Need help replacing M1 carbine rear sight

[trainsktg]

Hello All,

I couldn't find an appropriate section for this type of request in the board classifieds, so I'm posting here.

I have a civilian M1 carbine that needs the rear sight replaced. I have the replacement, but I'd rather not risk breaking the receiver by trying to tap it out. Is there anyone here who has the rear sight jig that would be willing to do the replacement for a fee or trade for ammunition or parts like .223 or AK stripper clips?

I'll be back in Portland this upcoming weekend.

Thanks.

Keith

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[rdb241]

I have seen rear sight tolls on Gunbroker.com

 

[trainsktg]

The jigs run around $100 give or take, not worth it for just one sight replacement.

Keith

 

[elsullo]

If the original sight is usable and tight I suggest just leaving it in place! I too once had a civilian M1 Carbine (Iver Johnson/Universal, made of mostly military parts,) and got a military sight to "improve" it. Well, it was a job knocking out the original sights, and the military replacement set fit the dovetail loosely. Many attempts at shimming and plastic-welding and staking still left me with a loose sight on an otherwise great little rifle.

You can't tell ahead of time whether the new sights are compatible with the old dovetail---the civilian rifles were never exactly done to one military spec. Maybe that is why they went out of production! You could make things worse by trying to improve it...................elsullo

 

[trainsktg]

Well unfortunately the issue isn't quite that easy. Someone cut the peep sight in half in an attempt to make a notch out of it. Why, I do not know... Also, the windage screw was boogered and wouldn't turn. Essentially neither part is fixable. I wanted to merely replace the screw, knob and sight and leave the original base but it looks like I might mess up the new windage screw if I tried to disassemble the unit. The old windage knob was held with a very small allen set screw, the new one looks like it has a tiny spot weld on it, but in a fairly inaccessible place.

Mine is a later Plainfield, which as I understand was made to milspec, but is it really...? Good question.

Keith

 

[rdb241]

Well unfortunately the issue isn't quite that easy. Someone cut the peep sight in half in an attempt to make a notch out of it. Why, I do not know... Also, the windage screw was boogered and wouldn't turn. Essentially neither part is fixable. I wanted to merely replace the screw, knob and sight and leave the original base but it looks like I might mess up the new windage screw if I tried to disassemble the unit. The old windage knob was held with a very small allen set screw, the new one looks like it has a tiny spot weld on it, but in a fairly inaccessible place.

Mine is a later Plainfield, which as I understand was made to milspec, but is it really...? Good question.

Keith

Can you post any pics?

 

[torpedoman]

brass drift, tap it out , tap new one in

 

[trainsktg]

Pics aren't possible, because my camera is about 300 miles away. The peep and windage parts are gone though. I removed and chucked them. They really were boogered up. Right now just the base is there.

I could tap it out, but I've read that there is a good possibility of breaking the receiver without a proper jig to support it.

Keith

 

[rdb241]

Well I guess, fabricate some sort of jig that will give you equal suport on the bottom side of the receiver.

 

[torpedoman]

TAP not pound.