Straight pulls range tested

[Gordon]

Went to range today with 3 straight pulls: M95 mannlicher carbine 8x56R , K-31 Swiss 7.5x55 , Canadian Ross .303. All have same type 'Barley corn" sights. I have fired the Ross maybe 200 rounds in 25 years, the other two I just test fired when I bought them in last 2 years. This time I accumulated enough ammo stash to shoot them 80 times each and have ammo left for reserve. Iwas shooting the pristine 1938 Nazi stuff in mannlicher, and Swiss 1978 military and late .303 British Nato rounds, all berdan primed. The sure fire 1938 nazi stuff shocked me with such consistancy and great accuracy 3" at 100 yds! The swiss K-31 grouped a little tighter but that was exspected with the greased Swiss ball. The Mannlicher kicked pretty good but I put a slip on recoil pad and it was perfect length and tolerable.The Ross shot 2" groups but it is a BIG gun and heavy and sights are 'finer' The guns all ejected well but the Swiss ejects straight up . Overall I was most impressed with the little Mannlicher carbine keeping up with the bigger guns and its groups were perfectly centered whereas the Swiss was 2" left of center and requires a special front sight pusher to adjust. The Ross is off about an inch low right with no real way to adjust it. It was a real fun day on the Sunny left coast.

 

[444]

"whereas the Swiss was 2" left of center and requires a special front sight pusher to adjust. "

You can very simply adjust the front sight with a brass punch and small hammer. No problem at all.

 

[Gordon]

Thanks 444 I'll try next time out.

 

[444]

Just make sure the punch is brass so you don't mar the finish on the rifle. Really the front sight of the K31 isn't much different than most other front sights; the difference is that the slot is parallel to the bore instead of perpendicular. The dovetail runs at an angle from right to left so that if you push the front sight back, it moves the front sight to the left and if you push the sight forward it moves the sight to the right. The old rule is that you move the front sight in the opposite direction that you want to move the bullet, so in your case you need to use a brass punch to knock the front sight back. Since your rifle is shooting to the left, you want the bullets to strike to the riight of where they are now. So, you move the front sight to the left (which is accomplished by hitting muzzle end of the sight which pushes the sight closer to the breech end of the gun.)