ntex2000
02-25-2013, 02:15
I noticed earlier today that the front sight on one of my 03A1's is just barely obvious as being canted to the right when I sight it through the rear peep hole or the triangle opening in the drift slide. It's not just the sight blade, which is not bent or curved at all. Its the entire front sight assembly. And, it's also not a result of me holding the rifle at an odd angle.
I haven't shot this one since last summer, but I know it was never like that previously. All I can think of that could have caused this was sometime last fall I snapped on a USMC front sight protector (of which I have a small collection), and later found it difficult to remove....my experience has been that they just don't snap on an off with relative ease. To remove it I used a short piece 1/2" dowel and a rawhide mallet to drive it off. I remember being on the left side of the rifle (with the stock clamped into padded, steel rifle rest/cleaning vise), but don't recall if I drove it off straight forwardor if I had the dowel positioned on the top of the hood at a slight left to right angle when I drove it off with the rawhide mallet.
Thus, I'm now wondering if I somehow either drove the base slightly to the right or if perhaps when driving that sight protector off whether I might have slightly turned the barrel a few thousandths or so clockwise (clockwise, that is, from perspective of looking at barrel from behind the action). I checked headspace and its fine. I'm not sure but it seems as if there may be a couple of witness marks where the barrel meets the receiver, but am wanting to avoid stripping it down and removing the rear sight base sleeve to double check. I also haven't tried to take my 1/2" dowel and mallet and try to drive the sight base a little to the left, though it has been tempting. Also have not tried to uninstall the complete front sight assembly and then reinstall it to see if that would correct it.
Any thoughts on what might be going on here or how to correct this would be greatly appreciated!
p.s. Also, if someone knows of the proper way to remove a front sight hood, whether the standard Army version or the taller Marine version, I'd be glad to hear about it.
I haven't shot this one since last summer, but I know it was never like that previously. All I can think of that could have caused this was sometime last fall I snapped on a USMC front sight protector (of which I have a small collection), and later found it difficult to remove....my experience has been that they just don't snap on an off with relative ease. To remove it I used a short piece 1/2" dowel and a rawhide mallet to drive it off. I remember being on the left side of the rifle (with the stock clamped into padded, steel rifle rest/cleaning vise), but don't recall if I drove it off straight forwardor if I had the dowel positioned on the top of the hood at a slight left to right angle when I drove it off with the rawhide mallet.
Thus, I'm now wondering if I somehow either drove the base slightly to the right or if perhaps when driving that sight protector off whether I might have slightly turned the barrel a few thousandths or so clockwise (clockwise, that is, from perspective of looking at barrel from behind the action). I checked headspace and its fine. I'm not sure but it seems as if there may be a couple of witness marks where the barrel meets the receiver, but am wanting to avoid stripping it down and removing the rear sight base sleeve to double check. I also haven't tried to take my 1/2" dowel and mallet and try to drive the sight base a little to the left, though it has been tempting. Also have not tried to uninstall the complete front sight assembly and then reinstall it to see if that would correct it.
Any thoughts on what might be going on here or how to correct this would be greatly appreciated!
p.s. Also, if someone knows of the proper way to remove a front sight hood, whether the standard Army version or the taller Marine version, I'd be glad to hear about it.