How common are canted sights on the SKS and can they be fixed with everyday common tools?


I have not seen or heard about canted sights with the SKS but out of my 9 Chinese 3 are canted. Out of my buddies 2 Chinese 1 is canted. I have not noticed canted sights with any other countries SKS rifles.

Anyway I have 2 that are so bad that they can not be zeroed, they run out of windage on the front sight drum. It is the front sight towers that are out of wack and it is enough that the bayonet does not line up with the front stock ferrule or the stock inlet.

I have tryed driving the pins out of the front sight base on one but I still can not get it to budge when trying to turn it. A gun that can not be zeroed is useless to me but I do not want to bubba them too much. I have a few ideas about how to do it but maybe someone has a better suggestion? I have thought about splitting the bottom of the FSB and then position it correctly then weld it on and grind and reblue. I have thought about cutting most of the way through the front sight tower and then bending the tower into position then welding up the cut. This would solve the zero issue but not the bayonet one.

Maybe I just need some heat like a propane torch and then a stout wrench and it might turn?

If they end up too bubba then I could always drill and tap the receivers for a Choate scope mount. At least they could be zeroed then.

I'd try soaking in a good penetrating oil over night before I put heat on a rifle.

Whatever you end up doing just don't try to rush it, take your time it will be worth it in the end.

You're in for a lot of work.  You'll need a 20+ ton press to remove and replace those FSB's. I'd recommend sending them to a reputable gunsmith to repair or dump them.

The sights on my Yugo are canted. I tried like hell to get them straight with no luck, couldn't even get them to move. Instead of jacking up the rifle I ended up getting a Techsight peep for the rear and never looked back.