Best sighting tool for Norinco AK-47?

[stinger 327]

I have never seen so many varieties of sight adjustment tools for Norinco AK-47.

Where is a good source to get this kind of adjustment tool and which one tool would be the best one?

This is for the front post sight where both windage and elevation adjustments are made. The tool is a 2 function tool usually with a key for elevation on front post and vice grip part for windage.

 

[briansmithwins]

This one looks pretty darn tough: http://www.magna-matic-defense.com/AKFST-AK-47-Front-Sight-Tool-p/akfst.htm

It's on my list to buy. BSW

 

[fireman 9731]

That one sure looks nice... but unless you are in the business of adjusting sights, this $5 one from Midway USA will probably serve your needs just fine.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=368914

 

[W.E.G.]

The magnamatic tool looks awesome!

Only problem is, an AK front sight gets adjusted one time, and then never touched again.

Probably could put up with a cheaper tool if it can actually move the sight without digging quite so deep into my pocket.

 

[stinger 327]

$29.99 for this which is something that's rarely used and doesn't break.

I see alot of them in the $5.00-$15.00 range same basic design.

What makes this one so special to justify this kind of price (made out of special metal?) in that it costs 4 times the amount of most Ak-47 sight tools?

 

[stinger 327]

This one looks pretty darn tough: http://www.magna-matic-defense.com/AKFST-AK-47-Front-Sight-Tool-p/akfst.htm

It's on my list to buy. BSW

$29.00

 

[stinger 327]

The magnamatic tool looks awesome!

Only problem is, an AK front sight gets adjusted one time, and then never touched again.

Probably could put up with a cheaper tool if it can actually move the sight without digging quite so deep into my pocket.

I'm sure a cheaper cost tool would work. I actually have one that will work it is just that the T bar is bent but now the side to side adjustment and the elevation post are both easy to adjust.
Perhaps this Magnamtic tool is for problem AK-47 sights that are stuck frozen. But if that's the case would some CLP loosen the sight up?

 

[briansmithwins]

I just busted an elevation adjusting key (again) on my buddies frozen AK front sight and my $6 NC Star c clapm tool won't budge a SKS windage slide.

I want a front sight adjusting tool that's tough enough to move a frozen front sight w/o breaking or getting sprung open.

BSW

 

[stinger 327]

That one sure looks nice... but unless you are in the business of adjusting sights, this $5 one from Midway USA will probably serve your needs just fine.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=368914

This one is much more reasonably priced. I did read the ratings on it so I guess a few people had problems with it but they must have had sights that were problems to begin with.
Anyway this beats a mallet with wood or brass punch method.

 

[stinger 327]

I just busted an elevation adjusting key (again) on my buddies frozen AK front sight and my $6 NC Star c clapm tool won't budge a SKS windage slide.

I want a front sight adjusting tool that's tough enough to move a frozen front sight w/o breaking or getting sprung open.

BSW

I have a Red Star SKS/AK Sight adjustment Tool As you can see the T bar part is bent but it still works
I just tried to use it on the windage portion of AK and it is very tight won't budge so I will try to use some CLP to see if that will loosen the windage part of sight otherwise if this doesn't work I may have to get that 29.99 AK-47 sighting tool

 

[stinger 327]

Check it out

http://www.thefind.com/sports/browse-sks-sight-adjustment#page=1&sess[search.pagesize.base]=28

 

[stinger 327]

No instructions whatsoever in this manual on sighting in


This is for the Norinco AK-47 1989 vintage

 

[stinger 327]

Here is another AK-47 sighting tool

Share your own customer images

 

[halogrinder]

brass punch and a hammer- its getting adjusted

 

[stinger 327]

brass punch and a hammer- its getting adjusted

Yes but isn't better to use an adjustment tool than a mallet and brass puncher?

 

[hank327]

B-Square Sight Tool

The tool that BSW posted a link to looks like it is sturdy enough to do the job.
I have had this tool from B-Square for many years now and it always has worked on even the tightest front sights.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=6567/pid=1751/sku/AK_SKS_Sight_Tool?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=shopzilla&mc_id=12000&gdftrk=gdfV21820_a_7c187_a_7c746_a_7c122000006_d_122000006_d_2105

I first bought one of those cheap C-clamp sight tools and it broke within two minutes of its first use without even beginning to budge the front sight. I went ahead and spent the money on the B-Square and it was well worth it to me to be able to easily adjust my rifles sights.

 

[stinger 327]

The tool that BSW posted a link to looks like it is sturdy enough to do the job.
I have had this tool from B-Square for many years now and it always has worked on even the tightest front sights.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=6567/pid=1751/sku/AK_SKS_Sight_Tool?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=shopzilla&mc_id=12000&gdftrk=gdfV21820_a_7c187_a_7c746_a_7c122000006_d_122000006_d_2105

I first bought one of those cheap C-clamp sight tools and it broke within two minutes of its first use without even beginning to budge the front sight. I went ahead and spent the money on the B-Square and it was well worth it to me to be able to easily adjust my rifles sights.

I read the two ratings on this product which didn't give me a good impression in that this didn't work well for an AK on the elevation.

 

[hank327]

I read the two ratings on this product which didn't give me a good impression in that this didn't work well for an AK on the elevation.

I don't know what those guys were complaining about as I've had mine for over 15 years now and I've used it on three different AK style rifles. It's worked fine for both elevation and windage on my Chinese Clayco, a Global Trades SR85-B (Hungarian/Polish AKM mix) and just a couple of months ago on my Saiga SGL-21. I got it after breaking two of those cheap C-clamp tools trying to adjust the windage on my Chinese Clayco. It moved that Chinese sight with no fuss, no muss and has been well worth the money IMO. Anyway, that's been my experience with the tool.

 

[stinger 327]

I don't know what those guys were complaining about as I've had mine for over 15 years now and I've used it on three different AK style rifles. It's worked fine for both elevation and windage on my Chinese Clayco, a Global Trades SR85-B (Hungarian/Polish AKM mix) and just a couple of months ago on my Saiga SGL-21. I got it after breaking two of those cheap C-clamp tools trying to adjust the windage on my Chinese Clayco. It moved that Chinese sight with no fuss, no muss and has been well worth the money IMO. Anyway, that's been my experience with the tool.

Maybe their front sights were frozen shut. Then again couldn't the front sight be loosened up with some CLP?

 

[halogrinder]

so like i was saying---- a brass punch and a hammer
works well, and cheap its an AK, who cares! lol

 

[fireman 9731]

I'm not ashamed to admit that I used a brass punch and hammer to adjust mine too.

 

[halogrinder]

im glad one of us in this thread realizes what we're dealing with here- an AK

all my AK's get the welder/grinder/hammer/spraypaint treatment- its like taking a demolition derby car, and waxing it. whats the point?

 

[wally]

Yes but isn't better to use an adjustment tool than a mallet and brass puncher?

Not really, especially if you have the mallet and brass punch already

Its real easy to break (bend the elevation adjustment T-handle) an AK sight pusher if you don't align the hole in the pusher with the movable part of the sight.

OTOH, the tool is pretty much required to adjust the front sight elevation. The $5 one I picked up at a gun show has never failed for me on SKS or AK.

If the sight is "frozen" you want penetrating oil, like Kroil or Liquid Wrench, not CLP. CLP might help but its a lubricant oil, not a penetrating oil.

 

[hank327]

Yes, you want to use a penetrating oil as mentioned above to loosen things up. WD-40 works pretty good at this in a pinch. A hammer and a punch will of course work but the resulting adjustments tend to be a little irregular. You usually spend quite a bit of time and ammo using this method unless you are of the "close enough for government work" mindset. I'm a little fussy in regards to the zero of my rifles (even AKs) so I like to use a sight tool. The tool allows me to get the sight adjusted just the way I want it with a minimum of effort, time and rounds expended. It works for me, ymmv as always.

 

[JTH]

I used a friends sight adjustment on my SKS that looks like a C clamp and it broke. The cheap one should be suffcient if you use a pentrating lubricant and let it set for at least a day before attempting to use it. Some of the others looked much more durable. If you guns sights have never been adjusted, since you've owned/purchased the weapon, I'd try to loosen it up with penetrating lub, especially if you're using the cheap one.
JT