i just swapped the rollers in my c93 to get it in spec. thats all you can really. im still learning hk's but if im understanding everything i been reading, the bolt gap will always shrink over time (with use) because the locking piece is wearing slowly. so you either buy a brand new locking piece or use plus size rollers to get in spec.

if you swap the rollers and the gap wanders then it could be the rails flexing from not being welded properly where the rails meet the trunion.

like i said im a newb so if im wrong please someone chime in and correct me.


leon

 

Send it direct to Century after contacting them for return authorization.. cut out the middleman/dealer, they will only slow you down

OK, I read again and I see it's out of warranty.. that was inadvisable, IMO. You are at the mercy of the dealer and or a set of + rollers, or just accept you have a "shooting" parts gun that needs the Ghillie touch

 

At least yours shoots in semi-auto. Mine was single shot only due to out of spec lower!! Ejection was BY HAND each time too. Gap at purchase was .016" and dropped to .004"/5" in 20 rounds. That's when it went to GHILLIE.
Love how CENTURY makes their (WORTHLESS) warranty good for "ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF MANUFACTURE" instead of from PURCHASE like every other manufacturer.
Mine was already 15 months old when I bought it but at least I was aware if PROBLEMS with SOME of the C-93's. I gambled and lost, but as of right now it still shoots well!
Those PEOPLE? at CENTURY would NEVER even answer my phone calls or e-mails. I will NEVER get another single PART with their name/logo on it. Their loss, not mine!
Try a set of oversize rollers and if that gets it up decently, shoot it until it gets low again and then send it to GHILLIE!
Just be sure you want to spend another $400++ for a rifle that won't ever be worth over $500-$600 (IF YOU ARE LUCKY).
Like you, I love the way mine shoots and have a nice supply of spare parts for it but as of right now I don't intend to have it reworked further. GHILLIE had it early on in the life of these CENTURY pieces and got it to shoot semi-auto and eject properly with a new lower receiver housing and managed to get the gap back up, too without replacing the barrel/trunnion. Mine was at .005" (before GHILLIE, .010"/.011" after) and after several hundred rounds since GHILLIE worked on it it is still holding around .009". I wish that I HAD gone with a barrel/trunnion job 2 years ago but have gotten my money/fun out of it .
I will probably sell it if someone wants it who is aware of what it is!
BANGER53

 

First welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear that your first post here is to post about a problem. I have to say that it is hard to be more sympathetic as what happened to you has happened to so many. I'd imagine you've read all the threads about this issue before you bought the gun. It seems to me that Century should build their guns properly in the first place. But they don't. If I were you, I'd get some over sized rollers and hope it doesn't move anymore. Or ship the rifle to a smith for a barrel replacement.

To me it is a crap shoot. Buy the Century and hope. If the bolt gap keeps going away then barrel replacement. So buy a parts set for $350. Add a US made barrel ($225 from HK Parts), receiver($200-$300? It has been a while since I bought one.), and 922(R) compliant parts ($100 +/-) and another $400-$800 to build it. Or spend $500 for the C-93, plus $225 for the barrel and $200-$300 to install the new barrel properly. They are about the same. The custom build would be of higher quality. But if there aren't any other issues with your C93, you should be good. If you want to save a few bucks I've got two 16" barrels "in the white" that came with a couple of Apex kits I bought. Mike at RCM said that RCM made the barrels from Green Mountain blanks. I decided to buy the RCM hammer forged barrels. I'll sell one to you. PM me if your interested. YMMV.

Scott

 

I seem to have drawn the short end on this one. My two buddies bought a pair of WASR 10s (we all bought our stuff at the same time) and their stuff has been nothing but good. My previous experience has been with bolt guns (Mosin and Rem-710) and a Norinco SKS (sold to finance the C93). The accuracy and ergonomics were everything I wanted in a rifle. I don't mind AKs, I actually do like them, but FOR ME, I was more accurate in the first 200 rounds with this gun than I was a few thousand later out of my SKS. The problem is, I don't really have the money to double my purchase price to get something fixed that shouldn't have been broken to begin with. If the bill was going to be double the 500 that I originally paid, I would have not even given this a second look. I would have been calling DSA or Arsenal or another higher tier manufacturer. Again I LIKE the rifle, I just don't want to be stuck with something that is living on borrowed time, and I dont make enough to buy an original.

Also recieved some word via friends that the smith has a tendency to "take his time" with jobs. One said he had a bad experience where 7 weeks later his gun hadn't even been looked at. I don't want to be without my rifle (or at least a check) for that long. The shop DOES have a 30 day return, but I am unsure how to go about get a refund or different gun without creating an incident. (I live in a communist state, and this and one other shop with a BAD rep are the only game in town without going across state lines) They have treated me well in the past, but I guess it might be time to find out how far that goes.

 

So I'm clear. Did you find out about the barrel movement/shinking bolt gap issues with Century before or after you bought your C93? There is thread after thread here of guys having the exact same problem you have. As "Blitzrieg" said "I buy a full parts gun like a Century for my premium build." It is sad but true. Just a parts set with no barrel or receiver is $350. You bought the gun for $500. You can't buy a barrel and the US made parts for $150. You took a chance and ended up with what most guys ended up with. Should Century build them right the first time? I agree with you that they should be built right the first time. But sadly, most are not. It sounds to me that you should tell the dealer you want your money back and go a different route. Personally, I think that would be a mistake. You said that you really enjoyed shooting the rifle. Try putting in a set of larger rollers. Maybe the bolt gap will stop shrinking. Who knows, you might get lucky. If you replace the barrel it will be fixed right and you'll have a rifle you really like. If you want to walk away, I'd suggest you do it soon. Good luck with your C93.

Scott

 

AKs are easy to assemble compared to a roller locked German type HK rifle clone. This is why so many Century AKs seem to (usually) work well and why so many HK clones they slam together are just parts kits

Banger, I might talk to you about your C93 if it has the serial number on the top of the receiver.. this was the one Ghillie recommended I buy for a (possibly shooting) parts kit for my build I am stocking up for, now

Like Scott I just bought one of the latest production run of of Rim Country fully nitrided barrels for my upcoming build. That will probably leave me with a spare barrel that I can use later for another shooter grade build, if I buy a full parts gun like a Century for my premium build. With all I have read, I just assume that is what most century C93s are..

 

While I wasn't a fan of ARs, they are starting to look more attractive just simply from a lack of drama, the downside being cost. Yes putting rollers in there will prolong the life, but if I'm reading correctly, I'm essentially getting cheated out of half of the service life of my rifle due to shoddy workmanship. I don't think that is fair. With most other rifles I wouldn't have to make such compromises. Sadly, I'm most likely going to seek an exchange on something else (and try to keep it in store so as give a consolation to where I bought it). Bummer =( The upside is that if I ever win the lottery, I would probably spring for an actual HK built 93. I do like them. This is on par with a bad breakup.

 

I'll be honest with ya, unless you are bent on getting an HK-clone, stick with AR's. You can buy a trouble-free AR paltform gun for under $700. Unfortunately, all $700 in the HK-market will get you is exactly what you got.

Unlike the AR market, there are no major manufacturers (ie. Remmington, S&W, Colt, etc) who manufacture HK-style guns and as such, you are left with comodity gun brokers. To get an out-of-the-box reliable HK-style firearm, you need to spend $2K+ and even then, you have to be careful.

 

Just going to update you all on what happened. After a few visits and finally talking to the shop's gunsmith (who is a free lancer but they refer business to them) it was clear I was going to either have to send it to Century, or just put in a set of oversized rollers and hope it lasts. He said that he has dealt with Century before and it was a total crapshoot. I decided to short sell it and cut my losses. From now on no more gambles for me. Just learned a 230 dollar (the difference in buy vs sell prices) lesson. It could have been worse though.

 

Why don't you just buy a new barrel and have ghilliebear install it for you. He will get you all fixed up for somewhere close to what you are going to lose on it if you sell it. It will be a little more with the price of the barrel but if you refinish it yourself it would probably be pretty affordable and would run 100%. He has really quick turn around times too.

HK 93, 33 US made barrel, RCM HK barrel - HKPARTS.NET

 

I just received my RCM barrel tonite and I have to say it's a real work of art

 

I would have put +6 rollers in it shoot till it drops to .04 then send to ghille
if it hold a .011 for 5 or 10 k rounds your good to good for a while