My Build/Experience with the Century Arms CA-3
Build List:
- G3 Collapsible Stock
- Titan Tactical MP5 G3 QD Sling Adapter
- PTR Factory built iron sights
- Primary arms GLX 2X (Using in box mount without riser)
- Spuhr R-402 G3 top rail
- Samson Black Long Standard Vertical grip
- Midwest Industries HK91 hand guard
- SureFire Dual Fuel Turbo Scout Light Pro
- Wilderness Tactical Giles Tactical Sling
Wall of Text:
G3 rifles/clones are my favorite rifle platform specifically the G3A4. I originally planned to purchase a PTR-91 GI model ($1200) and then later on purchase the collapsing stock ($200), however when I saw Atlantic Arms offering the CA-3 with the collapsing stock for only $900 I jumped at the opportunity and purchased it.
The QC for the CA-3 rifles is known to be pretty shaky and odds are you will find at least one issue with your rifle when it arrives. Some common issues that are reported are dented irons, unzeroable irons, reliability issues, hard cocking handle rigidity, and many more you can find with a quick search through this forum.
When my rifle finally arrived I quickly found that the rear iron sight was unable to be adjusted for elevation due to one of the two pins being jammed. In order to fix this issue I bought a PTR manufactured rear Iron sight which worked as expected. I also noticed that the stock handguard that shipped with the rifle was quite shaky which while annoying does not interfere with the operation of the rifle.
In the process of zeroing my CA-3 with irons I was luckily able to get a solid zero and while I did experience a few jams it is still something I consider reliable. It should be noted that if you plan to purely run irons the front sight blade is quite thick so precision shooting at 100 yards and beyond can be quite challenging if your targets are paper, man sized targets are no issue though. As for the collapsible stock while some people find it to be uncomfortable I found the length of pull and recoil impulse to not be an issue which is why I have left it on.
To remedy the shaky handguard I dremeled an airsoft LCT square handguard I had laying around and fitted it. This is another thing that is unique to the CA-3/CETME clones as due to them being built with older surplus parts they both have a collar that wraps around the barrel making the classic Square Handguards incompatible out of the box (This also applies to the AC unity handguard). With the new handguard fitted it operated fine and there was no longer shaking and it absorbed heat very well compared to the stock slim handguard the CA-3 ships with.
The only thing that my CA-3 at the time was missing was a sling which is where I again ran into another issue. G3 rifles were developed primarily to serve right handed users so the stock sling attachments were placed on the left side of the gun making it impossible for me a left handed shooter to sling the gun properly. To remedy this problem I purchased a Midwest Industries handguard which not only works out of the box for the CA-3 but also comes with QD points on both sides of the handguard, I then bought a QD rear sling adapter which attaches to one of the rear pins. This combination finally allowed me to properly use the Giles sling listed above that I highly recommend.
With the new handguard Installed and the many new options M-LOK provides I decided to purchase a Surefire scout light pro and a vertical grip. Both accessories worked as expected and made the rifle feel up to date. The only annoyance with the handguard is after firing 100+ rounds the bottom set of screws on the Midwest handguard tend to loosen which gives some play but a quick re-tightening/reapplication of loctite keeps it stable.
After spending some time with the irons I decided to explore options for mounting a scope to the rifle, this is probably the most discussed problem with the CA-3 as it does not have a recoil lug welded on to the rear. This essentially blocks you from using any kind of claw mount and it railroads you to three options which are the B&T mount, Spuhr R-402 mount, and the MFI mount. I had some extra money lying around so I decided to experiment with the Spuhr mount paired with the Primary Arms GLX 2x. The scope exceeded my expectations and I was able to get a solid zero with the added benefit of a 500 yard hold and wider fov when aiming. The stock irons only allow for a maximum of 400 meters so If you are dead set on using irons and want further range adjustments you can look into purchasing a hk21 iron sight, which allows up to 1000-1200M adjustments depending on the version. As for the spuhr mount as expected it shifted forward after firing 40 rounds so if you do want to mount a scope definitely go for the MFI mount for a better outcome.
Hopefully someone finds this info dump useful.
TL;DR
If you want the cheapest entry to the G3 platform and are willing to roll the dice and don't mind keeping the rifle stock buy a CA-3.
If you want to accessorize the rifle with a scope and don't want to roll the dice buy a PTR-91 GIR or a JLD PTR or a HK91.