AK front sight tool...What can I use?

[eulogyADD]

I have a WASR-10 and the front sight post is stuck (elevation not windage). I mean really stuck, like broke 6 AK sight tools: the one it came with, a NcStar, B-Square, Tapco, and two homemade ones.

The two homemade ones worked the best and were by far the strongest but they still don't get the job done. I made them from dremmeling a slot in a flat-head screwdriver. I've also heated with a torch, soaked in CLP for days, and hit it with a hammer and punch (not too hard) to try to break the bond.

What else can I do/use?

I heard PB Blaster (which I have at work but have not tried), freezing it with the liquid from canned air, or my last option is drilling it out and replacing it all together.

Also what other tools can I use or what material should I make a tool from?

I was thinking grinding a slot in a bolt but its not hardened steel like the screw driver. I guess I can harden it myself. I will try that in the mean time while I wait for suggestions.

Thanks Guy!

EulogyCan'tThinkForHimselfThisWeekADD

[Virtus985]

Bumpity bump, I'm sure you've gotten yours moving by now but for those of us that have stuck front posts, I've got a solution that involves tools you probably already have / are available at any sears hardware.

First off, lube the snot out of it. Dribble hoppes oil on that sucker till its soaking wet.

Now, the solution to the stuck sights is LOTS and LOTS of leverage, which is difficult because any tool sturdy enough to do that has trouble fitting in that U-shaped channel where you're trying to rotate the sight. Most needle nose pliers would fit in the channel, but slip off every time I tried to get a good grip on the sucker- so I grabbed a c-clamp and did this:

Take the pliers and get them straight up and down pinching on either side of the flat part of the sight post. Hold them steady, and with your other hand gently fit the c-clamp over the handles of your pliers, so that it will squeeze them together when you tighten it. Make sure its good and lined up so it doesn't all pop off.

Now, carefully but firmly tighten down the c-clamp on the needle nose plier's handles. Make sure the c-clamp is pretty tight. Now, those pliers will have the sight in an almost unbreakable death grip, so grab a hold of both the pliers and the c-clamp and gently turn them. You've got absurd amounts of mechanical advantage with this setup so it should go very smoothly with little effort.

There you have it- the ultimate ghetto front sight tool!

I was removing my front sight to get it ready for a tritium sight, so I backed that sucker all the way out without a problem.

The only caveat to this method is that since this took me a few tries to perfect the techniqe, the front sight post had already gotten a bit chewed up from previous tools / plier slippage from botched attempts... As such I don't know exactly how hard it is on your sight post.

[ReconLdr]

I would try the PB Blast and the proper tool first. I would soak it over night with the PB Blaster, then heat the sight housing not the sight. If you heat the sight it will expand and become tighter in the housing. If you heat the housing it will expand and should loosen up for you.

I would try to use the proper tool or make one before I tried pliers. You don't want to round off the edges if you don't have to.

[zzeiber]

Ket a kan of Kroil and use liberally.

I've never seen anything that was bound or rusted that wasn't freed by Kroil.

[eulogyADD]

Still not fixed, I put a red-dot on it and thats good for now. I found a few websites that sell the posts for like $5 so Im not worried about chewing this one up.

I would try the PB Blast and the proper tool first. I would soak it over night with the PB Blaster, then heat the sight housing not the sight. If you heat the sight it will expand and become tighter in the housing. If you heat the housing it will expand and should loosen up for you.

I would try to use the proper tool or make one before I tried pliers. You don't want to round off the edges if you don't have to.

Not sure you read my post at all. I tried PB and heat and cold and almost every sight tool out there several times and broke all 6 different sight tools and it didnt move.

Ket a kan of Kroil and use liberally.

I've never seen anything that was bound or rusted that wasn't freed by Kroil.

I may have to try that, never heard of it.

[PA Rifleman]

Having replaced several complete front sights on AKs, I agree they can test patience. A couple of thoughts, maybe techniques.

1. Using a propane torch, heat the windage drum (avoid the post as much as practical) until it glows red, use a front sight tool to turn the front sight post. Don't worry about heating the front sight base cherry or orange red. If this technique fails, or the front sight post snaps off, go to #2 (below).
2. Replacement

Using a dremel, drill press or other suitable tool, grind or file the remains of the front sight post flush or slightly below the surface of the windage drum.
Take care to avoid damaging or scoring the inside surface of the windage drum bore. Translation-dress off any burrs on the windage drum.
Press windage drum out using "c" type sight adjustment tool. I recommend measuring the diameter with a 0-1" micrometer to 0.0001" (one ten thousandth of an inch), and record this information somewhere. Order a replacement, specifying that the replacement match this diameter.
Replace windage drum and sight post with new or new-old-stock (NOS) replacement parts.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Crayon section
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Stuff you'll need:

You. How about coloring up some clothes, eh?

Your AK. AKs are good.


Here's one for your girlfriend.


If your AK looks like this, you went too far. Put it back together.


Micrometer measuring shaft diameter.


Mr. Propane, your friend.

Propane tank handle, home-made.


_
C-type front sight tool


Front sight tool pressing windage drum out of front sight base.

[deth502]

resurecting an old thread, but you do know that that cleaning kit tube that your sight tool isin is also the tools handle, right?? that should give you all of the leverage you need.