"Staking" marks on irons sights

T

TheArmyMan204

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So I have quite a few milsurps, probably 6 or so with the front sight staked. Thing is not any single one actually lines up with the marks anymore.

I'm pretty sure all my rifles are sighted in (dinner plate at 100) so where did this staking take place? During production or is it common practice after the rifle is sighted in? and why are all mine so far off? Am I just a wonky shooter?
 
That's a bid odd. Every one of mine has had the staking line up. Staking takes place at the factory so the sight doesn't move on you. Maybe some have been fitted with taller posts so they don't shoot so high at 100 meters.
 
It seems a traditional European mindset that most of these rifles were built with is a rifle is zeroed for you by someone else who is more qualified then you, and if it groups off, then the problem is you and not the gun. Having spent years on a military rifle team in the era of iron sights, it is clear to me that zero can vary from person to person, even if they are all good shots.
Chances are the ammo you are using today is not an identical load to what the gun was originally sighted-in with.
Another consideration for old milsurps is that they are rarely the same gun that was originally zeroed. Many have experienced barrel and crown wear, parts replacement, shrinking/warping wood.
 
Is there a trick to getting a staked front sight to move? I have several rifles that are off windage wise, and they don't have a windage adjustable rear sight. Shooting them would sure be funner if I could adjust them.
 
I have done it. Put some oil on the sight for a day or two. This helps with ALL dovetailed sights.

Then put the barrel on a solid place and whack the sight with a drift and hammer.

If you have a sight tool, try that, but it might not generate enough pressure to get it going.
 
Brass rod and hammer if you don't have a sight puller. like these for the K31.
P1010119.jpg

P1010110.jpg


After oiling: This is a Swiss 1889
P1011142.jpg
 
Some types were initially zeroed with bayonet mounted which can make a big difference. Some make no sense at all- I had one SVT fresh from the crate (ie post refurb) that shot 2 feet low and 2 feet to the left at 100 yds. It also had scribe marks on the front sight but you have to wonder if they were for the previous rifle that that muzzle-brake assembly was mounted on. For drifting the front sight I like to clamp the sight base in the jaws of a vice using brass pieces as spacers. When that is done the drifting is usually pretty easy and you can measure the distance (in thousandth's of an inch) that you're tapping the blade/ post over.

milsurpo
 
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