• Install the trunnion pushing it in until it butts up against

the receiver rails. Insert the magazine. The magazine

should have to be rocked in place slightly like an AK
magazine
• Push the magazine release button and try and pull the
magazine straight down. If it pulls straight down, you
need to file the end of the receiver rails so the trunnion
slides in further until the magazine rocks into place.
• This shelf will be used to support the front of the lower
receiver as you have to cut (or clip and pin) the front
ears as part of the semi-auto mod. This part is
important and you might have to adjust it a bit.
• Now it’s time to press in the new barrel. You can press it in without the trunnion welded in place
or you can weld it in first, and then press the barrel in.
• Before you press in the barrel, take a half round file and file then sand the front and rear edges of
the trunnion. Also get the edge where the slot was milled for the barrel pin.
• Then grease both the inside of the trunnion and the barrel. This will prevent galling when you
press in the barrel.
• Bolt gap should be between .010” and .020”. Remember if you have to press the barrel out and
start over, re-grease everything. When you are getting close, just press it in a little at a time (and
when really close, like a hair of movement) and then check.
• After setting the bolt gap, the barrel pin needs installed
• Mill a flat surface on the barrel. 3/16” ball end mill After machining the
barrel flat, you can use a 3/16” drill bit to drill the hole
• Next thing is to ream the barrel out. The barrel pin is 5mm or .1969”. You
can ream it out to this or go a hair bigger.
• On the CETME the hole for the barrel pin is a bit farther back on the
trunnion. I had to mill the hole out a bit so I can have access to the barrel
pin as the receiver is setup for a G3

• After pinning the barrel, the next thing is to weld in the trunnion.
• First thing is to drill the three holes each side for plug welding the
trunnion to the receiver. ¼” or step drill bit
• When fitting the trunnion for welding, I looked through the receiver and
made sure it was square and flush with the receiver rails.
• Installed the cocking tube to check that that is ok.
• Tack weld in jig, test for feed, ejecting, etc.
• For the cocking tube, you want to have a small gap in-between the end of
the bolt carrier and cocking sleeve.
• If this is not set correctly, you can have a very difficult time cocking the
rifle or it might destroy the cocking tube by the carrier slamming down on
the cocking sleeve
• Remember, as bolt gap diminishes over time, so will this gap. This is why
it is important. As I had a .020” bolt gap, I cut out a .020” feeler gauge
and double taped it to the end of the carrier. If your gap is .015”, use
a .015” shim etc.
• On the CETME the carrier slides into the cocking sleeve so you will not be
able to see if the carrier with the taped gauge is pressed against the
cocking sleeve.
• With the cocking sleeve out of the receiver, mock everything up with
taking carrier with the gauge taped to the end of it and sliding it into the
cocking tube up against the cocking sleeve.
• Then mark on the carrier (through the cocking tube) where the cocking
sleeve ends. I did this so when I slide the cocking tube on, I know the
carrier is bottoming out on the cocking sleeve.
• These deflectors are a nice improvement, they were put out by HK
and retrofitted on to a number of German G3's just shortly before
they pulled the rifles from service.
• First, the positioning has to be correct. The edge of the shell
deflector "wing" needs to be centered directly above the rear edge
of the mag well...
• Use a welding magnet on the back of the mag well and a straight
edge to scribe a line on the receiver for locating the cuts.
• Take your time and work the cuts to fit the deflector so it will lay down close to the side of the receiver.
• The shell deflector should fit like this one, with the deflector lined up nice and straight with the port and tight
against the receiver.
• After you get your fit right, clamp it into place. Then tack in place.
• First the top front, check for alignment. Second the bottom rear, and check for alignment. Third, tack weld in
between the first two welds at the top corner.
• USE A TIGHT FITTING ROUND ROD HEAT SINK THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE TOP OF THE RECEIVER
AND KEEP HEAT LOW WHILE WELDING. I also recommend using a spacer between the rails. Excessive
heat here will draw the receiver and cause you trouble with bolt carrier fit etc. Burn through will also cause
drag on the bolt carrier here.
• Once initial press completed check both ends of flat to ensure the flat is tight to the press bar. If not then
release pressure of the press, shift the jig and repress that end to see if solves problem.
• On my jig it bends till where you see in first pic, then I use clamps to bring sides together. Do not worry if a
little off, most will be. Check the ends for tightness to bar, if not repress that area. When satisfied remove shell
from jig but leave press bar in the shell.
• Check back of mag well to see if both sides aligned front to rear, do not worry if one side of flat is higher just
yet.
• IF one side forward of the other put on gloves to protect your hands from sheet metal cuts, remove the clamps.
With a hand on each side of the mag well twist the flat either clockwise or counterclockwise a couple times to
get both sides aligned front to rear.

• Re-clamp with the pusher bar in place but no alignment pins, the flat needs to be able to move around the bar.

• If one side of flat higher than the other then take a rubber mallet, place the back/top of receiver against an
anvil or other firm surface and gently tap the higher side of the flat until both sides are even. Start at the back
of mag well. You are not angling one side down to other, you are driving the one side down uniformly. Then do
the trunnion area and then the rear reinforcement area if needed. I did not take a pic of this process but if you
look ate the 2nd pic I posted you can see the rear is higher, in reality the entire right side was a flat thickness
higher than the other side. A few gentle but firm taps corrected the alignment

• Do not worry if front gets slightly oval bringing both sides even. You do not want too much but if the sides are
even its good, but that little bit of oval will once welded get straightened out when barreled trunnion installed.

• Do not space mag well or trunnion area, clamp tight and weld or will cause grief later installing mag
release. The rear gets its spacing from the receiver reinforcement. I will later show how to size the mag well for
proper mag fit to deal with weld shrink that causes a tight mag fit.