18" FAL iron sights POI is VERY low!

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Navy_Guns

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I built my FAL using a DSA metric receiver and a parts kit from gunpartsguy.com several years ago. I got the kit with an 18" barrel. I have read a few tales about FAL carbine owners having the issue of shooting low, but mine is way off. After a few frustrating range sessions, I finally stuck a laser boresight spud in the barrel tonight and checked it out in my basement. With the front sight completely bottomed out and the rear sight run all the way up the ramp, the laser spot is still below the line of sight 30 feet out. What are my options to deal with this? I did a search in the Rifle Country forum and the Gunsmithing forum and didn't find anything helpful. :(
 
30ft is very short. Try getting a zero at a longer range (like 50y) and you may have better luck.
 
Yeah you need to back up to at least 50yds. Remember your sights are designed so that the sight line and the travel of the bullet will intersect at a point down range. At 30ft. the bullet has not yet crossed the line of sight and thus is hitting low.
 
Short barreled FAL's are know to shoot low because the kinematics of recoil/time.

There are 5 different height (0-4 dot) front sight posts "0" dot being shortest and "4" dot being tallest.

Usually 18" barreled FAL's can be regulated with a 0 or 1 dot front sight.

I would suggest buying a shorter front sight, not filing down the one you already have, but filing them down works also.

If thing are REALLY out of wack "inch" rear sights are taller than metric.

I had a member on the FAL Files(mountain man) make me special extra tall M-16A2 flip aperture for DSA's windage adjustable rear Para sights to solve the problem you are having with a short barreled FALs.
 
Thanks, I ordered a L1A1 rear sight assembly based on your advice. If that doesn't fix it, i'll try messing with the front sight post.
 
SilentScream said:
Yeah you need to back up to at least 50yds. Remember your sights are designed so that the sight line and the travel of the bullet will intersect at a point down range. At 30ft. the bullet has not yet crossed the line of sight and thus is hitting low.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is where you need to start before you start spending money. 30 feet (10 yards) is way too close to zero a 308/7.72 Nato rifle. The Army zeros 5.56 at 25 yards and that's really too close. The Marines have changed over to 36 yard zeros. Works much better.
 
My guess is that a inch rear sight will be too much, even with a 4 dot front.

Look strait down at the front sight, there should be "dot(s)" dimpled onto it, you will see 2 holes that go all the way through for the front sight adjusting tool, the "dots" are between those holes.

Here is a link to DS Arms websight where they sell different height front sight.http://www.dsarms.com/FAL-SA58%20Front%20&%20Rear%20Sights%20%20/products/207/

And there is always the file, I just hate altering perfectly good parts when the alternative is available. Any front sight can be made shorter, but sooner or later someone is gonna need that tall front sight.

PS: with the rear sight set to 200 and the correct front sight POA=POI @ ~ 27 yds... but actually shooting and zeroing at 200 yds is preferred.
 
You're going to make me break out the tape measure, aren't you? :)

My front sight has 3 numerals on it, an 8, a 12, and a 0. There appears to be two dots coming out radially from the front sight post at 90 degrees relative to the two adjustment holes, but the one furthest out is a larger, more distinct dot than the inboard one. Does this mean I have a "2 dot" front sight?

With it screwed all the way down, the top of the post is 1.75" above the bore axis.

With the rear set at 200m (22" radius) and an Insight laser bore tool in the barrel, the point of aim is 3.4" above the bore axis at 27 feet. This means my sight axis is pointing AWAY from the bore axis! With the rear set at 600m (21" radius), the POA is 1.5" above the bore axis at 27 feet. This means the sight axis is at least pointing TOWARDS the bore axis as it should, but still way off. According to my ballistics calculator, with a 1.75" sight height, my sight axis should be 1.2" above the bore axis at 27 feet for a proper 200m zero.

To get the right 200m zero, I calculated that my sight line should point down towards the barrel axis at a .097 degree angle. When set at 200m, the sight line is pointing away from the barrel axis at a .292 degree angle, so I need a .389 degree correction. With a 22" sight radius, that comes out to 0.15" of correction. So I either need a rear sight that is 0.15" taller, a front that is 0.15" shorter (which would put the top down inside the gas block!!!), or a combination of both. I'd like to not have my front bottomed out, so if the L1A1 rear is more than 0.15" taller than what's on there now, I should be fine.

Uh, just how much taller is the aperture on a L1A1 than a standard metric rear sight??? :uhoh:
 
There appears to be two dots coming out radially from the front sight post at 90 degrees relative to the two adjustment holes, but the one furthest out is a larger, more distinct dot than the inboard one. Does this mean I have a "2 dot" front sight?
I would guess you have a "2" dot rear sight based on your description, there are no dots on the side opposite the 2 dots you describe?

According to my ballistics calculator, with a 1.75" sight height, my sight axis should be 1.2" above the bore axis at 27 feet for a proper 200m zero.
27 Yards or 25 meters

To get the right 200m zero, I calculated....
The measurements you are making are WAY to coarse to be using numbers like .097 degrees (Sig. Figs.)
You need to get to at least a 100 yd range.

Uh, just how much taller is the aperture on a L1A1 than a standard metric rear sight?
I forget, but someone on the FAL Files should be able to answer.

AND ALSO- Because of the rear sight is on the lower, and the front sight is on the upper, if the upper is not locking up correctly the rifle could shoot low BUT see if you can fix it with sight changes first. There are at least 2 different sized frame locks, and "Gunplumber" (ARS) made up some oversized ones also.
 
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