Question About Zeroing an Ar-15 with iron sights

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  • Gabriel

    Grandmaster
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    9   0   0
    Jun 3, 2010
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    The shore of wonderful Lake Michigan
    The rifle is a complete Colt 6940 with a detachable carry handle.

    I assure you sir 300 clicks. I just adjusted the sight another 275 clicks. I hope that does the job.

    This rifle is a police trade in. It may be been used and abused.

    It may be abused, but probably not used.

    There is no way that front sight turned 500 clicks without either bottoming out or spinning it out the top of the front sight assembly. Something is amiss. Before taking it to a gunsmith, see if you can get the sight post out of the assembly and see what's wrong. My initial guess with the little information provided is you bottomed out the sight post while sighting it and then continued to turn it, which may either have stripped the threads in the sight assembly or the post (or a bit of both). If this happened, you may have to try to spin the sight while finding a way to grab the post and pull it up and out. Once you get it out, you should be able to see what the problem is. Hopefully it's an easy fix like a new front post.
     

    DDadams

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    Jan 17, 2014
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    North Indy
    That's a pretty decent haul from Porter County.
    He said he didn't mind traveling.

    I'm the same way. I will gladly drive several hours for someone better than what I have local for many different reasons, firearms or not.

    I know not everyone is this way. Only recommended him because he said he didn't mind driving.
     

    Gabriel

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    He said he didn't mind traveling.

    I'm the same way. I will gladly drive several hours for someone better than what I have local for many different reasons, firearms or not.

    I know not everyone is this way. Only recommended him because he said he didn't mind driving.

    You are correct. Replacing the front sight is pretty simple procedure, though, and could be done by just about any armorer. I completely understand wanting to go to someone trustworthy so you don't get a rifle back that is mangled in some way.

    I'd still remove the front post and see what the issue is before I'd bother taking it anywhere and possibly wasting time and money.

    I have the SBR version of that same rifle right behind me and would love to count how many turns it takes from a flush sight to bottom it out, but I kind of need it sighted in for work. :laugh:
     

    DDadams

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    You are correct. Replacing the front sight is pretty simple procedure, though, and could be done by just about any armorer. I completely understand wanting to go to someone trustworthy so you don't get a rifle back that is mangled in some way.

    I'd still remove the front post and see what the issue is before I'd bother taking it anywhere and possibly wasting time and money.

    I have the SBR version of that same rifle right behind me and would love to count how many turns it takes from a flush sight to bottom it out, but I kind of need it sighted in for work. :laugh:
    Yeah, just a sight post is a pretty much anyone can do it thing.

    I think more than likely the sight is broken and the turns aren't doing anything. 500+ clicks is as already mentioned, literally impossible - unless the clicks aren't doing a thing.

    But for any other work someone needs a guru for, I'd bring my work to Allen.

    He's built me a few beautiful, wonderful shooting ARs. He has one that should weigh in around 4.7 lbs (with optics) after it's done for me right now. Probably going to have him cut the barrel and p/w it and switch the handguard to save another 5 ounces to get it to 4.5 flat.

    That's without a pencil barrel too!
     

    sloughfoot

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    Apr 17, 2008
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    I recall that when the first flat top colts came out, there were two detachable carry handles. The carbine carry handle was pretty low. Noticeably low. The rifle carry handle was normal height.

    I wonder if you have the low carry handle. Can you post a picture?

    Also, it is physically impossible to turn the front sight that many turns and still get any movement of the post.
     

    Indiana_Jeff

    Plinker
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    Jun 20, 2022
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    South Bend
    I recall that when the first flat top colts came out, there were two detachable carry handles. The carbine carry handle was pretty low. Noticeably low. The rifle carry handle was normal height.

    I wonder if you have the low carry handle. Can you post a picture?

    Also, it is physically impossible to turn the front sight that many turns and still get any movement of the post.
    Excellent suggestion! If the original armory had a mix of guns, then rear handle sight bases could have been ignorantly swapped. Photos might help the group advise further.
     

    DadSmith

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    Yikes! If this is the case, then this is a much more complicated project.

    Sure hope for the OP's sake that it's just a stripped sight post and not the the assembly.
    If that's the case. If you can get it out just thread it again, and look at the threads on the sight post they might need threaded again also.
     

    Ark

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    Feb 18, 2017
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    I haven't seen a front sight post strip out, but Bubba can destroy anything.

    Combining a fixed carry handle and F marked front sight can result in bottoming out the adjustment and needing to file or get a shorter post, especially if you want a 6 o'clock hold. But will a detachable carry handle it should be well within the adjustment.

    Sounds broke. Needs close inspection of both sets of threads and the plunger assembly.
     
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    Jan 7, 2012
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    I went to the shop I bought the rifle from, it is a PD trade in. The front site was made by Trijicon. They told me a standard front site adjustment tool won't work. They gave me some punches and showed me how to adjust it
     
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    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    If that's the case. If you can get it out just thread it again, and look at the threads on the sight post they might need threaded again also.
    Not sure you can do that. Pretty sure when threads get stripped, there isnt any material left to re-thread, unless you step up to a bigger hole, but then it wont be compatible with any sights.

    Pretty sure if its stripped, its done for in this case.
     
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