I have heard some people complain that the front sight on their (insert country here) AK is canted usually to the left.  I have looked at a few recently and have noticed this phenomenon.  Question is   is this really a problem or just esthetics?  Seems to me if it hits on w/ the canted front sight if the sight is straightened it will no longer be on target.  Am I correct in my thinking?

it can potentially cause sighting problems or limit the sight adjustment range.

Firstly, I am not an expert.  Second, I have worked on a few of these rifles for customers.  I have noticed that the front sight "drum" or "cylinder" is indexed and marked to the left or right (opposite of the cant) on many of the rifles that I have worked on.

In other words, the front and rear sights were "zeroed" and marked by who ever put the rifle together originally.  I would guess that front sight cant was not such a very big deal to the original manufacture.

I have been asked to correct front sight cant, recenter the front sight post between the front sight protective "ears", and test fire the rifle at 50 yards.

I usually redrill the front sight pin holes over size, make and install new front sight pins out of oil hardening drill rod.

I hope that this will sort of answer your question.

Yours,
One Rusty Nut.

It's suppose to be straight, but I can see how the person who gets paid dirt wages in an AK assembly plant would sight the rifle in by tapping the entire front sight block instead of adjusting the front sight post like they're suppose to.