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Posted: 4/8/2016 9:26:04 PM EDT
I bought a WASR through armslist a few years ago, and while I thought I fixed a canted front sight, and a canted gas block...I was looking at it yesterday, and it looks to me that the trunnion is what was out of wack in the first place. I don't have a camera right now to post new pics, but I have a few old pics from when I first got it. She fired reliably, even with everything out of wack. Since then I have straitened the sight, and gas block by re drilling pin holes, and using a larger pin ....I guess what I want to know, is if I am playing with fire, or just shoot the crap out of it? Here are some pics of what I was dealing with when I first got her.
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Everything operates fine. I couldn't hit nothing with open sights, unless the target is close. I don't seem to have that problem anymore since It now has a Aimpoint comp ml3 on a MI 30mm side mount. Now it shoots decent, but I can't count on the iron sights. I found my old Kodak yesterday, and charged it up...this is what I'm looking at.
As you can see, the carrier is almost touching the left side of the trunnion. I imagine at one time it was touching the trunnion, see the bolt carrier above. Is there any way I can fix this...or is it not even worth it? I would like to be able to use my open sights, if needed. |
| The front trunnion is below the RSB on the inside of the receiver. I have a WASR that has the same issue, same scraping of the carrier. Still shoots fine, so Im in no hurry to fix it. I did though, put mine in a vice with blocks and hammer the hell of the RSB (rear sight block) and moved it back a good bit. The real way to correct the issue involves a press, if you have one then no problem. There is a pin on the bottom side of the RSB you knock out, then press the RSB off, redrill the hole for the pin a little larger, adjust the RSB correctly, press back on, then use a new larger pin to drive through your newly larger pin hole. Seems like a lot of work, so I went with a vice and blocks and a 3lb sledge wrapped in an old tshirt. AAHHAHAH did the trick though. Its not perfect, but using the irons, I can hit dead center at 200 yds |
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Could be a few things, and it may not even be the RSB. Carrier stem may be bent or not true to the carrier body. Gas block may be canted, and if the piston is too tight in the carrier, it could cause the carrier to lean to one side when closed.
Would need better pictures of the trunnion/RSB area without the carrier installed to really tell, and it's hard with all your accessories in the way. Really if it works fine, I would just shoot it. The carrier is never going to wear out. Can't help you with your blinds though |
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Originally Posted By mancat:
Can't help you with your blinds though LMAO!!!!! That's part of my 5 year old son's jungle gym....He has way too much energy, He goes from looking out the window in the chair, to summer saluting onto the couch...rinse and repeat... not to mention, He likes being outside, but here in Wisconsin, sometimes...it's just too damn cold. Besides, if he's not always looking out the window...he might miss something good 
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Oh yeah our 2 year old would trash our blinds if they weren't the thick solid vinyl ones
So does your carrier piston flop around a bit or is it super tight? It needs to have some wobble to it. If the gas block is canted, the piston will cause the carrier to tilt to one side if it's too tight. |
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Originally Posted By mancat:
Oh yeah our 2 year old would trash our blinds if they weren't the thick solid vinyl ones So does your carrier piston flop around a bit or is it super tight? It needs to have some wobble to it. If the gas block is canted, the piston will cause the carrier to tilt to one side if it's too tight. No, It has some play, I already straitened the gas block, a few years ago, it is nothing like the pictures above anymore. I just noticed how close it is to the left side of the RSB, and really cant tell if the carrier is rubbing anymore or not...the action is just too loud. You can tell that it at least used to rub. |
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I don't think you have a problem there - that misalignment is very common and usually is of no concern as long as the gas piston has some wiggle at it's attachment to the bolt carrier. Take the recoil spring out and work the carrier back and forth to see if the carrier gets in a bind. It probably won't as there is so much play built into the system. Now remove the carrier and look down the muzzle in good light so you can see the point on the rear trunion that the barrel is pointed at. This will show you the angle between the barrel and receiver. Most AKs have a slight angle. I thought the receiver on my AMD65 was really skewed but the barrel alignment test showed it was only 1/8" off center at the trunion. Not that it matters, because both sights are basically on the barrel.
Have you tried using your sights at the 25 yd range? That's where you'll find out if the adjustment can be made with the front sight, and it's close enough that you can shoot meaningful groups, tight enough to indicate which way to adjust the sight. Also, if the adjust is too much for the front sight post, you can force the rear sight over in the direction you want the POI to go. The little ears on the leaf will bend and the adjustment will hold. You do part of it on the rear and part on the front to keep the front sight post off of the sight ear when the parts are really canted. After getting 'on' at 25 (about 1" low) you can go to 50 and zero it. The rear sight should be on '1' for all this. The 50 yd zero is also the 100 yd zero with the rear sight on '1'. |
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Originally Posted By 1saxman:
Also, if the adjust is too much for the front sight post, you can force the rear sight over in the direction you want the POI to go. The little ears on the leaf will bend and the adjustment will hold. You do part of it on the rear and part on the front to keep the front sight post off of the sight ear when the parts are really canted. Had a chicom ak in 5.56 a few years back that was shooting to the left when trying to get it zeroed. Everything looked straight so was puzzled as to why it was left windage biased. Then on a closer look I noticed the rear sight leaf was pushed over to the left. The cross drill fixture at the chicom factory that day must not have been set up properly to drill perpendicular pivot holes on the rear sight. 
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