AK Iron Sights

[trackskippy]

Yup, thats how aperture sights work, except in the case of the one above, thats mounted forward where the stock leaf sight goes.

 

[imac98374]

Yup, thats how aperture sights work, except in the case of the one above, thats mounted forward where the stock leaf sight goes.

In my experience a ghost ring is functionally very similar. You look through the ring, your unconscious mind centers the front sight post in the ring, you put the post on your target. Squeeze, recoil and repeat?

 

[trackskippy]

Yup, ghost ring too, but they are normally mounted close to the eye.

 

[wiscoaster]

I have a Zastava ZPAP that I tried a side-mounted rail system to shoot with an optic and ended up deciding to forego the optic and just shoot with iron sights.

 

[sarduy]

Hey guys,

i went both ways, first I sighted the reddot, at 100 yards to hit POA-POI, then went back and zeroed the iron at 25m using the [2] notch, it give me a 25-200m zero and a 50-300 zero using the Battle notch. Basically i have 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 yards zero… after that i need to start using the 4,5,6,7…notches. I love iron sights on the ak and if you train to use the front ( i ) as a caveman eotech you can do very well within 25 yards and CQB environments

 

[Bcwitt]

The front sights were really stuck on the old surplus AK rifles and SKS rifles. And yes I have mess up the cheaper sight tools on old SKS's and AK's. But those were either rusted in place or packed full of cosmoline.

I think they finish the gun w the sights installed. That really gets them seized in place.

The sights on the AK, like those on the SKS are in my experience a little bit silly; short sight radius and not even close to being as fast or as accurate as aperture sights.
When I bought my AK I pretty quickly installed a set of Tech Sight aperture sights and removed the rear sight completely. Man, what a difference!
I'll soon install them on my Chinese SKS.

35W

AK tangents are much faster then apertures.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

UPDATE:

Today I did a rough sight in of the irons and fired at 50 meters. To my surprise, the rifle made three consecutive 5 shot groups all within an inch and three quarters, and this was with bulk Tulammo. I am very pleased. I might be selling my red dot mount very soon!

 

[trackskippy]

I wouldnt go selling it just yet. Just like an AR, the AK's really shine with the red dots. Irons are fine, but the red dots bring them both into the 21'st century.

 

[Bcwitt]

I never cared for red dots. Iron sights & point shooting for me.

 

[35 Whelen]

I think they finish the gun w the sights installed. That really gets them seized in place.

AK tangents are much faster then apertures.

If you don't know how to use aperture sights, then yes, tangent sights would be faster.

35W

 

[JCooperfan1911]

If you don't know how to use aperture sights, then yes, tangent sights would be faster.

35W

No doubt apertures are great. The ones on my M1 carbines and the ones on the M16A2s and M4s I used in the service were excellent battle sights.

I used to really dislike the SKS sights and I thought AKs as well, but maybe the open front half hood of the AK works better for me. Sub 2” groups at 50m with bulk steel cased stuff really impressed me today, I’m getting much better with them. It also helps that my Bulgarian AK has an excellent trigger.

 

[Bcwitt]

If you don't know how to use aperture sights, then yes, tangent sights would be faster.

35W

I know how to uses both types. The aperture sight is more precise, but no match for opens for speed.

 

[Bcwitt]

An AK post aligns Below the "horns" of the front sight & POI is in the open area, unobstructed by the post. The target appears ABOVE the aligned sights, not on it. A Mauser sight is similar. Very fast alignment.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

An AK post aligns Below the "horns" of the front sight & POI is in the open area, unobstructed by the post. The target appears ABOVE the aligned sights, not on it. A Mauser sight is similar. Very fast alignment.

I think I’m just now learning this. Used to, the coarse front sight seemed really bad and obscured the target. Since switching to a “lollipop” hold with the target sitting on top of the post, unobscured, my groups have shrank dramatically. I have since learned this is how the Russians were taught to use them. To aim at the enemies belt buckle with the rounds impacting the torso.

 

[trackskippy]

I never cared for red dots. Iron sights & point shooting for me.

For quick reactive shooting, youre not going to beat a red dot, for speed or accuracy.

Point shooting is a close range affair and done irons or red dot, but thats a different type of shooting too.

If you don't know how to use aperture sights, then yes, tangent sights would be faster.

35W

Im thinking we are thinking/talking about two different types of shooting here. At closer ranges, and shooting reactively, Ive always found the traditional open type sights to be quicker for fast snap type shots. At least Im not as quick with the peeps shooting that way, and Ive shot the peeps more.

As I mentioned earlier, I think HK had the right idea with their G3/90's set up, and that those sights are the best, all around iron combat sight going.

Using the big notch in the sight barrel, and the whole "globe" on the front sight, you have a close range CQB sight. If you use the small "V" in the bottom of the big notch, and the post inside the globe, you have a fine, precise aiming point and zero for shooting out to 100 yards. If youre paying attention, youll notice that if you use the first method, youll have alignment with the second, or very close with just a shift in focus.

You can use the AK sights in a similar fashion as the HK's for CQB by just using the "ears"/"globe" as the front sight, and the top of the leaf as the rear. Its sort of like shooting with one of the XS "Big Dots" if you think about it.

Someone, and Im forgetting who right at the moment, actually makes a rear sight leaf for the AR's that incorporates a notch/peep sort of thing that replaces the "0-50" ghost ring peep, and would give you something similar, and is just for that purpose.

What Im talking about here is making fast and "accurate enough" hits on people-sized targets at closer ranges, say out to 50 yards or so.

An AK post aligns Below the "horns" of the front sight & POI is in the open area, unobstructed by the post. The target appears ABOVE the aligned sights, not on it. A Mauser sight is similar. Very fast alignment.

Ive had one AK where the front post was level with the top of the ears when the gun was zeroed. There isnt always a gap there.

I put the front post on any of them on where I want to hit, out to the BSZ anyway. Thats sort of the point of that.

I think I’m just now learning this. Used to, the coarse front sight seemed really bad and obscured the target. Since switching to a “lollipop” hold with the target sitting on top of the post, unobscured, my groups have shrank dramatically. I have since learned this is how the Russians were taught to use them. To aim at the enemies belt buckle with the rounds impacting the torso.

The lollipop hold simply gives you a more precise and repeatable aiming point, and generally only gives you one, maybe two POI's that agree with your POA. With a BSZ, out to that range, usually around 250-300 yards or so, you hold right on and you'll be somewhere around 4"-5" above or below the POA of a direct hold.

The lollipop hold is more of a target shooting type hold. For it to work, you need to know your target height above the POA, and your sight adjustments if you want to be precise at a specific distance.

 

[12Bravo20]

Come now comrades, Ak meant to be fired from hip, old training (propaganda) videos all show that. No need to worry about sights.

Okay time to be serious, learn to use the graduations on the rear sight leaf and use what sight picture works best for you. We have seen many here use a different sight picture, and they all seem to work just fine for individual users.

I use the same sight picture for my AR's, AK's, and SKS rifles. I use the method taught to all of us by our good Uncle Sam when using the M16 family.

 

[Ignition Override]

JCooperfan1911:

if you keep the Red Dot, your Bulgy AKM will be on more of a “level playing field” with most ARs I notice. Especially ARs in 7.62x39 ?

——. just in case you want to Show them that a “barn door” for many AKs might allow …only…. a 1.6” skinny mouse to enter the tiny “barn”.