Collector grade M1 carbine - ok to drift the staked sight?

[gunsrfun1]

Hello - I have a National Postal Meter M1 carbine that is Collector grade - definitely not just a shooter. Without going into a lot of detail, I'll just say that it's a real specimen and everything is "right" about it.
My question is about the flip-up rear sight. It is drifted in slightly to the right, which is causing the gun to shoot right.
There appear to be two lines scribed on the right side of the receiver, and the sight base lines up exactly with those two lines. But it's not centered, so it's shooting right.
On the left side, there appears to be a small piece of metal inserted into the front corner between the receiver and the sight base. (Hope this is making sense; hard to describe.) Maybe that is staking?
My question is what risk I would be taking if I try to drift the sight to the left a bit.
I absolutely do not want to take a chance of loosening the sight, or doing anything that could affect the value of the gun.
I've drifted sights on rifles and handguns before, but this seems like a somewhat different situation.
What do you recommend: Try to drift it, or leave well enough alone?
PS - I have an Inland shooter with adjustable rear sights that is dead center. So adjusting the NPM sights would be "nice," but is not critical, which is why I am asking this question.
Thanks

 

[GRIZ22]

If it's a collector grade I would leave it as it is. Get another to shoot.

 

[drband]

I know very little about M1 carbines but I believe there is a special tool to use on the fragile rear sight. Make sure you take it to a good gunsmith if it needs adjusting. Don’t ruin a collectible to save a few bucks.

 

[gunsrfun1]

Thank you both. I will leave well enough alone. Not worth the risk.

 

[greyling22]

Drift it and shoot it. I have no use for a gun that won't shoot where I point it. If it has been shot before shooting it some more won't hurt its value.

 

[amd6547]

I’ve heard of the dovetail cracking on carbines, usually when somebody is replacing the adjustable sight with the flip sight, to make it more “correct”.

 

[Eugen]

I have a variety of WWI & WWII fire arms most of which I shoot occasionally. Some I shoot them like I hate'em. But, I do have a few that are too valuable that I will never shoot them. Those few get played with, shown, carefully preserved, etc. One thing I don't do is any risky smithing on them. If you have one or more M1 carbine shooters, and you have "correct" NPM, I'd recommend you leave that rear sight alone unless you are confident you "will first do no harm" in any work performed.

Lastly, congrats on that nice NPM. I am jealous!

 

[Riomouse911]

I’d leave it be, too. I had the front sight off my M1 Garand go loose and then fly off as a friend was shooting it. (He apparently didn’t notice it moving, I was shooting trap and wasn’t nearby) We looked for 20 minutes for it, but had no luck. A period correct replacement cost me over 50 bucks, and blue Loctite now keeps it in place. I couldn’t imagine the cost of repairing a broken or buggered up rear sight on a nice Postal Carbine.

I’m starting to think I’ll be shooting my 70+ year old milsurps less and less now that they’re becoming more valuable as “historical artifacts” than plinkers.

I have lots of others to shoot, including some that I rarely get a chance to use...this will give me an excuse to wring those guns out a bit and see what they can do.

Stay safe!

 

[Tommygunn]

I think it's more a matter of having the right tools.

I inherited a Inland carbine from my father, who'd brought it home from service in the Korean War. It stayed in a closet alongside a brown grocery bag full of WW2 era ammo and several magazines, unused by anyone during my lifetime. I recalled once my father telling me it it to the left of point-of-aim. When I got the carbine it was obvious why. It had the early "flip" sight and it was all the way to left in the dovetail. A trip to a gunsmith who used his good stuff (as opposed to what I might have employed ) put p.o.i. in the center.

If you don't have the right equipment, leave it be. Earlier posters have pointed out possible damage; I agree with them.