[sterlingcash]

Wats up!

Just got an m1A scout, and she's a beast. Got some quick questions though.

So Im trying to zero my sights and Im running into issues with the front sight. Every instruction manual I've read says that I need to be using a 3/16 allan wrench. This is clearly not true as the closest size that fits is a 3/32. When I try to loosen the front sight screw, it doesn't budge. I've tried going both ways, but nothing seems to be working. What is the right direction to turn it? How much force should it take? If the screw is completely stripped, should I send it back to springfield?

Thanks for your help, Im a little new to firearms

 

[chief on one]

are you sure you got the front sight ??/ sounds like you are on the castle nut screw.!!!

 

[Harleystoo]

Left to loosen, right to tighty. Lube with WD40, super penetrate, or the like.

A USGI front sight would probably cost less that what SAI would charge for their Taiwan made one.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Turn counter clockwise to loosen

 

[TheShooter]

Left to loosen, right to tighty. Lube with WD40, super penetrate, or the like.

A USGI front sight would probably cost less that what SAI would charge for their Taiwan made one.

Yeah but its quite a bit thicker making it harder to shoot as accurate.

 

[SHOOT-2-THRILL]

Left to loosen, right to tighty. Lube with WD40, super penetrate, or the like.

A USGI front sight would probably cost less that what SAI would charge for their Taiwan made one.

Do not put a USGI front sight on a scout rifle. They are nowhere near tall enough.

Use a pennetrating spray. Make sure to spray the exposed threads which you can see from either side of the front sight, as well as the sight threads you can see at the muzzle side of the front sight. Let it stand for a few hours, or overnight. When you try to loosen the allen head bolt, be sure to turn it counter clockwise as you are facing the head of the bolt. If the allen head bolt strips, try a torx bit. You may have to tap on the torx bit to force it into the bolt head. If you strip it, you have already muttered up the appearance, so tapping a torx bit into the bolt won't really matter. You can get a new one later on.

Is your front sight centered on the flash hider? If you just can not loosen the bolt, you can make the appropriate windage correction with the rear sight. Once you have it zeroed at 100 yards, mark the windage knob with paint so that you know where your no wind zero is on the rear sight. I hope this helps.

 

[Deacon]

Why are you trying to loosen the front sight? If you don't need to move it to zero windage, I'd leave it alone. Otherwise, if it is stripped to where you can't use an allen wrench to remove it, do as others have said and use penetrating spray and as shoot-to-thrill said, try a torx. Tapping on it, then spraying again may help loosen it. If that doesn't work, it may have to be drilled and an easy-out used to extract it.

 

[SGT John SWF]

sterlingcash

Tell us more about why you need to move the front Sight.

Is it because when you were sighting in the Rifle (from a rest i hope) it is shooting a little left or right with the rear sight properly centered?

If so it is the proper procedure to move the front one.
You move it opposite the way you want the Bullet to move.

The proper sized allen wrench (what ever the size) moved counter clockwise while looking from rear to front should get it loose enough to slide the sight L or R.

Make small movements until the group is centered. It will be a few tries and is best done at a short range target and from a Rest.

Let us know how you make out.

 

[rickgman]

Gentlemen, He wants to move his front isght to achieve a good mechanical zero. You can offset the rear sight to achieve a mechanical zero but you will forever have an offset on the windage scale. It is basically the same as resetting the elevation drum. A skilled shooter and particularly a competitive shooter wants a good machancial zero where the rear sight is centered on the windage scale. Additionally, as Shoot-to-Thrill noted, the scout rifle front sight is higher than the standard service rifle front sight. It is, in fact, considerably higher - something like 0.100" higher. That's a lot - like around 12 clicks.

 

[Buelligan]

Gentlemen, He wants to move his front isght to achieve a good mechanical zero. You can offset the rear sight to achieve a mechanical zero but you will forever have an offset on the windage scale.

My rifle has had the windage 2 clicks right of center since 1997. I ain't messing with the front sight just to get the lines lined up in the rear. I never adjust for windage anyway, not with the knob at least.

 

[will1122]

With your sights centered try adjusting your finger instead of the sights. Contact the trigger with just the pad of the finger and try pulling the trigger straight back with no finger pressure pushing the trigger to the side. Don't allow your trigger finger to contact the trigger guard or the receiver.

 

[Wayne M]

If your front sight appears to be centered shoot and adjust with the rear sight. If you're not off your rear mechanical zero more than 2 to 4 clicks I'd call it good. You can get your rear sight so far off(the front too for that matter) that things just look bad but as long as that isn't happening I don't worry about it.

Get a shooting zero, learn the rifle and sometime in the future start playing with getting everything the way it "outta be" in a perfect world. Have fun and GET OUT THERE AND BURN SOME POWDER!...............Welcome aboard, by the way!!!.

 

[nomousegun]

Well, I can certainly tell your'e not a NRA High Power Shooter. My sights have been zero'd mechanically for years and have been adjusted for windage Left and right hundreds of times. Thats the beauty of these sights. The adjustability, name another country's service rifle with sights as adjustable as these ?

 

[Wayne M]

I agree completely, No. I just think he can get zeroed and shooting, learn the rifle, then worry about the ins and outs and fine tuning involved in the "return to zero process" which can be a little daunting for someone who doesn't know a whole lot about firearms in general, let alone the '14 platform.

 

[eXMarineFlieger]

Welcome from VA!

The procedure outlined by Sgt John and in the SAI paper on sighting-in is good.

The value in making the initial gross windage corrections with the front sight is that it leaves you with the full range of the rear sight to dial in windage corrections. Depending on the type of shooting you do and the ranges, may or may not be a big player.

I had the same problem with my Scout. Eventually overcome with sufficient elbow grease and a friend who's very experienced with M1s (basically same sight) providing some supervision.

On my rifle, it was a sign of things to come. Gas plug, trigger guard lockup...it was as if SAI had the strongest guy in the factory torquing everything down. Not sure if other SAI owners have experienced the same; YMMV.

Good luck and enjoy the Scout!

s/f
XMF

 

[bradstar308]

Can you upload a photo of your front sight and the screw you are attempting to turn??

 

[Ironhandjohn]

My rifle has had the windage 2 clicks right of center since 1997. I ain't messing with the front sight just to get the lines lined up in the rear. I never adjust for windage anyway, not with the knob at least.

I think my SOCOM 16 has the same two clicks on the rear, too. I was going to move the front sight over, but when the blade looks a foot wide at 100 meters, I figured, "Why bother?".

 

[SGT John SWF]

I think my SOCOM 16 has the same two clicks on the rear, too. I was going to move the front sight over, but when the blade looks a foot wide at 100 meters, I figured, "Why bother?".

Honestly it is no bother unless you want to do it right.
Simple!

 

[Ironhandjohn]

Honestly it is no bother unless you want to do it right.
Simple!

*Groan*

At the ranges I shoot two clicks of windage isn't going to make a damn bit of difference. Sometimes it really IS that simple.

 

[Ted Brown]

Front sight screws

Front sight screws came in two different Allen drive sizes, 3/32" and 7/64". The smaller size was standard in government rifles and replacements were often the larger size. Commercial rifles normally have the larger size as well.

I make it a habit to use the larger 7/64" drive screw since it doesn't strip out as easily as the smaller screw. The screws themselves are both 6-40x1/2".