M14 Forum

art7

Guess you learn something new every day. I always live by the principle that you modify the less expensive part, so when you screw it up it does not cost so much ...

My method has always been to peen the tongues that stick out on the side of the aperture rack - I never messed with a sight base. Get an anvil and a center punch, and you can lay the rack so the tongue just rests convex side down on the anvil edge, and I take the center punch and punch a series of indents just maybe a 1/16" in from the edge, this flows and bulges the edge of the tongue. I then use a flat surface with some 400 grit paper on it, and work the bumps so they are all the same size and it just fits the sight base.

The other approach is the wax coat the sight base and put in marine-tex epoxy, then put in the aperture before it sets up. The epoxy fills all the voids, so the parts mate perfectly. Or maybe you were supposed to wax the aperture rack and let the epoxy attach to the sight base .... don't recall. I think Nez has done this with great success.

The other Art

Bamban

Art,

Here is how I did mine. Spray the aperture and base with release agent, with small Q-Tip carefully degrease the sides and the steps in the aperture rack. Set the base on top of a strong magnet. Slide the rack in place and with the aid of a dental pick fill in the slot between the base and the aperture rack from the top with JB Weld. Wiggle the aperture to fill the voids with JB and add more with the dental pick if needed.

Let the JB cure under the pull of the magnet to simulate the tension the sight cover puts on the sight.

I really did not know what I was doing nor did not know whether I did it right or not I just had to do something with the loose aperture and I do not have the skills to do what the Armorers do to these sights.

Necessity is more like it, but I got what I wanted out of it.

jamesbond007

I'd like to let you all know that my rear sight is fixed, but I took the coward's way out...actually the CHEAP coward's way out.

I contacted a gunsmith to do the work. He indicated that it would be cheaper to buy a new NM rear sight (upgrade) than for him to do the work. He estimated $150-$200. He then suggested that since my rifle was a Springfield Arms rifle and fairly new, to give SA a call and see what they would do.

I followed his advice and can't say enough good things about SA customer service.

In short, they paid for shipping, both ways, replaced and custom fit all new parts for the rear sight. While it was there, they noticed the trap door in the butt plate was sticking, and replaced the entire butt plate.

Although it took about 6 weeks to get the rifle back, it came back with a perfectly tight rear sight (even when almost fully extended) and I had some other areas repaired...all at NO cost.

Thanks to all the posters here that provided info for me to DIY, but it seems all I had to do was ASK SA for help.