Loose sight on M1 carbine

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Loose sight on M1 carbine

Posted: 1/3/2006 5:02:31 PM EDT

The rear sight is loose on my carbine, It's a Springfield, is there a way to tighten the dovetail joint?
Get a new sight?
Stake it in place?
It's a shooter, not a collector.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

Posted: 1/3/2006 5:39:12 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
The rear sight is loose on my carbine, It's a Springfield, is there a way to tighten the dovetail joint?
Get a new sight?
Stake it in place?
It's a shooter, not a collector.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

Mine is a standard products and I had to stake it too. It looks like that's what they did. All the one's I've seen have it.

However, I may be full of crap, but I don't think your carbine is a springfield. What does it say underneath your rear site? And what does it say on the end of your barrel?

Posted: 1/3/2006 5:44:21 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
The rear sight is loose on my carbine, It's a Springfield, is there a way to tighten the dovetail joint?
Get a new sight?
Stake it in place?
It's a shooter, not a collector.

Thanks,
Jeffrey

?

Posted: 1/3/2006 6:00:22 PM EDT

[#3]

I have a "Springfield" Carbine. It's all GI except for the receiver which like my M1A receiver was made by Springfield.

I bought it several years ago. The smith that put the gun together for me said it was very well made. It was my daughters first center fire rifle. She put a couple thousand rounds thru it. Shoots great!

Interestingly my rear sight just worked loose too. How do you stake one in place?

Posted: 1/3/2006 6:16:17 PM EDT

[#4]

"How do you stake one in place"..... Carefully.

Crank the rear sight all the way over to the left. Center the base in the dovetail.
Use a slightly rounded center punch to push some metal from the dovetail into or onto the sight's base, inside the sight "ears".

The idea is to "move" some metal into the sight's base to lock it in place.
GI carbines have small cut's in the base so the metal can flow into it and lock it in place.

Be careful. GI carbines are HARD and it's easy to chip or even break the dovetail or receiver.
Commercial carbines can also be damaged if you're not careful.

Another technique is to just squirt some lacquer thinner into the sight dovetail to degrease it.
Dry it thoroughly, then apply some Loctite and allow it to be drawn into the dovetail.
Allow to cure for 24 hours, then apply lube to prevent rust.

Posted: 1/3/2006 7:00:21 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I have a "Springfield" Carbine. It's all GI except for the receiver which like my M1A receiver was made by Springfield.

I bought it several years ago. The smith that put the gun together for me said it was very well made. It was my daughters first center fire rifle. She put a couple thousand rounds thru it. Shoots great!

Interestingly my rear sight just worked loose too. How do you stake one in place?

Hmmm..... Are you sure? Can anyone confirm that Springfield was in the carbine game? I'm just sort of a novice about this stuff but I didn't think they made them. Somebody on here ought to know for sure. Is your carbine marked "springfield" somewhere on it? And if so, where?

Posted: 1/3/2006 9:13:57 PM EDT

[#6]

Well I searched for awhile & this is the only reference I could find for Springfield M1 carbine receivers:

Springfield M1 Carbine receivers

(snip) Receivers

Besides the various USGI receivers made there are also several commercially made receivers. Some saw only small numbers made. Springfield, Inc receivers were very good. Plainfield Machine and Iver Johnson are of various quality and for the most part were mediocre. I do not recommend them. Many problems can be encountered with them and the commercial parts they made to build rifles with were basically junk. The Universal Carbine is similar to, but is not the same as the M1 Carbine. (/snip)

____________________________________
The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you are already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you will be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function, without mercy, without compassion, without remorse.

Posted: 1/3/2006 9:55:25 PM EDT

[#7]

S.A. Inc. did sell stripped carbine receivers a few years ago. It was a very limited run. I have no idea who actually made them but they were marked Springfield. Also, no idea why they stopped.

Posted: 1/4/2006 6:04:57 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
"How do you stake one in place"..... Carefully.

Crank the rear sight all the way over to the left. Center the base in the dovetail.
Use a slightly rounded center punch to push some metal from the dovetail into or onto the sight's base, inside the sight "ears".

The idea is to "move" some metal into the sight's base to lock it in place.
GI carbines have small cut's in the base so the metal can flow into it and lock it in place.

Be careful. GI carbines are HARD and it's easy to chip or even break the dovetail or receiver.
Commercial carbines can also be damaged if you're not careful.

Another technique is to just squirt some lacquer thinner into the sight dovetail to degrease it.
Dry it thoroughly, then apply some Loctite and allow it to be drawn into the dovetail.
Allow to cure for 24 hours, then apply lube to prevent rust.

This is a good listing of how I corrected a loose sight on my carbine last night! I had to use a combination of loctite and staking though. The staking wouldn't quite hold it and I dind't want to beat the crap out of it, so out came the loctite. It's holding well enough now!

Posted: 1/4/2006 8:42:17 AM EDT

[#9]

Might want to center the aperture first, and then move the whole assy until you have windage zero with the aperture centered. Then, fix in place. Not really necessary, but it is the right way to do it.

Posted: 1/4/2006 9:26:28 AM EDT

[#10]

Maybe 4 or 5 years ago Springfield Inc. ( Springfield Armory) made complete carbines, also stripped receivers for sale.

Posted: 1/4/2006 2:42:09 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I have a "Springfield" Carbine. It's all GI except for the receiver which like my M1A receiver was made by Springfield.

I bought it several years ago. The smith that put the gun together for me said it was very well made. It was my daughters first center fire rifle. She put a couple thousand rounds thru it. Shoots great!

Interestingly my rear sight just worked loose too. How do you stake one in place?

Hmmm..... Are you sure? Can anyone confirm that Springfield was in the carbine game? I'm just sort of a novice about this stuff but I didn't think they made them. Somebody on here ought to know for sure. Is your carbine marked "springfield" somewhere on it? And if so, where?

They did make Carbine recievers.
Generally regarded as very high quality shooters - built with all GI parts.

Posted: 1/4/2006 3:05:43 PM EDT

[#12]

It's a good idea to anneal the area that you will be staking. It will prevent chipping the hard surface steel.

Posted: 1/4/2006 3:39:08 PM EDT

[#13]

Personally, I just took a punch and a hammer and it hasn't moved since. And it didn't fall apart. But it might not be the proper way to do it.

Posted: 1/4/2006 6:13:32 PM EDT

[#14]

Jesus Christ JJREA, hell yes I know for freakin sure it is a Springfield receiver. Like I said, I bought the fookin thing from them and it says "SPRINGFIELD" on the heal. SN SC11438. I didn't see any reason to use a US GI receiver on a shooter for my kid.

I bought unissued parts from the CMP and others to include an INLAND 1-45 barrel, and an RRAD pot belly stock which I finished myself. Looks great, shoots even better.

I'd get my little girl to confirm all of this to you but she ain't here.

Damn I guess I'd better get busy posting so I will know my ass from a hole in the ground.

OK rant over. Sorry.

Thanks for the info on fixing my SPRINGFIELD's sights guys. Once I can confirm that you guys are correct I'll fix it.

Posted: 1/4/2006 7:26:14 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Jesus Christ JJREA, hell yes I know for freakin sure it is a Springfield receiver. Like I said, I bought the fookin thing from them and it says "SPRINGFIELD" on the heal. SN SC11438. I didn't see any reason to use a US GI receiver on a shooter for my kid.

I bought unissued parts from the CMP and others to include an INLAND 1-45 barrel, and an RRAD pot belly stock which I finished myself. Looks great, shoots even better.

I'd get my little girl to confirm all of this to you but she ain't here.

Damn I guess I'd better get busy posting so I will know my ass from a hole in the ground.

OK rant over. Sorry.

Thanks for the info on fixing my SPRINGFIELD's sights guys. Once I can confirm that you guys are correct I'll fix it.

Well call me a doubting thomas but I just never heard of them. I vaguely remember something about it being bantered around somewhere else but I'm sorry for questioning so thouroughly. Now I'll know that they made them. I wasn't saying you had to use USGI for a shooter, I just was dumbfounded by the springfield receiver thing. No need to get your underwear in a bundle. It's kind of like saying my 70 camaro has a split front bumber. If you never saw one before, youd never believe it. OK??

Posted: 1/4/2006 7:38:27 PM EDT

[#16]

We're cool. I just felt the need to whine a bit.

I saw the receiver advertized in Shotgun News I think. I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure I paid about $175.00 and purchased direct from SA (?)

At any rate I've had lots of positive comments on it over the years. The complete carbine really is nice looking. My daughter would kill me if I ever sold it.

I would buy another one in a heartbeat.

Posted: 1/6/2006 2:36:29 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Personally, I just took a punch and a hammer and it hasn't moved since. And it didn't fall apart. But it might not be the proper way to do it.

I lied, mine just came loose again!!!!

I'll have to try some of that loctite!

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Loose sight on M1 carbine

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