VZ-24 rear sight ladder removal: Help needed!

[Col. Plink]

Hey y'all, about to receive my rear sight scope mount for my VZ-24, and need some guidance on how to remove the ladder sight (the base will stay attached to the rifle as it should). Thanks!

 

[lencac]

Hey Col, this is a standard mil spec Mauser, right? If so you just need to put a little down pressure on the sight ladder while with a small hammer and appropriate size drift punch tap out the pin at the muzzle end of the sight ladder.

 

[Col. Plink]

Hey lencac, yes it's fully original so hopefully that will work.

Sounds like a third arm would do nicely!

 

[Vaarok]

G clamp and some cribbing works better than a third hand.

 

[Col. Plink]

'G clamp', 'cribbing'? Afraid these are Greek to me... Thanks!

 

[lencac]

Actually you don't even need to hold down the ladder. But if you do it won't bend the pin any so it can be reused if needed.

 

[lencac]

Oh, the way I do it is to tap the punch without hold down the ladder until the punch stays put into the ladder then you can free up your hand to push down on the ladder.

 

[desidog]

Saw the OP and thought this might be a resurrection from months ago -

Plink, is the your second VZ24; or just a slow start?

What did you finally go with for this one, or the other one?, that was under discussion a while back?

 

[Col. Plink]

It's the same, but I hadn't decided which mount to go with and just threw down on the aimsports model (significantly less expensive than the S&K route). I recall that the sight ladder needed some downward pressure, but couldn't recall what the next move was as it didn't seem readily apparent from its looks. I went with a 2-7x pistol scope that's been sitting around lonely awhile.

If I could afford another I'd buy the one advertised over on the THR Trading Post right now!

 

[madcratebuilder]

Here's a step by step with photos. It's for a Mojo install on a M48 but the rear sight removal is the same.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/reviews/mojot38/index.asp

 

[Col. Plink]

Progress!

I was able to drift out the pin last night but could not discover how the ladder was still held in place, it didn't look like the spot pictured for pressing with a screwdriver was part of the leaf spring but I guess it is. Eureka!

I'll go home at lunch and remove that sight ladder if I can, my mount might come in the mail today!

 

[Col. Plink]

Impasse?

OK, some interesting, possibly frustrating, things have come to light.

The VZ-24 I have (one of the 'Romanian' Nazi contact rifles) does not have a rear sight ladder that removes like the one in the video posted above. The leaf spring under the ladder does not extend far enough forward to be pressed down upon in the manner shown (i.e., from just forward of the ladder trunions).

So I'm presently trying to figure out how to depress the leaf spring (from UNDER the ladder sight) enough to take the pressure off the ladder trunions and remove the ladder.

What's happening is that the leaf spring doesn't seem to have enough space underneath to be depressed. I've tried a couple of different ways to push down on it and it doesn't seem to move at all (certainly not enough to take any pressure off the trunions it would seem). I have, however, managed to dicker-up the wood a bit in the process. :banghead:

So I guess my question is whether there is something about the construction of the sight that is preventing the leaf spring from being depressed any more than it does when the ladder is fully extended. I also cannot figure out how the ladder is being held in place minus the pin, and how removing the pressure from the leaf spring would allow it to be removed anyway. How is it being held in place without the pin? What am I missing? Do I just need a better way to press down on the leaf spring? (I've got a pretty strong grip and it doesn't seem to matter)

I now have the mount and would love to figure out how to put it all together. On a related note I can't tell from the mount how it's supposed to be secured to the rifle aside from the pin that replaces the original (but that can be left to another post).

Thanks to all that have helped so far, I'm hoping someone that has done this with a VZ-24 can decipher my problem and lend some insight.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I also cannot figure out how the ladder is being held in place minus the pin, and how removing the pressure from the leaf spring would allow it to be removed anyway.

The ladder has a trunnion at the end, it fits in a slot. The leaf spring keeps the ladder pressed up and locked in the slot. Press the leaf down, press the ladder down and pull to the rear. It really helps to have a second pair of hands, the rifle mounted in a vise.

 

[Col. Plink]

My rifle's rear sight ladder cannot be romoved in the manner shown on the video posted above. There appears to be something different about it.

To restate, there seems to be no way to depress the leaf spring. There is no way to depress it from above and in front of the ladder. It does not seem to have room to depress from under the ladder.

Perhaps it is something specific to the VZ-24, or even this particular run of them (Nazi contract 'Romanians'?). Thanks!

 

[desidog]

I have a Vz24; czech made, german paid for, romanian contract, russian capture too; and i got mine out...

Use a vise; a wood dowel, and a rubber mallet... you have to have just the right angle to get that sucker out. They're built specifically so the sight wont fall apart, and not for ease-of-removal.

Go slow, you'll get it. It does take some muscle against the spring...and mind the woodwork!

 

[Col. Plink]

Thanks, 'dog. I'm still somewhat in the dark as to how to depress the leaf spring under the ladder. How did you do it, exactly? Thanks! (Do I just push the ladder down into the spring? I can't depress the spring as shown in the video posted above; I've seen another Mauser that just had to have the ladder itself pushed into the spring to release the trunions.)