Canted front sight

[Mustang5L5]

So, I have reason to believe my front sight is canted over to the right slightly.

I became suspicious when I noticed I needed to adjust Windage 14 clicks to the right to bring the POI centered up.

After looking at my upper for the better part of an hour I finally convinced myself it is slightly angled right a few degrees.

Anyone ever experience this?

I'm the kind of person who hates to send anything back and who knows what the turnaround time would be. I'm almost tempted to live with it (gun is accurate now tgat it's adjusted) and wait til I build an upper and have all the tools to fix it myself. I see myself building a 20" upper within a year


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[heatheroo]

Funny. Last night I convinced myself the front sight on my Sport is canted to the left. Looking at it directly, it doesn't appear to be but it sure looks that way when viewed through the rear sight. Optical illusion? Dunno. I haven't decided what to do about it yet.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Quick way to check front sight cant:
First, center your rear sight, then take a piece of string or rubber band (I prefer rubber band) and run it tight through the rear peep sight to the front post.
Now look straight down the length of the rifle, it should be centered all the way.
If it veers to one side then you have canted sights.

Since the gas block/front sights are pinned the only remedies are to send it back or replace the gas block with one the uses set screws to hold it in place (so you can center it).

 

[Mustang5L5]

Thanks for the idea. Now to find string !


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[oneyeopn]

please let us know if they are canted!!

 

[MPDC]

OK, it may be more complicated. You are dealing with "barrel indexing" and anything 13 clicks or less off is considered OK. Yep, 13 clicks is considered acceptable. Messing with the bbl's indexing can throw head spacing off so unless you are outside that much or more, just adjust the sight for zero and forget new gas blocks, etc.

since yours is 14 clicks off (IF you are sure of that FROM ABSOLUTE SIGHT CENTER) send it in for warranty correction NOT a job for a novice gunsmithing owner.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Actually it's really not that complicated on an AR.
The barrel will only fit (index) on one way due to the pin on the barrel extension, you really can't put it on wrong.
And as for headspacing on an AR, also very simple, as long as it's a new bolt and barrel combo they will headspace just fine.
The problem lies with matching up an older barrel with new bolt (or visa versa) since the locking lugs will be worn more on the older part.
If the sights are canted the most likely reason is the front sight/gas block taper pin holes were not drilled a true 90 degrees to top dead center.

 

[MPDC]

Actually it's really not that complicated on an AR.
The barrel will only fit (index) on one way due to the pin on the barrel extension, you really can't put it on wrong.
And as for headspacing on an AR, also very simple, as long as it's a new bolt and barrel combo they will headspace just fine.
The problem lies with matching up an older barrel with new bolt (or visa versa) since the locking lugs will be worn more on the older part.
If the sights are canted the most likely reason is the front sight/gas block taper pin holes were not drilled a true 90 degrees to top dead center.

Agree but have seen some really sad attempts at correcting something the warrantee should be used on. At least by very inexperienced, new AR owners. Correcting by changing the gas block may be simple to understand but difficult to correct for bad drilled holes. JMO, I am certainly no Armorer but have messed up enough to know I'm not. Lower assembling is much simpler than upper building/correcting.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Well, I just stringed it and stared at gun for about 30 mins from every angle. I can't even tell. My buddy says its looks straight but I think it's off a tiny bit. But I'm not even sure. I think part of me is looking for it to be off though.

I'm using a detachable carry handle now. I kinda want to toss the magpul flip up back on and try to find zero with that.

I'm wanting to take a pic but every angle looks perfectly aligned.




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[Mustang5L5]

Ok well I took the handle off took the upper off the rifle and then layed it on the rail on a flat table with the sight hanging off.

Looking from overhead, you can see the sight does favor the right side very slightly. So it is in fact canted to the right

Here is where rear windage must be to be on target. To be honest, I think I might need 15-16 clicks total

40 clicks per side. I have 25 left. Should I send it in?

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[MPDC]

Well, I just stringed it and stared at gun for about 30 mins from every angle. I can't even tell. My buddy says its looks straight but I think it's off a tiny bit. But I'm not even sure. I think part of me is looking for it to be off though.

I'm using a detachable carry handle now. I kinda want to toss the magpul flip up back on and try to find zero with that.


I'm wanting to take a pic but every angle looks perfectly aligned.












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If you can borrow a red dot that is cowitness height, align the magpul and front sight with it (properly zero the red dot first) and see how far off it is or IF it is off much at all.

 

[MichiganScott]

I have a match rifle that has the sights off by the same amount.

If it bothers you, send it back. There is no real guarantee that it will come back centered, however. Sometimes it is just caused by tolerance stack.

 

[jeepjeepwhat]

40 clicks per side. I have 25 left. Should I send it in?

I think you answered your own question here. You have plenty of room left, don't worry about it and don't mess with it.

Unless you plan on shooting in hurricane winds that you would need those 16 clicks back....

 

[danco]

With the top of the front sight post being 2.6" above the centerline of the barrel, it doesn't take much rotation to put the sights off line (probably no more than the tolerance between the barrel index pin and the notch in the top of the receiver).

As long as the rear sight isn't all the way to the side, you should be ok.

Personally, if it were my rifle, I'd put the BUIS on it, zero it, and then add an EOTech or Aimpoint and never use the iron sights again (except in case of failure of the optic).

~Dan

 

[wihunter]

With a pinned sight it can be off and the only way to truly have a centered sight is to use a clamp on gas block/sight

 

[rebs081]

I thought mine was off to the left but it is not, it appears to be an optical illusion for my eyes I guess. others look and say it dead center. I checked a few in the gun shop and to me they were off also.

In the picture you posted it doesn't look like the camera is lined up dead on, the camera looks to be off to the left some.

 

[oneyeopn]

is that carrying handle the one that came with the rifle or was it something you added. To my eyes it looks like the offset is in the carrying handle or maybe in the way the sight it attached to it. Just my observation but I am not there to really see it.

 

[ladder13]

I think you answered your own question here. You have plenty of room left, don't worry about it and don't mess with it.

Unless you plan on shooting in hurricane winds that you would need those 16 clicks back....

+1 ^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Mustang5L5]

The picture I posted was not intended to show misalignment. I was just showing the number of clicks over I had to go.

I couldn't get a good pic showing misalignment.

The way I was it was to strip everything off the upper I could and lay it on its back on the flattop rail with the sight hanging over the countertop.

Then, standing above it, you could see the front sight hood poking out from one side of the barrel to the right. So there is cant.

I will be going to optics soon, and the carry handle was an add on by myself, so who knows of its the handle really.

I might live with it and just move to optics anyway.


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[oneyeopn]

Mustang..I wanted to be able to shoot very accurately to 200 yards, never imagined that the sport would shoot very accurately to 300 so I went with a scope and then went with a bigger scope, and If I can find the right 4-24x42 scope I will go with an even bigger scope.