac3303ccad2d01ba607cbf3374bd1d2f249" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "ES", "year_introduced": 1957, "barrel_length_mm": 450, "weight_empty_g": 4400, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}