Crooked front sight base? Saiga .308

[LKB3rd]

I think my Saiga .308 front sight base is crooked.
I say I *think* because it is really hard to tell with the naked eye. I came to this suspicion after getting a mojo peep sight. While zeroing it in, I was shooting to the left with the rear sight at its factory windage setting. To get it to shoot to POA, I had to push it to the right by 1/16 inch or so.
I contaced RAA about it and received an e-mail within 15 minutes telling me that they would send me a return authorization and look at it for me.
Two questions:
Is there a way using common tools or items to verify if this is the case?
Should I worry about it? I realize that an AK isn't a match shooter, but by the same token I would like to get as much distance and accuracy out of it as possible. It seems to me that this would create windage problems if I tried to shoot at distances other than the distance I have zero'ed it at.

[Rocket6R]

Originally Posted by LKB3rd

I think my Saiga .308 front sight base is crooked.
I say I *think* because it is really hard to tell with the naked eye. I came to this suspicion after getting a mojo peep sight. While zeroing it in, I was shooting to the left with the rear sight at its factory windage setting. To get it to shoot to POA, I had to push it to the right by 1/16 inch or so.
I contaced RAA about it and received an e-mail within 15 minutes telling me that they would send me a return authorization and look at it for me.
Two questions:
Is there a way using common tools or items to verify if this is the case?
Should I worry about it? I realize that an AK isn't a match shooter, but by the same token I would like to get as much distance and accuracy out of it as possible. It seems to me that this would create windage problems if I tried to shoot at distances other than the distance I have zero'ed it at.

I would not worry about it as long the sights can be adjusted within their sight adjustment range. I've experienced some sort of front sight cant on about half of all the AK's I've handled. I once bought a Bulgarian AK and paid top dollar for it. At the time, they were rated as to being one of the best for over all quality, milled receiver too. Anyway, when I got to the range it was so far off I had to use one of the front sight "ears" (protective side of the front sight) to hit point of aim. I was so pissed I sold it. This was about 15 years ago.

If your sights can be adjusted to hit point-of-aim I would be very surprised if the factory fixes anything.

When I build an AK from a virgin kit I use a mill with a pointer. I place the barrel in the mill's vice and then run a straight line between the rear sight and what will be dead center for the front sight. Then I install the front sight, it works like a charm. I have also corrected front sight cant on existing rifles using the same method. However, it can be a real bitch fixing the cant.

removing sight pins
pressing off front sight
true up the sight where it should be in the mill
pressing the sight back on
drilling new pin holes-friction fit (drill holes .001"-.002" undersized)
installing pins

*This can be even harder if you don't want to screw up the finish on the rifle.

Thanks, Rocket6R

[einheit 13]

Use a bore sighter. look from the butt to the front sight and you should be able to tell. Now, adjustment is always needed when replacing factory sights, the front post is rather large and the the peep of the mojo sets up different than the standard notch of the factory sight. Replacements sights don't fit like the factory sights do-there is no 'automatic zero'. The front sight should be put into the 'zero' windage position because thats where the windage and elevation adjustments happen with an AK, the rear sight is typically non adjustable for windage, unless you get the RPK micro sight . So in all honesty, you can achieve the same thing by moving the rear sight to the right 1/32 and move the front sight left 1/32.....sounds normal to me...and the bad thing about peeps are that you must keep everything centred. Slight left/slight right and your 'zero' is wrong. which sights did you get??

Standard or Snapshights?? The Snaps offer greater accuracy-Kinda like the HK Diopter sights, the best rifle sights in the world.


ETA: never mind, Snap sights aren't available for the AK/SKS....

[LKB3rd]

It is the "snap sight" but with no front aperture. It has a dial with repeatable clicks in it.
Works very well except that it is currently hanging off the right side of the base a little bit.

[einheit 13]

Originally Posted by LKB3rd

It is the "snap sight" but with no front aperture. It has a dial with repeatable clicks in it.
Works very well except that it is currently hanging off the right side of the base a little bit.

Drift the front sight over to bring the rear back in line...

[LKB3rd]

I have thought about doing this with the sks/ak front sight tool, even though it will leave me with a front sight post that isn't centered between the ears as I understand it. Have any of you used this tool? Does it only change the windage adjustment of the post, or does it shift the whole 3 pronged top of the sight? I'll go take a look at the rifle right now... Yea, that will move the post, but not the ears.
At least I would have a sight line centered to the rifle and would not have to worry about windage changing at various ranges.
I am gonna hit the range this afternoon and do some tweaking. I have rotated the post so that the flat section under the top of the post is perpendicular to the barrel. Maybe this will change the windage if it isn't perfectly round, or is bent slightly in one direction.

[einheit 13]

Originally Posted by LKB3rd

I have thought about doing this with the sks/ak front sight tool, even though it will leave me with a front sight post that isn't centered between the ears as I understand it. Have any of you used this tool? Does it only change the windage adjustment of the post, or does it shift the whole 3 pronged top of the sight? I'll go take a look at the rifle right now... Yea, that will move the post, but not the ears.
At least I would have a sight line centered to the rifle and would not have to worry about windage changing at various ranges.
I am gonna hit the range this afternoon and do some tweaking. I have rotated the post so that the flat section under the top of the post is perpendicular to the barrel. Maybe this will change the windage if it isn't perfectly round, or is bent slightly in one direction.

I have no idea what you just said, but the blade protectors don't move. Only the post and post barrel. Your post should be round and the only flat section on the front post is for the elevation tool to lock into it. Only in a perfect world will the sights be centred directly over the bore. And not all ammo shoots the same, and you must bench the rifle to make accurate shots for zeroing-you must take as much 'human factor' out of it as you can. And none of my AKs have the front post in the centre of the protectors and they all shoot POA.......

[Rocket6R]

The ak sight tool will allow you to adjust for windage and elevation adjustments. The front sight screws up and down (elevation) and the windage is control by that little cylinder drum in the front sight block. The cylinder drum moves not the whole front sight block. Some rifles have different sized front sight blocks and not all AK sight tools may work. I had to alter a chicom sight tool to work with a Romanian AK.

[Polymerhead]

Originally Posted by LKB3rd

I think my Saiga .308 front sight base is crooked.
I say I *think* because it is really hard to tell with the naked eye.

Man, if it's not crooked enough to tell by looking, it's not crooked enough to worry about. If you hold the gun level and look at it from the muzzle, you should be able to tell if it's off by more than a few degrees. My Saiga I just converted is canted to the left (as you're sighting the rifle) by about 3 degrees. I sighted it in over the weekend, and had to drift the drum to the right about 1/16", no biggie. Just take a big brass punch, lay the rifle on its side and use something to back the sight base so the drum has room to move. I used an aluminum thread adapter I found in my junk drawer, but other folks use things like sockets. Hit the drum with a hammer and punch until it moves a bit, then test it out. Repeat as needed.