L1A1 - new sights prob.

[P95Carry]

I wrote this more or less in a thread I did on a quick range report from today ... but doubt it'll get any exposure ..... so ..... try here.

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A little while back I got some new sights from D.S.Arms, outa IL ..... I fitted the ''tactical'' rolleyes: ) ..... para rear sight with windage adjustment ..... (has two peep apertures to choose from) .... and replaced front sight with the crosshair duplex deal.

I set up the latter to approximate the height of old blade ... but -- when we shot it (love the sight picture) .. oh my, was it ever going low! Screwed foresight down to limit but still shooting too low. So - seems new rear sight too damned low in itself and ...... being in dovetail, danged if i can think of an easy way to cure this. Could go back to old rearsight but that rather negates the expense!!

I could also machine something off foresight base but .... the set screw is there and I expect about 40 thou is all I can remove ... probably not enough.

I forget who posted about these sights a while back ... but wonder if they had any probs and ...... wonder if any other ideas out there??

Be most grateful for feedback of any sort.

I took these pics real quick ... they are very poor focus and res but will serve i hope to I/D the sights. The front sight BTW gives a great pic, even with my tired old eyes!

 

[JohnKSa]

The other option is to go back to the post front. From looking at the pic, it seems that the front sight crosshairs are quite a bit higher than the top of the post would be...

Personally, I don't like crosshair front sights on a gun. Actually I don't like putting anything directly in front of the impact point when using iron sights. With a scope, the crosshairs don't obscure a significant amount of the target. With iron sights, the crosshairs are going to cover a decent amount of the target, and that's only going to get worse with a small or distant target.

I assume that your gun is a kit gun (parts kit on a new receiver)--sight problems seem to be common with kit guns. Yours isn't as bad as some I've seen. Another common problem is not being able to zero for windage because the barrel wasn't timed properly...

My parts kit Imbel needs a decent amount of left windage to zero. Fortunately there's enough adjustment.

 

[P95Carry]

Thx for feedback John .. this gun is actually a CAI weapon .... and also a raffle prize!! Can't grumble too much!

In fact - the front sight blade does actually equate reasonably to the height of cross hair center ........ well enough that I expected no probs. Seems to me that the rear sight is where I lose elevation. Windage was no prob ... hardly any adjustment needed really.

So .... even if I go back to blade foresight - I fear the prob will not be solved .... most prob seems to be from rear ... and as i said (for me) I do like both these new ones. Remember, these oldish tired eyes need help - and these sights do, in essence, suit me nicely.

Pity is .... the new rear has no ramp.

 

[kotengu]

Your problem is that these sights are designed for metric rifles and it sounds like yours is an inch pattern, which has a higher sightline. Dan at VOW (www.volunteerordnanceworks.com), who "invented" these sights has been working on a new and taller sight leaf that will work with the inch (and izzy) model guns. Give him a ring and see what progress he's made - I know he has about a million things going on right now, so it might be a little while, but he's working on it......

Of course - the other answer is to buy another FAL, but metric pattern. You can't eat just one!

 

[P95Carry]

kotengu ...... thx for input ... ya know I had been wondering myself re the ''inch/metric'' thing .... seems only explanation. I will endevor to contact Dan and see what is what ..... may find a fix even if takes a while.

And yeah ... maybe I should get another too!

Thx again.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Well, I was hitting chunks (not whole) of clay pigeons at 100 meters with that rifle and those sights.

The first couple of shots were "figure where on the sight wire to hold," and the next couple made the clay chunks go away.

 

[P95Carry]

UPDATE

Thx to kotengu's mention re Dan at volunteerordnanceworks.com, I emailed him and he got back to me today .....

We are working on new apertures for both Inch and Israeli models, should have them out soon. If you will drop me an email in a couple of weeks, i should have some more news for you and I will send you a new aperture at no charge.

Now THAT is most useful I think you'll agree ....... I must remember to check it out with him mid Jan and hopefully get a fix. A very fine offer he makes I think .... I will return the metric version to him of course.

 

[kotengu]

Glad to hear it, but I'm not surprised. Dan is quite simply THE MAN, with regards to anything he does. He just got his class 07 FFL as well, so he can fully manufacture now too.

Matt

 

[P95Carry]

kotengu .... yeah, I am impressed. And again thx due to you for mentioning that and pointing me in right direction ..... not sure otherwise how I'd have handled it further. The power of THR eh?!

Later on, hoping I get things fixed ... I'll add a quick further update.

 

[P95Carry]

Only resurrecting this cos .. strange ... Dan stayed in touch approx weekly until about a month ago ... and yet this last several times I have emailed for an update ... no response at all!!!

I'm gonna try and call Monday and see what gives but .. just wondering if there was any reason anyone knew of why this otherwise most helpful guy would not be responding to emails. And note .. I have tried not to hassle him ...... just pretty much as he suggested, checkin in each week.

I am also I guess ''gettin itchy'' .... wanting to replace this rear sight and get the puppy spot on .. as Mike Irwin found when he tried it .. we had to use the lowest part of the foresight ''cross'' vertical to be on target at 100 yds! It works but - not ideal!

 

[kotengu]

Dan sometimes "goes missing" from time to time. Between constant back troubles and trips to the hospital and some other personal issues he may not want public, he can be out of touch for a little while sometimes.

However - as you've already found out, he ALWAYS makes things right as soon as he can, so fear not!

 

[P95Carry]

Appreciate your feedback kotengu - thank you

 

[P95Carry]

Well .. another resurrection!! here we are three months down the line ..... and I have still not got anywhere!

I spoke to Dan once some while back .... and in essence it just seemed he was real busy but ... I get no email replies any more despite not writing much ... not trying to hassle him. But he did say initially it would not be too long!

I guess the L1A1 sights still haven't made it into production but I am dismayed that I no longer seem to have the friendly and helpful respose and feedback ..... almost like I might as well give up on it. I really do want to get the right sight unit .. badly ... but if I don't get it then I am left with a far from ideal set up.

If anyone knows Dan real well ... I'd be interested to know what is what.

 

[Heavy Barrel]

your location

Just where is a bit west of center.Bet you're real close.

 

[P95Carry]

Just where is a bit west of center.Bet you're real close.

I'll drop you a PM!