About to leave for the range, how do I zero an AK?

shoot from a bench. Use a sandbag or something to steady the gun.

Then, take the rear leaf sight, and pull it as far back as possible.

Fire in 3-5 shot groups.

Don't worry about an AK's MoA. If you can put all the shots on the target, then I'd consider that zeroed.

The best tool is the Tapco.
It adjusts both elevation and windage.

http://www.tapco.com/proddesc.aspx?Id=1af17d52-08dc-4fb9-bc40-9f38134201df

HOW to sight in:
If you are not interested in being able to adjust the rear sight for shooting at longer ranges, just sight in at whatever range you want.

If you do want the sights to be set for the correct meters so you can shoot farther, here's the Russian method.

Set the rear sight on the "1" setting. This is 100 meters.

Put a target at 25 meters, or 29.5 yards.

Shoot by aiming at the dead center of a target.
You want the bullets hitting right were the sights are pointing.

When the sights are on with the point of aim, the rifle is sighted in.
From 0 to 300 meters, you will hit a man-sized target by simply aiming at the center without changing the sight setting.

For longer ranges, simply set the rear sight for the estimated range.

Here's online sites showing this method:

http://www.gunsnet.net/linx310/
Sighting in link is on the lower left menu.

http://www.ak-47.net/
Link is again on the lower left menu.

As a matter of fact you can use the cleaning kit and bayonet to adjust the AK's front sight but the clamp type sight adjustment tool is better.

I think what R127 is saying Hoplophile is that you can use a piece of rod as a punch, and the bayonet as a hammer (Please correct me R127 if I'm wrong, I have never heard of using the cleaning rods/bayonet)

I use the clamp-on adjustment tool for both my SKS's and my AK's. I had to drillout the hole so the AK front sight azmuth pin could be slid over though.

I use the Tapco tool. It's a worthwhile investment. I've also done the 25 meter zero and it works well.

On my MAK90 the front site pin keeps wiggling loose when I shoot it. Isn't there supposed to be a way to lock it in place once you zero it?

I think what R127 is saying Hoplophile is that you can use a piece of rod as a punch, and the bayonet as a hammer (Please correct me R127 if I'm wrong, I have never heard of using the cleaning rods/bayonet)

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No, nothing like that. The combination tool from the cleaning kit has a notch with a hole bored in it that is intended to be used to adjust the front sight post. The lugs at the end of the bayonet sheath are designed to engage the front sight drum and drift it left or right. This isn't the only trick the cleaning kit and bayonet can do either.

The AK is an extremely well thought out platform. That makes sense, it was was designed by an educated soldier with combat experience. The irony is people who are entirely ignorant of how the weapon is supposed to work like to say it is intended only for untrained illiterate peasants. Isn't it funny how ones own limitations color ones view of the world? It is a fascinating rifle to study.

On my MAK90 the front site pin keeps wiggling loose when I shoot it. Isn't there supposed to be a way to lock it in place once you zero it?

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I assume you mean the front sight drum, the part that adjusts windage. You can stake it in place once it is zeroed and that was once a common practice on drift style sights. Still, you shouldn't have to. It sounds like yours might be slightly out of spec so you might try a replacement part. If you mean the front sight post then try some loctite.

I'm refering to the piece that screws up and down to change elevation. After about 60 rounds it works its way completely loose.

Makster, the ones I have seen have been split on the bottem to apply tension inorder to hold it in place. If you remove the post all the way you should be able to spread it some which should help hold the post in place.

R127 said:

I think what R127 is saying Hoplophile is that you can use a piece of rod as a punch, and the bayonet as a hammer (Please correct me R127 if I'm wrong, I have never heard of using the cleaning rods/bayonet)

Click to expand...

No, nothing like that. The combination tool from the cleaning kit has a notch with a hole bored in it that is intended to be used to adjust the front sight post. The lugs at the end of the bayonet sheath are designed to engage the front sight drum and drift it left or right. This isn't the only trick the cleaning kit and bayonet can do either.

The AK is an extremely well thought out platform. That makes sense, it was was designed by an educated soldier with combat experience. The irony is people who are entirely ignorant of how the weapon is supposed to work like to say it is intended only for untrained illiterate peasants. Isn't it funny how ones own limitations color ones view of the world? It is a fascinating rifle to study.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Do you Know of anywhere to get pictures of this in use? All I did with the cleaning kit was stick it in the buttstock hole.

No pics, I learned it from a Russian soldier. The use of the combo-tool to adjust the front sight is straight forward. Put the pick in the extended position so it's out of the way, insert the flat head screwdriver part of the combo-tool into the slot in the cleaning kit body to form a "T" handle, place the notch in the combo-tool over the front sight post and twist as needed.

The bayonet is a little less obvious. Basically lug on the sheath that normally goes through the hole in the bayonet blade to form the wire cutter is involved. So is the other metal lug below it. Turn the sheath edge up and place the front sight drum between those two lugs. If you do it then it should be obvious how this works even if it sounds a little funny in the text description. You can then either use it as a lever or carefully tap it to drift the drum.

The best, and easiest AK/SKS sight tool to use is made by B Square. It allows for more precise windage adjustment, and can be left on the gun while you zero (you do need to take it off when you do the vertical adjustment though).

towards the bottom of the page...

http://secure.armorholdings.com/b-square/tools_scope.html

The Chinese type like the TAPCO tool, usually bend easily, and dont offer enough leverage to move some of the stiffer sight barrels. I've bent the tool body itself on a couple, and the handle on the shaft on all I've used. If you do choose this type tool, bring a smaller box wrench along to slip over the handle to give you some leverage.

R127 said:

No pics, I learned it from a Russian soldier. The use of the combo-tool to adjust the front sight is straight forward. Put the pick in the extended position so it's out of the way, insert the flat head screwdriver part of the combo-tool into the slot in the cleaning kit body to form a "T" handle, place the notch in the combo-tool over the front sight post and twist as needed.

The bayonet is a little less obvious. Basically lug on the sheath that normally goes through the hole in the bayonet blade to form the wire cutter is involved. So is the other metal lug below it. Turn the sheath edge up and place the front sight drum between those two lugs. If you do it then it should be obvious how this works even if it sounds a little funny in the text description. You can then either use it as a lever or carefully tap it to drift the drum.

Click to expand...

Tried it and it seems like it would work in an emergency (Sheath). That is pretty cool and ingenious engineering.