I've got a 1st gen post war Universal that I picked up. I later picked up a bayonet, not realizing at the time, that the carbine didn't have the lug. Off to Sarco I went and picked up a bayonet lug/front band. All good so far. Here's where the trouble started.

Instead of the pins, the Universal has a set screw in top of the front sight. Great, I got that out on the second try (if you can get the correct allen wrench on the second try, you're cookin', right?). Now I'm stuck. I'm not sure if I need to find a puller or whether I can maybe knock the sight off with a plastic hammer. Or even if there's another set screw down in that hole. My old crap eyes are playing tricks on me, maybe.

Has anybody done this on one of these? any guidance?

I have a first year Universal with 4 digit serial number. It is all GI parts with the exception of the trigger guard, stock, and receiver (which is marked Universal). It is exceptionally reliable, so much so that I keep it as a HD gun upstairs.

Anyway, everyone I’ve seen, including my 2 (had a later gun which was beyond garbage) had a pinned on front sight like GI Guns. I suspect yours is some after market sight used by the company to assemble guns for sale. Later guns did not use GI parts, but parts of Universals own design

The later guns were completely changed to use a 2 spring operating system and were better used as tomato stakes. If you have one of them, you might be able to get rid of it to the unknowing panic buyers.

My friend and I collect M1 carbines, among other things. So we have seen plenty of examples of them.

I suspect you front sight is glued on or rusted in place. To remove it, get a piece of wood and try to tap it off, or hold a piece of wood against the sight and tap it with a hammer.

Weird. the serial number is well inside the 1st gen range when they were supposed to be using milsurp parts. I guess I'll know more when I get the old sight off.